Evening star., 1933-01-07
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH
IS 90 YEARS OLD
Series of Special Services
Lasting Week Will Start
Tomorrow.

The ninetieth anniversary OF st. PauIS
Lutheran Church, Connecticut avenue
and Everett street, will be celebrated
with series Of special services and
meetings. beginning tomorrow and con-
tinuing throughout the following Sun
day. Preparations are being made by
various committees, under direction Of
the pastor, Rev. DR.. Henry w. Snyder,
and the Church Council.
The sacrament of holy communion
will be celebrated tomorrow at Il m.
and 8 pm, the pastor being the Gel
ebrant, assisted by Rev. w. c. Waite
myer Of Gettysburg College, a former
pastor. DR.. WaltemyeT will also preach
at the evening service. Special music
will be rendered by the choir under
Miss Edith Stowel. An anniversary
program is being planned for the Sun
day school session at $50 tomorrow
morning under the general superintend-
ent, Henry c. Brunner. The Christian
Endeavor Society and Luther League
will have special programs at Z pm.
The children of the Light Brigade will
also meet at O'Clock under the leader
ship of Mrs. Howard B. Homer, super
intendent.
Tuesday night will be observed as
Community night, when the neighbOr-
ing pastors of the Chevy Chase section
will speak and their congregations will
be guests of st. Paul's. Thursday night
will be observed as Congregational Eel
loWship night, featured by special pro-
gram, Stereopticon views depicting the
history of the church and a social
period for members and guests The
celebration will reach its climax Sun
day, January IS, with special liturgical
services at IL am. and 8 pm. Rev.
DR.. j. Edward Harms of Hagerstown,
president of the Maryland Synod. will
preach in the morning and DR.. Henry
w. Snyder in the evening.
Agreement Signed by 40.
st. Paul's was organized by group of
members from the old Concordia Ger
man Lutheran Church, who desired
services in the English language. The
Maryland Synod fostered the move
ment. Forty of the Concordia mem
bers signed an agreement ito form the
new congregation in 1843. 1t is the
ninetieth anniversary of this eve t
which is now being celebrated. Six
days after the signing of the agree
nlent the first services were conducted
in the old Odd Fellows Hall on Penn
Sylvania avenue, Rev. DR.. A. A. Muller
being in charge. The Maryland Synod
admitted them to membership as a mis-
sion of that body.
The complete organization of the
congregation was perfected in 1643 A
Sunday school was organized. with a
charter membership of six teachers and
81 scholars ST. Paul's is consequently
the Oldest English Lutheran congrega-
ton in the District of Columbia and
one of the earliest national churches
In the city
The mission was fostered in every way
by the national leaders of the Lutheran
Church.
A site at the southwest corner of
Eleventh and H streets was donated to
the congregation by Gen. John p Van
Ness, an Episcopalian. A memorial
was presented to His Excellency John
Tyler, the President of the United
States" setting forth the prospects of
the church. The good will of the ad-
ministration, thereby secured, was
manifested in various ways, and par
ticulerly by its indorsement of a SIM
liar memorial which was sent on Au-
gust l, 1874. to His Majesty. Frederick
William ", King of Prussia This
memorial was signed by the officers of
the congregation, the mayor of Wash
ington and the Secretary Of State. John
~ Sol44Cu4ls lllS oEd1 VI the ODltSu
States was affixed and the document
sent through diplomatic channels to
the American Minister at Berlin. The
latter, in turn, presented it to the King.
The result of this communication was
the gift of silver cha1ice as a token
of interest and good will from the King
and Queen. 1t bears an inscription in
German, Of which the following is
translation: Frederick William ",
King. and Elisabeth, Queen, of Prussia.
to the Evangelical Congregation of ST.
Paul in Washington, 1845." This his
toric chalice has been in constant use
at communion services Of the church
since.
Corner Stone Laid in 1874.
Construction of the church was begun
and the corner stone laid in 1874, with
elaborate ceremonies. In the process
sion marched eX-Prcsident John Quincy
Adams, Gen. Van Ness, the Grand
Lodge of Masons and Sons of Temper
ance. Rev. DR.. John G. Morris. presi-
dent Of the General Synod, delivered
the address. The basement of the
church was finished and occupied in
1845. The completed edifce was dedi-
Gated in 1886. Among those present
were President James K Polk with his
wife and household and Secretary of
State James Buchanan.
In 1926 a merger was effected be-
tween st. Paul's and the Epiphany
Lutheran Congregation under the old
name and charter of st. Paul's. The
Epiphany Congregation was organized
February 7. 1909, by AZ members from
the Memorial Lutheran Church. The
new congregation worshiped in Confed-
crate Veterans Hall on Vermont avenue
and later in Gunton Temple Chapel on
Fourteenth street until the dedication
OF their new house of worship on u
street between Fifteenth and Sixteenth
streets in 1911. After the merger OF
st. Pauls and Epiphany plans for a
monumental church group of Gothic
design were drawn for erection on the
new site, already purchased by Epiph-
any, at Connecticut avenue, Ellicott
and Everett streets On June IS. 1890
ground was broken for the first unit of
the new church The dedication took
place the following year.
The pastors Of St Pauls have been
as follows: Albert A Muller. D. D..
1S43-46; John E. Graef, 1846-49: John
@. Butler. D. D. l849-73. Henry B.
Belmer, 1S73-74 Samuel Domer. D. D.
1374-1900: F. w. Moot, i9O0-O3; John
II Euddle, D. D., 1904-26: John T.
Huddle, D. D, and w. c. Waltemyer.
Ph. D, co-pastors. 1869; Henry w
Snyder. D. d, 1929 to present. Pastors
of Epiphany, Charles F. Steck, D. D.
1903; w c. Waltemyer l923-26.