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1857 - 2002
One Hundred Forty Five Years in God's
Service
The History of St. John's dates back to the Spring of the
year 1857. At that time 32 communicants resigned from St.
Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, because
of a difference of opinion as to synodical connection of the
church. On March 12, 1857, this group of 32 Lutherans met
and resolved to organize a Lutheran congregation connected
with the Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of New York, one
of the territorial Synods of the General Synod. In a
congregational meeting held on May 4, 1857, The Reverend
Gottlieb Fachtmann was elected as Pastor. He held the first
services of the new congregation in the old City Missions
Building on State Street. A complete organization of the
congregation was effected in a meeting held on June 2, 1857,
when the name of St. John's German Evangelical Lutheran
Church was adopted. At this time the first Church Council
was elected. It consisted of Elders Jacob Koehler, Philip
Friederich and John Strempel; Deacons Jacob Gomph, Philip
Becker and Friederich Koch and Trustees P. Hess, Heinrich
Meckel, John Schmidt, George Gomph, Conrad Desch, Konrad
Degen and Heinrich Reinhardt.
Pastor Fachtmann was with St. John's but a few months
when he resigned to return to Germany. On advice of The
Reverend Christian Hennecke, St. John's then joined with the
First German Lutheran Church of the South End and was served
by The Reverend Mr. Hennecke for a season.
On October 21, 1857, the congregation bought a property
near the Two Mile House (currently corner of Watervliet and
Central Avenues) for cemetery purposes.
Under pressure of an increasing desire to establish a
separate parish, the congregation resolved on October 25,
1858 to incorporate and to build its own church. A property
was bought on "The Bowery," now Central Avenue, and Johann
Strempel, Heinrich Schmidt and Heinrich Hauf were appointed
as Building Committee. The cornerstone for the church was
laid on January 25, 1859. At this juncture The Reverend Mr.
Hennecke refused to continue to serve the congregation,
because it would not agree to join him in affiliating with
the Buffalo Synod.
On March 9, 1859, the congregation called The Reverend
Ernst Hoffmann as its Pastor. He began his ministry in St.
John's on May 1, 1859, the same day on which the
newly-erected church was dedicated. In this year the Sunday
School was organized by Mr. Philip Friederich with an
enrollment of 60 children. A German School was begun by The
Reverend Mr. Hoffmann with 16 children. Its growth soon
necessitated the calling of a teacher; Mr. Schroeter was
engaged in 1864. Mr. Heinrich Bosch became his successor and
served the school for many years. {click
for picture of first church building.}
The growing city soon spread beyond the cemetery on
Central Avenue, and interments were prohibited. In 1873 the
congregation bought 20 acres of land on Sand Creek Road for
cemetery purposes. The cemetery was dedicated in the Spring
of 1874, a chapel was built at its entrance and a branch
Sunday School was organized. Services were conducted in St.
John's Chapel, beginning in the Spring of 1881.
The growth of the congregation soon made a larger church
building desirable. The erection of the new church was
decided upon by the congregation in a meeting held on June
22, 1885. The cornerstone of the new building was laid on
September 20, 1885, and the completed building was dedicated
on May 30, 1886. The first church building was moved back to
Bradford Street and served the congregation as a Parish
House until being replaced by the present educational
wing.
The Reverend Hugo W. Hoffmann was called as Associate to
his father in the Summer of 1886. On September 21, 1887, The
Reverend Ernst Hoffmann died suddenly of heart failure while
attending a Conference Meeting in Castleton. He had served
St. John's for 28 years. At a meeting held on October 17,
1887, the congregation called its Associate Pastor, The
Reverend Hugo Hoffmann as Pastor. He served the church
faithfully for nearly eight years. In May 1895, he resigned
to accept a call extended to him by a large congregation in
Brooklyn, New York. The Reverend Bernhardt Pick, Ph.D., was
his successor. He began his ministry at St. John's on August
1, 1895. At this time the congregation bought a property at
393 Washington Avenue as a residence for the Pastor. Several
years later a parcel of land next to the church was bought
and the parsonage was erected. Doctor Pick served the
congregation until the Spring of 1901.
Upon Dr. Pick's resignation, the congregation called The
Reverend Oscar Krauch to become its Pastor. Pastor Krauch
took charge of St. John's on June 1, 1901, and served the
congregation until the end of March 1915. Under his able
leadership a pipe organ, costing $3,500.00 was built in
1903. In 1904 the church was renovated and a new heating
plant installed. During his ministry the Good Samaritans
were organized. Pastor Krauch having resigned to accept a
call to St. John's Lutheran Church of Buffalo, New York, The
Reverend Yost Brandt was called. He entered upon his
ministry at St. John's on April 1, 1915, and served the
church most faithfully until the Spring of 1923. During his
administration, the church was redecorated and a fine new
pipe organ built at a cost of about $17,000.00
On May 1, 1924, The Reverend Theodore O. Posselt, D.D.
assumed charge of the congregation. In the Spring of 1925,
the Junior League was organized. During the Summer and
Winter of 1928-1929, the Church and Parish House were
rebuilt at a cost of $93,000.00. The church was lengthened
by 26 feet, new altar, pulpit, baptismal font, pews, lights,
heating system and stained glass memorial windows installed.
A new platform and meeting rooms were added to the Parish
House.
In June 1929, The Reverend Theodore O. Posselt, Jr.
became Associate Pastor of St. John's and served the church
faithfully until April 1931. In December 1928, the Luther
League was reorganized and an Altar Guild founded. The
Advocate, the monthly church paper began publication January
1, 1925. In October 1929, regular English morning services
were introduced. Thereafter German services were held
sporadically and were finally discontinued in 1949.
In 1937 the wooden parapet of the steeple was replaced
with one of copper; and new steps, platform and railing were
attached to the front of the church. The practice of
decorating the store windows along Central Avenue on
Halloween was initiated by Pastor Posselt in order to
encourage children to give up the destructive pranks that
traditionally characterized their celebration of the
occasion. In 1930, Hartwick Theological Seminary recognized
the outstanding quality of Pastor Posselt's ministry by
awarding him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. Pastor
Posselt's stay in St. John's spanned a period of twenty two
years and came to a close on June 17, 1946 when he was made
pastor emeritus.
During the interim, the vacancy was served by The
Reverend Robert VanDeusen. Then on January 1, 1947 The
Reverend Russell Gaenzle became pastor. During his pastorate
the congregation grew in numbers, in depth of its program
for the membership and in influence in the life of the
community. There was also a quickening of the sense of
stewardship allowing the congregation to liquidate a debt of
$40,000, make property improvements to the parish hall in
1948 and of the green room in 1950. In addition, the
sanctuary was redecorated in 1952, a new parsonage was
purchased at 75 Brookline Avenue in 1954, a new kitchen
installed in 1955, the exterior was sandblasted in 1956 and
new front doors were installed in 1957. With a look toward
future expansion, property at 168 Central Avenue was
purchased for $24,000.
To aid in the implementation of the expanded program,
recruitment of new staff was required. In 1949, Miss
Kathleen Weant was called as a parish worker, in which
capacity she served for five years. Later Sister Dorothy
Goff served the congregation for one year. In following
years, the move was made in the direction of student
interns.
Pastor Gaenzle left St. John's in July 1962 to assume the
pastorate at a Lutheran church in York, Pennsylvania.
The Reverend Alvin Butz was called as pastor and led the
congregation from October 14, 1962 until his untimely death
on August 1, 1973. During that period he guided the
congregation through a major building program. The old
parish hall (original church), parsonage and the building at
168 Central Avenue were demolished and replaced with our
present educational wing and the courtyard. The Reverend
Gerald Miller joined the ministerial team in July 1964 as an
Associate Pastor. This period saw an increased emphasis on
outreach; courtyard programs were held benefitting both
members of the congregation and people from the
neighborhood, a Saturday morning program was instituted for
the children in the area and the TNT program was initiated
in conjunction with the Capital District Psychiatric Center.
During the summer months, the courtyard provided a pleasant
place to hold early morning worship services.
Following Pastor Butz's death, two interim pastors, The
Reverend Earl Henley and The Reverend Dennis Ellison led the
congregation until the arrival of The Reverend John
Huenniger on March 10, 1974. Pastor Huenniger served until
March 1992. During this period he was assisted by The
Reverend Mark Ridley, The Reverend George Kenyon, Jr. and
The Reverend Christine Blice-Baum. In March 1987 Mrs.
Dorothy Carlson joined the team as Volunteer Coordinator.
These years saw an increased use of the building by outside
groups and a revitalization of the youth program.
In July 1993, The Reverend Hugo W. Schroeder, Jr. arrived
to become the spiritual leader of the congregation. During
the interim period (March 1992-July 1993) the congregation
was led by The Reverend James K. Hilton and The Reverend
Daniel Uzupan. Since Pastor Schroeder's arrival, an
increased emphasis has been placed on our outreach to the
community; the building has been made available to more
groups (NA and AA), we are now full partners with Our Lady
of Angels and St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Churches in the
Outreach Center; a Super Pantry program was run in our
building aimed at teaching better nutrition to members of
the community and a Vacation Bible School was held in
conjunction with the Outreach Center. The Chapel on Sand
Creek Road was refurbished and services were reinstituted on
Saturday afternoons. Pastor Schroeder retired in June
1999.
In September 1999, the Reverend Paul D. Rees-Rohrbacher
become the thirteenth pastor of St. John's congregation. He
had served across town in Albany as an intentional interim
pastor before arrival at St. John's and served as vacancy
pastor or one half month. Pastor Dennis Meyer had served as
vacancy pastor during the summer of 1999. In September 2000
a celebration worship service was instituted as a more
contemporary worship experience and an alternative for
outreach. The Outreach Center changed to the Center City
Parish Social Ministry in 2000 and the Poverello Center
opened as a healing ministry in 2001.
What will be the future of St. John's? Certainly we will
continue to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our
community. It includes an emphasis on Team ministry and
outreach to the community. We hope to be a presence here for
another 145 years. With God's help and the participation of
the members of the congregation we cannot help but
succeed.
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