Immanuel Lutheran Church-Carroll County

Sources:

Church Website: http://www.qis.net/~immanuel/aboutus.htm

Centennial History of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Maryland 1820-1920, Wentz

Immanuel congregation, of Manchester, was organized February 12, 1760, and is assumed, the oldest Lutheran congregation in the county. The organization likely antedates the erection of the church. Unfortunately, the time of the building of this oldest Lutheran-Reformed church is lost. The first church was a log structure, built, owned and used jointly by the Lutheran and Reformed congregations, and located east of the present edifice, on ground now within the cemetery. This original log structure was the oldest and first house of worship erected by these denominations in Carroll County. Maryland.

The second house of worship was also a joint Reformed and Lutheran church, known as Zion's Church, located just inside the entrance to the cemetery and was built largely from the profits of a lottery, which was frequently done in those early days. This was erected in 1798.

In 1836 a brick tower was erected on the north side of the building. The building committee at this time: Rev. Jacob Albert, of the Lutheran Church, who was president and chief manager, and Rev. Jacob Geiyer, pastor of the Reformed Church, Mr. Jacob Houck was the contractor and builder. In 1863 the Lutherans and Reformed parted company and each built their own church. The Lutherans adopted a new name and called their church "Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church." The building committee for the Lutheran church consisted of Jacob Hoffacker, Henry Glaze, Michael Ritter, Jacob Campbell, George Trump, and Henry Reagle. The corner stone was laid in June 1862, and the new church was dedicated Sunday, October 4. 1863, during the meeting of the Melancthon Synod in Manchester. Dr. D. J. Hauer preached the dedicatory sermon.

Upon examination of the early church books of St. Matthew's Lutheran congregation, of Hanover, Pa., it is found that the early pastors of the Manchester congregation were the pastors of that congregation also, so it is safe to assume that the Manchester congregation was originally part of the Hanover pastorate. The Manchester Lutheran parsonage was bought in 1796, so that it is very probable that Manchester became distinct from Hanover at or near that date.

For a long time the services in this church were conducted in German exclusively. The early records are also in German. Constant additions to the congregation from the Fatherland made it necessary to have an occasional German service. During the pastorate of Rev. J. B. Lau the German services were discontinued May 11. 1913.

In 1910 it was found necessary to make extensive repairs to Immanuel Church, built in 1863. After consideration for nearly three years it was decided to build a new church and the old building was razed April 14, 1914, and the ground cleared for a new church. The corner stone was laid July 19, 1914. The new church was dedicated August 22, 1915. The new church cost $30,000. It was equipped with sanctuary. Sunday school room and many class rooms, social hall, and beautiftied with opalescent windows of rare beauty. It was a great credit to the congregation and the patient and untiring efforts of Pastor Lau.

Those in the church council during this period were: W. D. Hanson. H. F. Leese, Geo. W. Sharrer, H.B. Burgoon, Roswell Hoffacker, J. R. L. Wink, Walter E. Garrett, and Charles Reed. The building committee: David L. Brown, James T. Yingling, Horatio R. Garrett, Geo. M. Reed and George W. Sharrer. Pastor Lau, with the cooperation of the above committee, deserves great credit for the building of the church H. F. Leese and J. R. L. Wink, as secretary and treasurer of the church council were also instrumental.

In 1911 a Ladies' Aid was organized and under the management of President Mrs. H. S. Musselman, the gifts to the church totaled $4.500, while the social and educational work of the society became a great help to the church.

After Rev. Lau's resignation in 1916, Rev. C. G. Leatherman, of Vandergrift. Pa., heard the call to Manchester, and on June 25, 1916 was installed pastor of the charge. After six months' vacancy and saddled with $10,500 debt, the membership rallied to the call of the new leader. Renewed courage tilled their hearts. The spiritual atmosphere was prevalent and the

uplift was felt in every line of work.

Benevolent work was regularly presented and the offerings grew from $250 the first year to $600 the second and $1.200 the third. Local expenses were promptly met for the first time in a generation. The pastor issued neat and helpful Lenten folders, each presenting an appeal for a liberal free-will offering for the debt and resulting in $2,100 in 1917, $1,800 in 1918 and $5.100 in 1919, at which time the debt and interest, amounting to $11,500, was paid.

Meanwhile the field had grown to proportions much too large for one man to cultivate it efficiently. In 1797 Bachman's Church had been added to Manchester; in 1853 the Lineboro Church was added, and in 1878 the Snydersburg Church was organized as a part of the charge. Each of these four congregations presented a large and growing field. In 1917, therefore, by action of the Synod the Snydersburg Church was detached from the Manchester charge, and in 1919 it was amicably agreed by the remaining congregations that the Manchester congregation should constitute a separate pastorate and that the Lineboro and Bachman's congregations should constitute a new charge.

This new charge was called the North Carroll charge.

This church has given to the ministry Rev. J. K. Miller, Rev. Peter Warner, Rev. Michael Fair, Rev. Adam Zimmerman, Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Zimmerman, of Syracuse; Rev. Dr. Leander M. Zimmerman, of Baltimore, and Rev. Dr. Charles S. Trump, late of Martinsburg, West Virginia.

See also Immanuel Luheran Cemetery (Manchester Cemetery)

Early Pastors:

Rev. Lars Nyberg. 1760

Rev. Daniel Schroeder. 1783-1790

Rev. Meltzheimer (the elder)1791-1796

Rev. .John Ilerhst 1797-1825

Rev. Emanuel Keller. 182(5 (6 months);

Rev. Jaeob Albert, 1827-1836

Rev. Jeremiah Harpel. 1837-1839

Rev. Philip Willard 1841-1843

Rev. Frederick Ruthrauff, 1843 (1 year, 9 months)

Rev. Elias Schwartz, 1844-1848

Rev. Jacob Kaempfer, 1848-1853

Rev. Daniel J. Tlauer. D.D.. 1853-1862

Rev. Peter Rizer 1862-1865

Rev. Reuben Weiser, 1866-1869

Rev. George Sill. 1870-1881

Rev. Edmund Manges 1881-1885

Rev. C. M. Eyster. 1885-1900

Rev. IT. H. Flick, 1900-1910

Rev. J. B. Lau, 1910-1916

Rev. C. G. Leatherman, 1916-