GLORIA DEI.
A REMARKABLE HISTORY
It began in 1931, when the
Swedish speaking Rev. Edward A. Lindgren came to Huntington convinced he could
organize a church. A temporary church home, the Republican League Hall on
New York Avenue and 11th Street, was rented for $45 a month and services were
held using packing crates as a pulpit. On February 8, 1932 Gloria Dei
Evangelical Lutheran Church became a member of the New York Conference of the
Augustana Synod.
In the throes of the Depression,
times were hard for the fledgling church. The loan necessary to purchase
land was denied, and the congregation was forced to vacate their temporary
church home for lack of funds.
Ultimately, it was the Gloria
Dei women's group, the Dorcas Society, that purchased the church land. In
1934, the group made a $200 down payment on sixteen 25-foot lots costing a total
of $1,360. In three years, the loan was paid in full, primarily with
proceeds from two Gloria Dei fund-raising traditions -- the Smorgasbord and the
Strawberry Festival.
On Easter Sunday 1938, the
ground breaking ceremony was held, and construction of the church started.
Much of the labor was provided by church members, and work continued over the
next five years.
In 1943, Rev. Lindgren answered
a call to another congregation and left Gloria Dei. Honoring his legacy,
the original church building was dedicated as the Lindgren Chapel in 1967.
After an interim period of five
months, the Rev. H. Nore Olson and his wife arrived at Gloria Dei. His
assignment from the Synodical Board of American Missions: to determine if
Gloria Dei had a future.
Initially, church membership was
minimal and indebtedness was great. However, within four and a half years,
attendance was up, the debts were paid, the church construction was finished,
and additional land was purchased. Pastor Olson continually reminded his
congregation that people with a unity of spirit and purpose dedicated to God
would find that all things fall into their rightful places.
A high point of the Olson years
was the construction of the beautiful church in which we now worship.
Groundbreaking was held in March 1961, and the new structure was completed in
1962 - Gloria Dei's 30th year.
In 1973, Pastor and Ruth Olson
retired after 30 years of spiritual service to our church community. Many
remember them with fondness and with thanks for their untiring dedication.
In January 1974, the Rev. Dr.
Alfred L. Beck answered our call. For Pastor Beck, Christian education was
a top priority. He and his wife Anne spread God's word through formal
services, Bible study, visitations, and other teaching programs.
The ministerial scholarship fund
set up years earlier was put to use. Three young men from our congregation
attended Lutheran seminaries. All three, William Stehr, Robert Willse, and
Pastor Beck's son Paul, were ordained.
As a Christian community, Gloria
Dei continued to reach out. New programs in the late 1970's included
prayer circles, a friendly visitors program, an annual family picnic, and the
Koinonia adult education presentations. In 1982, the membership helped a
Laotian refugee family resettle in the Huntington community.
At year end 1981, Pastor Beck
announced his retirement. Our new pastor, chosen by overwhelming mandate
by the congregation, was the associate pastor, the Rev. Rick Faloon.
Pastor Faloon encouraged many
new undertakings. There were Parish life trips. Our choir gave the
first of many cabaret performances. The children's sermon was
introduced. A drive to finance a pipe organ was successful, and the
Community Christmas dinner was initiated. The congregation was very
surprised when Pastor Faloon tendered his resignation.
Pastor Scott Harris was assigned
to Gloria Dei for a one-year interim period. During that time our
community nutrition center was created - sponsored by HELP (Huntington
Evangelical Lutheran Parishes).
At the end of the interim year,
the congregation issued a call to the Rev. Dennis O'Rourke. During Pastor
O'Rourke's brief tenure, the bells now used for the adult and children's bell
choirs were purchased, and the first retreat to Willow Valley was organized.
With Pastor O'Rourke's
departure, the need for an interim pastor brought the Rev. Robert Neilssen for
eighteen months. Although Pastor Neilssen was retired, he was far from
retiring. He bubbled with energy and a desire to serve. His
endeavors included a summer program for the children of local welfare
families. The program meant so much to the children that they cried when
it ended.
Pastor Neilssen retired once
again with the arrival of the Rev. Paul Britton. Pastor Britton has
initiated many new avenues of worship -- daily morning prayers, mid-week Advent
services, retreats, and the blessing of the animals. For the first time, a
member of our congregation entered the Diakonia program.
Gloria Dei continues to move
forward and grow. We pray that Pastor Paul will continue to inspire us and
guide us in the service of God.
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