05/28/10

 1899- 1908

William Steinbicker, Henry Freimuth and C. F. Tiemann

During our first twenty-five years, eight different pastors served Holy Trinity.  Not a great deal is known about these individuals, but the little we know is interesting.

William H. Steinbicker and Holy Trinity hold many combined “firsts”.  He is our first pastor and we are his first congregation.  He is also the only pastor to take as his wife a member of the congregation.  In 1901 he married Elise Luning, a member of Holy Trinity and the daughter of a council member. 

Steinbicker was born in Lipstadt, Germany on February 2, 1874, received his BA from Muhlenberg College in 1896 and graduated from Mt. Airy Seminary (now the TLSP) in 1899. His first service here was held on June 18, 1899.  By the end of the year he had performed four baptisms, one marriage and one funnel.  He preached seventy-five sermons (thirty in German), made 138 pastoral calls and attended thirty-four meetings by the end of 1899.

He received a call from another congregation in September of 1900 and submitted a letter of resignation to the council.  Council meet on September seventeenth to discuss his resignation and concluded, “…the Pastor had nothing to complain of, everything being satisfactory, only that he had a call from another congregation and did not wish to decide the matter, so he left it for the Church Council to decide …” Council voted not to accept his resignation.  They may have been correct, as he did not accept the call.

However he again resigned in late 1901 and at the November council meeting his resignation was accepted.  From Holy Trinity he went on to serve at Incarnation in Brooklyn (1901-1910), and then St. Mark’s in South Bethlehem, Pa (1910-1912), followed by Ascension back in Brooklyn (1912-1914).  From 1914-1919 he was serving as a field missionary on Long Island, he then accepted a call to St. Luke’s in Farmingdale (1919-1927).  We loose track of him after 1927, but we are hoping that St. Luke’s will be able to tell us where he went when he left there.

Much of the time Pastor Steinbicker served at Holy Trinity witnessed a great deal of effort being spent by council trying to purchase land and take title to a church building.  At the October 1901 council meeting it was “moved and seconded that the council recommend to the congregation to withdraw from the New York Ministerium in order to join in the formation of a new synod.”  The motion was carried.  It is unknown how pastor felt about this and if it had anything to do with his resignation.  He did return to Holy Trinity at least once.  In January 1924 he attended a Congregational Dinner at Holy Trinity and spoke about how the congregation had changed.

Sometime in March of 1902 another student from Mt. Airy, H.C. Freimuth preached at Holy Trinity.  What he said, or how he structured his call service is unknown but someone or some small group felt he was not following the proper Lutheran line.  At the March 14, 1902 special council meeting it was “Resolved that in as much Student H.C. Freimuth is accused of not conducting morning and vesper services according to the Church book of the Evan Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity – RVC [we] deem it our duty to inform the Faculty of Mt. Airy Seminary, that it is a falsehood, and not the truth – That Student H.C. Fremuth has conducted the services as they have always been conducted.”  Henry Freimuth was called (subject to ordination) by a vote of 11 to 1.  By sometime in June Pastor Fremuth was preaching at Holy Trinity. 

It was during this time the church building was moved to northeast corner of Lincoln & Park.  Holy Trinity experienced a modest gain in size and financial stability during this time period. 

At a September twenty-first 1905 special congregational meeting Pastor Freimuth officially announced that he was accepting a call to Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Liberty, New York.  As we now know he would not be the only pastor from Holy Trinity to serve in the Liberty area.  We have a copy of his registration letter and he states three reasons.  He saw this new call as God’s wish, a change in climate would reverse a decline in his health and he was now married and had a child.  His registration was accepted with regret.  Some time later he served at First Church in Waterbury, Conn.  He also attended the January 1924 Congregational Dinner along with Pastor Steinbicker.

We know very little about our third pastor, C.F. Tiemann.  He was attending council meetings as early as December 1905 and resigned at the January 1908 council meeting.  A motion was made at the council meeting held a month before his resignation that a committee of two people be appointed to visit with the Conference President “…to find ways and means in regard to the welfare of this Congregation.”  It is not known if they were referring to Pastor Tiemann’s impending resignation (if they indeed know about it) or some other troubles and if those troubles contributed to Pastor Tiemann’s leaving Holy Trinity.

1908 - 1910:  OWEN REBER

Owen Reber was the first pastor to serve Holy Trinity who first served a congregation in Ontario, Canada.  He was born in Shoemakersville, Pa on October 3, 1858.  He graduated from the Philadelphia Seminary in 1888 and headed straight north to Bethesda Lutheran Church in Unionville, Ontario.

After two years in Ontario, he served a parish in Annapolis, Ohio where served for three years.  His next call also lasted three years at a congregation in Middlepoint, Ohio.  In October of 1896 he was called to St. Michaels’ in Cogan Station, Pa.  While at St. Michael’s Pastor Reber helped raise money for a new church building.  Five years later he was off the Washingtonville, Pa. Where he served for seven years.  During his pastorate at Washingtonville Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pastor Reber oversaw extensive changes and additional to the church building.  While at Washingtonville, Pastor Reber received a call from Holy Trinity.

Pastor Reber first preached in Rockville Centre on February 9, 1908, with a German service in the morning and an English service in the evening.  Less than a month later he accepted our call.  He presided at the March council meeting where his wife was proposed and accepted as a member.

Pastor’s entire family, including sons Paul, Luke and Mark pitched in to help.  At the May 1908 council meeting the three boys were thanked for repairing the benches in the Sunday School room.  In June he headed to Buffalo to attend the Synod meeting and was accepted as a member of the Synod.

Most council meeting during this time centered on financial problems.  Our deficit was increasing and maintenance bills were mounting.  During his first year membership increased by 22 (21 by confirmation) and now stood at an even 100.  He performed five funerals, one marriage and six baptisms during 1908.  He reported that much of the work of the parish fell on too few individuals. 

At the November 23, 1910 special congregation meeting Pastor Reber announced his resignation and it was accepted with regret.  He had accepted a call to St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg, Pa.  He served at St. John’s longer than at any of his previous congregations.  After twelve years there he retired and died two days after his seventy-third birthday. 

(Much of our information on Pastor Reber comes to us from his grandson Mark.  Back in 2000 Mark started researching the roots of his family.  He sent us much of the research on his grandfather, including a visit to Holy Trinity in May of 1990 where he met with Pastor Kuehne.)

1911 - 1914:  Adolph H. Holthusen

Only one of our pastors graduated from a Missouri Synod seminary, Adolph H. Holthusen served in congregations aligned with the Missouri Synod until late 1905, when he left over a disagreement regarding the doctrine of election (does God choose those He wants to be saved).  He is also one of only three of our pastors to be born in New York (on March 11, 1874 in Brooklyn).  He attended Concordia College in Fort Wayne, Indiana and then went on to Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri graduating in 1894 (at the age of 20).  In 1921 he received his D.D. from Susquehanna University. 

He headed back to the east coast immediately following graduation from seminary and served at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Yonkers from 1895 to early 1899.  He is not the only connection between St. John’s and Holy Trinity, Pastor Robert Schaefer was confirmed at St. John’s in the 1970’s.  Pastor Holthusen went on to serve congregations in Jersey City Heights and Pittsburg, Pa before joining the New York Minsterium.

He received a call to Concordia Lutheran Church in Buffalo in 1906 and it was while he was there that he received a call from Holy Trinity in December of 1910.  He was attending council meeting by January of 1911 and was installed on February 8, 1911.

Although Holy Trinity was entering its thirteenth year of service, its finances were still in a tenuous state.  A special council meeting was held with Pastor Holthusen even before he was installed to “discuss the financial condition of the church.”  It appears they did not take the road of cutting expenses.  Within the next few years the pews were refinished, a new heater was installed in the church, the parsonage was re-shingled, a major organ repair was completed and the church building was repainted.  However by the end of 1914 there was a surplus of $175.90 in the general fund.

It seems that at this time Holy Trinity became noticed in the village.  Several concerts were held that attracted many citizens of Rockville Centre as well as the surrounding areas.  The village installed a new streetlight in front of the church and we swapped some of our property with our next-door neighbors. 

Within a year of coming to Holy Trinity Pastor Holthusen received a call from the Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Asbury Park, N.J.  He requested that council write to them and state that he was no longer available for a call.  He was busy at Holy Trinity, in his first year alone he officiated at twelve weddings, eight baptism and nine funerals.  Seventeen new members joined in 1911.  During this time a branch Sunday school and church was organized in Lynbrook.  Members transferred from Holy Trinity to what became St. John’s Lutheran Church.

In November of 1914 he announced he received a call from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Jersey City, N.Y.  At a special congregational meeting his resignation was accepted “with deepest regrets.”  He served St. John’s until 1918 when he was elected president of Wagner College.  During his tenure there the campus was moved to Gymes Hill in Staten Island and a young man from Long Island, Carl Nutzhorn, graduated from Wagner.  The new graduate then went on the Philadelphia Seminary and in 1924 started a thirty-four year pastorate at Holy Trinity.  Pastor Nutzhorn invited his president back to Holy Trinity along with Pastors Steinbicker and Merhetns when we celebrated our twenty-fifth anniversary.

After Wagner, Pastor Holthusen severed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Brunswick, N.J.  He died on December 28, 1942 in New Brunswick. 

1915 -1917:  Ralph Durr

Our constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote by the congregation to call a pastor.  This was not always the case at Holy Trinity.  At a March 29, 1915 special congregational meeting, Ralph Durr, a student in his last year the Philadelphia seminary, was presented to the congregation as our new pastor, pending his graduation and ordination.  There were twenty-two votes cast and the results were eleven in favor and eleven opposed.  After a brief discussion Henry Heuschkel who was chairing the meeting left and Agustus. Schabbehar was elected as the new chairman.  There was a second vote and of the twenty-one votes cast, ten were in favor, nine opposed and two were blank.  A motion was then made to make it unanimous, and a third vote resulted in ten in favor and eight opposed.  Ralph Durr was to finish his studies with a call to a divided congregation.

The soon to be Pastor Durr was not the first choice of the congregation after Pastor Holthusen announced he was leaving in January of 1915.  By February first the council had two candidates in mind, William Pretzch of Maspeth and a Rev. Herold of Toronto, Canada.  At a special congregational meeting held on February 23, 1915 it was unanimously agreed to call Pastor Herold.  He apparently declined our call and set the stage for the March twenty-ninth meeting.  After Ralph Durr’s name was placed before the congregation, someone nominated a Rev. Starck.  The chairman of the meeting noted that we could only vote on one person at a time and in the end, Ralph Durr was called.

It should be noted that council consisted of nine members at this time, that is forty percent of the voting members.  It seems they were also divided in their feelings toward the call of Pastor Durr.  During the eighteen months Pastor Durr was with us, at least three council members resigned.  Each time they were requested to reconsider, and at least one of them did remain on council.  There is no indication in any council or congregational minutes what was diving the congregation.   Everyone seems to regret Pastor Holthusen’s leaving and our next pastor, Bernard Meterns was one of our most beloved pastors.  At our twenty-fifth anniversary both Pastors Holthusen and Merthens attended the dinner celebration.  Even though he was only in Floral Park, Pastor Durr was either not invited or could not attend. 

A natural conclusion would be that the problem was with Pastor Durr.  You may think he was from the mid-west and did not understand New Yorkers.  Pastor Durr was born on October 12, 1888 in Jersey City, New Jersey and graduated from Wagner College and the Philadelphia seminary, as did so many of our pastors before and after him.  Perhaps he lacked people skills or was a poor preacher.  What refutes this idea is that he remained at his next congregation from the time he left us in 1915 until his retirement in 1964.  He served at Christ Lutheran Church in Floral Park for over forty-five years!

Council minutes do not indicate any problems.  During this time a new organ was purchased and installed for a cost of $1,400.00.  At the September 1916 council meeting pastor was given authority to organize a Harvest Home Festival, but at the December meeting he announced his resignation.  The congregation’s reaction was, as can be expected, mixed.  At a special congregational meeting held the day after Christmas in 1916 his resignation was read to the congregation.  A motion was made to accept it and fourteen members voted to accept it and fourteen voted not to accept it.  A second ballot was held and thirteen voted to accept and sixteen not to accept.  A committee was formed to ask Pastor Durr to reconsider, but he did not change his position.

It appears his resignation was not enough for some people.  At the February 1917 council meeting the secretary was instructed to write Pastor Durr asking him to return a five gallon oil can and to inform council of the whereabouts of a mantle that was removed for his convenience.  It is not noted if he responded to this note.

All that can be said for certain, is that for some reason the mix of personalities between Pastor Durr and Holy Trinity just did not jell probably.  While Pastor Durr went on to a congregation that fully embraced him, Holy Trinity struggled through nearly another ten year period before it found its first long term pastor.

1917 - 1920:  Bernard Mehrtens

Sacrifice is not something unfamiliar to Christians.  Many times as individuals we are called on to do something that we would rather avoid, but in thanks for Christ’s fee gift of grace we make the sacrifice.  At times, an entire congregation is faced with a decision of what is best for them or what is best for the church as a whole.  Holy Trinity made such a sacrifice in October of 1920 when we accepted the resignation of Pastor Bernard Mehrtens as our pastor.  Pastor Mehrtens had accepted a call to Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, Connecticut on the provisional basis of our acceptance of his resignation.  As the notes from the special congregation held on October 13, 1920 state, “After Pastor Mehrtens had presented his most convincing arguments there seemed to be none that we could advance to keep him as our pastor except the sincere desire on our part to have him remain and our deep regret to see him leave us.”

Bernard Mehrtens was born on November 3, 1893 in Brooklyn.  He graduated from Wagner College and then went on to the Philadelphia Seminary.   In February of 1917 while in his last semester at Philadelphia he accepted a call to Holy Trinity.  He was ordained soon after his graduation and by June of 1917 he was presiding at Holy Trinity.

Fred Meuser in chapter 17 (Celebration, War and the Great Change) of The Lutherans in North America calls the time period that coincides with the call of Pastor Mehrtens to Holy Trinity (1917-1920), “… on of the most significant watersheds in Lutheran history in America.”  The two major events he speaks of are the quadricentenary of the Reformation and the First World War.  At Pastor Mehrtens second council meeting we endorsed the Reformation fund of the New York Ministerium.  During July (three months after the U.S. entered the war) an American flag and pole were installed at Holy Trinity.  The flag rising was attended by Col Adolf Klein, Edwin Wright (former N.Y. C. mayor), the Village Trustees and the Home Defense League.  At a special council meeting in April of 1918 it was proposed and agreed that the “German language be eliminated for this church.”  At a May 8^th congregational meeting this proposal was unanimously passed.  The congregation thanked pastor for his stand and recommendation on this issue.

Pastor Mehrtens was also active in other church related activities.  In February of 1920 he was named as an assistant chairman of the New York District for the European Relief Campaign. He was the secretary of the New York Committee and the head of the Rockville Centre movement to introduce religious education in public schools.  He was one our first pastor to attend a national church assembly (United Lutheran Church in American Convention in October of 1920).

Of course, most of pastor’s time was not taken up with theology and international diplomacy.  His efforts to expand the work of Christ through the local Lutheran church in Rockville Centre proved successful from the start.  A Young People’s Society was organized as well as a junior choir and a Parent Teachers Association of Sunday School.  Finances flourished, in less than six months of his start at Holy Trinity $150.00 of the $200.00 due on the new organ was collected.  The existing deficit was wiped out and in each year of his stewardship income exceeded expenses.

He was very active in getting in touch with new Lutherans who moved into the area.  In early 1918 he started a monthly newsletter.  The one copy we have is a great source of the history of Holy Trinity from its founding up to 1920.  Membership was a steady increase and the choir loft was renovated to accommodate the increase in the size of the choir.  The Ladies Aid Society saw an increase in membership from 29 to 34 and the Young People’s Society increased in membership and also helped in the financial support of the church.

Pastor Mehrtens continued to challenge the congregation.  Letters were sent out to all members about attendance in the summer and he remained council members about attending all services each week.  In October of 1919 he received a call to St. John’s in Greenpoint.  At a special congregational meeting held that month 110 members signed a letter asking him to stay.  Many others expressed their feelings as to why he should not accept this call.  He responded by asking if the congregation would give him more support in the future than they had in the past.  After a resounding yes, he consented to stay.

The congregation kept its word, and supported pastor by increased attendance, work nt in social ministry (including support for the Wayside Home for Girls in Valley Stream) and in increased giving.  A twentieth anniversary celebration was held (Pastors Steinbricker and Holthusen preached) and we gained a greater presence in the village.

Then in October of 1920 he gave council the news about his call the New Haven.  Convinced it was the right move, the congregational accepted the resignation “with deep regret to take effect January 12, 1921 at 12:00pm.”  He continued to work with the congregation right up to that date, including helping the call committee.  His farewell dinner was held on xxxxxx and was a great success.  He returned at least once, to participate at our 25^th anniversary celebration in January of 1924.

 As we have witnessed before, this second call after seminary turned out to be a long-term call. Pastor Mehrtens stayed at Trinity for thirty years, longer that only other pastor in their service.  A bronze plague was placed in the rear of the nave in his memory.  He left Trinity to become a professor of religion at Hatrwick College.  He died in 1953.

While at Trinity Mertnes noticed a young student from the Yale Divinity School who attended services on Sundays.  Over time Pastor Mehrtens called on this young man to preach at Trinity, and thus Trinity New Haven became one of two congregations to be blessed by both Behrend Mehrtens and Harald Kuhene.

1920 -1924:  Henry Pflum

While Holy Trinity was preparing for Pastor Mehrtnes leaving from November 1920 to January 1921, council appointed a pulpit committee to search for a replacement.  Before Pastor Merhten’s last service at Holy Trinity we had elected and were turned down by two pastors.  There were occasions after Pastor Mehrtens left when we could not find a supply pastor for Sunday services.  On several of these Sundays Henry Jacob Pflum, a senior at Mount Airy Seminary in Philadelphia preached at Holy Trinity.  Henry Pflum was born on December 28, 1892 in Reading Pennsylvania.  He received is bachelors of Arts degree at Roanoke College before attending Mount Airy.

In March of 1921 the pulpit committee met with the Rev. H.E. Jacobs, the dean of Mount Airy.  He considered Henry Pflum “one of the best men in the seminary” and suggested we consider young Henry as our next pastor.  Based on the pulpit committee’s recommendation, Henry Pflum was unanimously elected as our next pastor on May 4, 1921.  He was the sixth and to date the last senior pastor called to Holy Trinity directly out of seminary.  He preached only on Sundays and did not assume his full duties as a pastor until his graduation in late May.  He was ordained on June 7, 1921.

On of the first issues Pastor Pflum had to deal with was a suggestion we drop out of the NY Conference of the NY Ministerium and join a more progressive and more American synod were English was the official language.  By late June, there was more use of the English language at NY Minsiterium meetings all thoughts of a changed were dropped.

This fist summer in Rockville Centre was busy for Pastor Pflum.  A large fair was being organized, he was planning his installation for September 25^th and he was married on September 7, 1921.  Even with all this going on he organized a special service in late August to receive new members.  At the September council meeting he suggested changes to “our system of coming to communion” and instituted the use of communion cards.  When he returned from his honeymoon he started an adult confirmation class.

The fair held on November 10, 11 and 12^th cleared over $1,300.00, which was used to help repair the church building and the parsonage.  Between September and December of 1921 membership rose from 169 to 183.  One of the new members was Mr. George Combes, Ruth Lidelie’s father.  In December we participated in the Rockville Centre Community Christmas Tree festival and in May of 1922 Pastor was elected to the Rockville Centre Fire Department.

In June of 1922 16 new members joined and it became apartment that the Sunday school area need to expand.  It was decided to use the money from another fair to cover the costs.  It was soon realized the cost of the extension would be greater than the fair could possibly cover.  A separate committee was established to raise funds and by January 1924 there were sufficient funds to start the project.

Holy Trinity continued to grow in membership.  67 new members joined in Pastor Plum’s first two years and even in the month he left, seven new members were received.  A publicity committee was established to let the community know about activities taking place at Holy Trinity.  On August 10, 1923 a special memorial service was held in the remembrance of the death of President Harding.

On September 23, 1923 Pastor Pflum let council know about a call received from Holy Trinity in Buffalo.  Two weeks later he accepted the call and sent out his letter of resignation. It was accepted with “deep and sincere regret.”  He agreed to stay until January 13, 1924, just past our 25^th anniversary. 

Pastor’s call to Holy Trinity in Buffalo was as an associate pastor to the Rev. Dr. Frederick Kahler.  When Pastor Kahler retired after 43 years, Pastor Pflum was elected to succeed him. He served at Holy Trinity until 1943 when re accepted a call to Allentown, Pa.