Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church

Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church, also known as Spruce Run Lutheran Church, is located at 442 West Hill Road in the Spruce Run section of Lebanon Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The congregation is a member of the New Jersey Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church
Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church is located in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church
Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church
Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church is located in New Jersey
Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church
Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church
Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church is located in the United States
Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church
Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church
40°42′29″N 74°55′22″W / 40.70806°N 74.92278°W / 40.70806; -74.92278
Location442 West Hill Road
Glen Gardner, New Jersey
History
Founded1774 (1774)
DedicatedMarch 9, 1871

The congregation was organized in 1774 by thirteen members who worshiped in the barn of Frederick Fritts in the summer, and in his home during the winter. Initially, services were conducted every four weeks, and were exclusively in German.[1][2]

In 1861, Spruce Run Lutheran Church was the site of the first convention of the New Jersey Synod of churches. The new Synod met there again in 1868.[3]

Church building

edit

The first church building was built in 1800. Of frame construction from yellow poplar, the church was known as the “red church.” This was a Union church, combining Reformed and Lutheran congregations.[1]

In 1835 a new stone church was built to the left of the old frame church.

The cornerstone for the present church building was laid on July 30, 1870, and the church was dedicated on March 9, 1871.

Cemetery

edit
 
Spruce Run Cemetery

The original cemetery is located across the road, featuring “God’s Acre” at the top of the entrance gate. It is the oldest church cemetery in the township.[4]

Clergy

edit

The church’s first pastor was Reverend William Graf, who began serving the congregation in 1774. His formal call as pastor began in July 1775; he served until 1800, as part of a circuit of six other area Lutheran churches.[3]

On September 2, 1834, the church called its own pastor, Rev. Robert Collyer.[5] From that time on the church maintained complete independence from the other circuit churches.[3]

List of clergy

edit

The church has had 22 pastors, comprising 23 pastoral tenures (Rev. Steven Traver served twice, from 1900-1905 and 1927-1947).[6]

Pastor Name Tenure Start Tenure End
William Graf 1775 1808
Ernest Lewis Hazelius 1808 1815
David Hendricks 1816 1822
Henry Pohlman 1822 1833
Richard Collier 1833 1860
Philip A. Strobel 1860 1864
David Kline 1864 1877
Chester H. Traver 1877 1885
Valentine F. Bolton 1885 1895
Charles Bickle 1895 1900
Stephen Traver 1900 1905
John I. Hummer 1906 1909
Stanley Haverly 1909 1921
Eugene F. Sherman 1921 1927
Stephen Traver 1927 1947
George R. Koehler 1950 1959
Folkers V. Freimanis 1960 1965
Richard R. Shenton 1966 1973
Elmer Eiche 1973 1980
Galen Tinder 1981 1990
Gary L. Salmon 1990 1997
Gary V. Ettlemyer 1998 2019
Christopher L. Halverson 2020 Present

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Spruce Run Lutheran".
  2. ^ Snell, James P. (1881). "Spruce Run Lutheran Church". History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, New Jersey. Everts & Peck. pp. 452–453.
  3. ^ a b c "Zion Lutheran Church - 225 Years". zionoldwick.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-09.
  4. ^ "History". Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church.
  5. ^ Chambers, Theodore Frelinghuysen (1895). "Spruce Run Lutheran Church". The Early Germans of New Jersey: Their History, Churches, and Genealogies. Dover Printing Company. pp. 221–222.
  6. ^ An Historical Retrospect of Lebanon Township, New Jersey. Lebanon Township Historical Society. 1999. p. 75.
edit