Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church

Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church
Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church
Location	Brunswick, Maryland
Country	United States of America
Denomination	Lutheranism
Website	mybethany.org
History
Status	church
Founded	21 August 1892 (1892-08-21)
Dedicated	16 July 1905 (1905-07-16)
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Groundbreaking	August 14, 1904
Construction cost	3100
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)	Rev. Jeffrey Truscott

Background

Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brunswick was organized August 21, 1892 with a membership of 21. The first services were held in a storeroom on Fifth Avenue. Professor J. J. Shenk, who opened a private school known as "The Brunswick Seminary," was elected superintendent of the Lutheran Sunday School, organized in the fall of 1892. During the fall and winter of 1893, Professor Shenk and the teachers were engaged in soliciting funds for the completion of the new church which was being built on a lot on East "C" Street, purchased earlier under the leadership of the Rev. Ferdinand D. Hesse, a supply pastor during the summer. Sunday School services were held in the new church for the first time on February 11, 1894.

During the late 1890s, the church had bought from the B&O RR a lot on the corner of "A" Street and First Avenue, where the present church is located, and planned to relocate there.

Through the will of Mr. Joseph Waltman (died 1870), a Lutheran, the congregation, upon its organization, was entitled to one acre of land and a cemetery, located in the west end of town. This land was sold to buy the lot on "A" Street for the church. The first church property was sold in 1903 and the congregation worshiped in Wenner's Hall until the new church was built.

The cornerstone of the present church was laid on August 14, 1904. The first service was held in the basement of the church on January 8, 1905. The building, dedicated on July 16,1905, cost $3,100 and contained about $1,000 worth of furnishings.

When the church was dedicated, the amount of the remaining debt, $1,293, was decreased by a collection that day of $1,068.60. The service was conducted by Pastor Hess, with other clergy taking part.

The large memorial window in the back of the church was a gift of the congregation in recognition of the valued gifts of Mr. Joseph Waltman (18001870). The communion service was given by Dr. A. G. Horine, five silver offering plates were given by the Frederick Lutheran Church, and the lectern, pulpit and baptismal font were made by the local furniture company of Messrs. C. H. Feete and Brothers. A new Estey organ containing 392 reeds was in use.

The floor of the church was covered with Flemish tapestry. Oak-finished opera chairs were placed in a circular formation. The nave and chancel were artistically decorated by Mr. J. F. Bittle, a member of the congregation. The ceiling was painted to present an array of colors blending in with the painting in the chancel. The stone chips for sidewalks around the church were given by the B&O RR.

The parsonage was built in 1916, facing First Avenue. Helping to pay a great deal of the cost was the Ladies' Mite Society, organized in 1893. In 1932, the group furnished funds for the remodeling of the church and raised additional money for rebuilding the organ later.

Bethany became self-supporting in 1917 and debt-free between 1920 and 1923.In 1932 the church was remodeled and rededicated October 2, 1932, with a new floor, oak pews, new choir loft, remodeled chancel, new lighting fixtures, kitchen, furnace room, and toilet.A two-manual Moeller pipe organ, a gift of the YMCA, was rebuilt and dedicated in 1935. That same year the reredos, baptismal font, pulpit, lectern, and altar linens were bought.

In 1936 and 1937, stained glass windows were installed in the church, and in 1942, they were put in the vestibules.

The Rev. Jeffrey Truscott, formerly of Chicora, Pa., became minister of Bethany Church in 1988. An accomplished musician, he sometimes plays the piano, organ, and trumpet in church.

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