01. In the Beginning

In the Beginning

                 

In the beginning was the Word—and for Lutheran settlers in the Woodstock area, that word might well have been “Where?”  There was little question that they would meet to worship; they had been gathering together for services in small and larger groups in each other’s homes and in neighbouring towns for years.

  As early as 1914, Reverend Julius Badke of Brantford recommended a Woodstock Mission but the Canada Synod was hesitant.  Woodstock was viewed as too isolated, too distant from existing Lutheran congregations.  There was a strong anti-German sentiment prevalent at the time and Lutheranism, in many minds, was associated with Germany. The timing was not conducive to supporting a Lutheran Mission.

                  And so our forbears continued to meet on most Sundays, visiting each other’s homes to worship.  Neighbouring clergymen offered infrequent pastoral visits as their own duties permitted; archival notes mention Reverends Vorkoper, Fisher, Stertz, Tweitmeyer and Monk as sporadic guest preachers and at times the Woodstock group would procure the Independent Order of Foresters Hall above the A & P store in the center-town area to feature such a welcome guest.   It was in that IOOF Hall in 1930 that thirty-three people met as what later would become known as Bethany Lutheran Church congregation.

                  Imagine this scenario from around the years 1929—30 when the Home Mission Committee of the Canada Synod began to show greater interest:

 

Mabel meets Jane at the local grocery store, maybe Poole’s or Chesney’s, on a Monday morning and the conversation runs something like this:

“Good morning, Jane!  We missed you and John at services yesterday.”

“Oh Mabel, we had our weeks mixed up.  We walked over to the Johnson’s instead of to your place but we don’t go to the Johnson’s until next Sunday, do we?”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to meet at one place all of the time instead of going from house to house?”

“Yes, and there would be more room for the potluck lunches too!”

Some things didn’t change even then.  

The seed was planted; the idea grew:  a place of our own.  Not that there weren’t other churches available—St. Paul’s Anglican, Knox Presbyterian, Chalmers United, New St. Paul’s—several congregations would have readily accepted new members.  Why not simply merge with them?

 

The answer too is simple.  They were Lutherans.  They had been brought up in a Lutheran setting and wished to remain in one.

               By 1934 the Woodstock Lutherans were gathering in larger groups and together had attained the use of Grey Memorial Hall affiliated with what was then New St. Paul’s Anglican Church.  This proved to be a stop-gap arrangement at best, not meeting with the whole-hearted approval of the congregation which desired its own church home.

 

 

On December 10 of that year (1934), the membership organized into a single congregation to be known as Bethany English Lutheran Church and attained the Rev. George W. Orth to be the group’s first officially-called pastor.  On this, our 80^th Anniversary of that effort, a plaque on the narthex wall commemorates the 48 Charter Members of this church, Rev. George Orth among them.

Technically, Bethany’s first address would be 526 Princess Street, Rev. George Orth’s residence.

                                                                  Rev. George Orth

                                                                                                                     

The desire for a worship place of their own still glimmered and still the question was ‘Where?’ Then in 1936, when much of the world was consumed by an all-encompassing war in Europe,  Bethany’s pastor, Rev. Orth, managed to secure funding of $1200 from the Stratford  Conference of the Canada  Synod and this support, together with contributions from the members themselves and additional assistance from the Board of American Missions of the Lutheran Church,  enabled the congregation to purchase a large house on Graham Street.

 

  With some renovations, this Parish House was able to hold services on the main floor, Sunday School  classes everywhere and to provide a parsonage on the upper floor.  It was not technically a church but its solid construction would provide space for a chapel  to worship, classroom corners for Sunday School lessons and, possibly of equal importance, enough counter space for potluck luncheons.  Some things simply don’t change.

 

 

 

 The question of ‘where to worship?” 

had at least been temporarily answered:

62 Graham Street, central to downtown Woodstock and right behind the public library.

 

 

 

01. In the Beginning Excerpts

                                     

The Excerpts

-a source of and companion to From the Archives

            In researching the first 80 years of Bethany history, I tried to read whatever materials were available from a variety of sources but primarily from recorded minutes of the Ladies Aid Society, of Church Council meetings and of Annual Congregational Meetings.  Gatherings from these sources were often sporadic, at times missing completely for varying periods of time.  Possibly group secretaries may have kept official minutes at home and never placed them in a central church file.

            From these various sources I have selected only those notations which stood out to me.  At times they seem to indicate personalities.  At other times they reveal a reaction to a situation.  In all cases they present a historical vignette in the life history and routine of Bethany Lutheran Church.

            Other writers might have chosen other excerpts.  I apologize for bypassing those excerpts that they feel should have been included.  I expect that my own biases will be evident in these choices but I have avoided most of my personal observations…and what I have selected, I have selected.

 

 

                                     Excerpts- In the Beginning

 

*”The first meeting of the Bethany English Lutheran Ladies Aid was held on [January 31, 1935] with Rev. G.W. Orth acting as chairman.”

*Ladies Aid : Jan., 1935.  “The first item for discussion was regarding a monthly fee...the members voted that a fee of 10 cents per month be charged.”

*Ladies Aid:  Jan., 1935.  “Another [fundraising] suggestion was to hold monthly  ‘Thimble Teas’ at the various homes of the members.”

*Ladies Aid: March 27, 1935.          Each month, a ‘Birthday Box would be present at the meeting.  “...the meeting ladies having birthdays in that  month are asked to deposit  an amount of money  [in pennies] equalling their age...”

*Ladies Aid: July 3, 1935.        “Mrs. Orth asked the Altar Guild to have flowers on the altar on Sunday, July 7.  This being the first Anniversary of the Bethany
English Lutheran Church in Woodstock.”

*Ladies Aid:  Sept. 24, 1935.  A fund-raiser      200 tickets to be printed for a Harvest Home Supper to be held on Oct 21.  Cost of the ticket: 25 cents

Sept. 25, 1935. “...Ever since our organization as a congregation we have looked forward to this day of rejoicing when we would have our own mimeograph machine. ...”

Nov. 10, 1935.  “A word to our members regarding those merchants and men who have so kindly taken an ad on these [weekly] bulletins...Patronize them whenever possible.”

Nov. 10, 1935.  “Sunday, Nov. 10^th, there shall be only one service.  That shall be at 11 a.m.  There shall be no evening service.  May you surprise the pastor by attending this service.”

Dec. 15^th, 1935.  “Christmas morning the pastor will give to each and every member and friend present a Christmas gift.  These gifts shall only be given to those present at the Christmas morning service. ...

*Ladies Aid:  January 22, 1936.     “It was decided  to celebrate the first anniversary of the organization by reserving a table at the Sauerkraut Supper being put on by the Men’s  Club on February 17 in the Woodman’s Hall.”

*Ladies Aid:  January 22, 1936.  “It was moved and seconded that the Ladies Aid give five dollars towards the rent of the Chapel  [the Grey Memorial Chapel, 526 Princess Street].

*Ladies Aid:  February 5, 1936.  A Fund-Raiser         “It was decided to have a ‘Clouds’ and ‘Sunshine’ contest during Lent.  Mrs. Young was chosen captain for the ‘Clouds’ and Mrs. Cowing for the ‘Sunshine’.

On a cloudy day each person on the clouds would put a penny in the collection bag and on a sunny day each member of the ‘Sunshine’ group would donate a penny.

*Ladies Aid:  May 6, 1936.   “Carl Volmershausen ...brought forth the suggestion that a congregational picnic take the place of the separate ones for the different organizations of the church.”

*Ladies Aid:  June 3, 1936.  “It was moved and seconded that the society [Ladies Aid of the Bethany English Lutheran Church] pay their share towards the [first congregational] picnic.  The sum mentioned was five dollars.”

June 28^th, 1936.   Parish Notes  “Gifts received the past week are as follows: a beautiful crucifix and offering plates were presented by the church in  Baden and by a friend of the pastor’s [Rev. George Orth].”

July 19^th, 1936.  “Indeed it would seem to the author of this bulletin [Rev. George Orth] that many people do not read it.  If they do, they cast it afterwards and forget all that is stated therein...”

July 19^th, 1936.  Parish Notes  “Sunday morning service shall be held at the usual hour, 11 a.m.  May we see some of those who have not been to service for some time. ...The heat wave has subsided and may we therefore look for a better attendance  “

August 2^nd, 1936  Parish Notes  “Let me remind you of our slogan  : ‘The Church Where You Are Only a Stranger Once’.  Are we upholding this banner?  If not, why not?”

August 30, 1936.  Parish Notes  “Sept. 6^th, Sunday, there shall be no Sunday School or Church service.  This is your holiday, you who have been faithful during the summer.”

September 13, 1936.  Parish Notes  “Sept. 16^th at 8 p.m.  The Ladies Aid are inviting all ladies of the church to a social held at the home of Mrs. W. Krug...May they count on every one of you.  Ladies this is your night out.  Husbands will  aid you by looking after the children.”

November 22, 1936.  Parish Notes  “All services will be held henceforth  [in the new Parish House-62 Graham Street].”

November 29^th, 1936.   Parish Notes    Rev. George Orth   “On Sunday we celebrate the Lord’s supper in our new parish home, at the morning service.  We know that you are greatly interested in your new home by the manner in which you turned out last Sunday.  We hope, therefore, that you will turn out for the Lord’s supper also.  Particularly those who have not as yet attended our communion service the entire year.”

*Ladies  Aid:  January 7, 1937.  “The Secretary read a letter from the Church board in which they ask if the Ladies Aid would help pay for the fuel for the Parish House.  A motion was made that a cheque for twenty-five dollars be given to the treasurer of the church board.”

*Ladies Aid:  February 4, 1937.  “Rev. Orth was authorized to buy twenty more chairs for the Chapel.  It was moved and carried that the Ladies Aid pay the electric light bill for the Chapel.”

*Ladies Aid:  March 4, 1937.  “Rev. Orth reported that folding chairs were $1.95 each.  It was decided not to purchase any.”

*Ladies Aid:  May 6, 1937.  “Rev. Orth offered to lacquer the windows [of the Parish House 62 Graham St.] if the Ladies would purchase the lacquer.”

*Ladies Aid:  June 3^rd, 1937.  “The President [Mrs. F. Krug] read an address and Mrs. Roi presented Rev. & Mrs. Orth with the quilt the ladies had made during the winter.”

Return with us now

02. Return with us now 

“Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear...”

Those words, the prelude to each episode of The Lone Ranger, were first aired on the radio airwaves of radio station WXYZ in Detroit in 1933, the year before 48 members signed the charter creating Bethany Lutheran Church and 3 years before the members bought the Parish House.  The question of ‘Where?’ had been temporarily answered: 62 Graham Street, central in downtown Woodstock and immediately behind the Carnegie Public Library. 

However, resting on their accomplishments was not an alternative for the Lutherans.  Largely through the efforts of Rev. Orth and the Council members, permission was granted to conduct a door-to-door canvas of Woodstock to determine the feasibility of building a Lutheran church in the town.  The results of that survey are dated Sept. 1st, 1939.  By then Rev. George Orth had resigned in order to accept a call to Guelph.

Rev. J.S.Neff (grandson of the 1914 Rev. Badke) was called to Bethany and divided his efforts between St. Matthew’s, Brantford and Bethany, Woodstock for the years 1937 to 1940.  His ministry was called the Brantford-Woodstock Parish of the Canada Synod.

Rev. Julius S. Neff

St. Matthews, Brantford

That survey of 1939 was to create great concern and consternation on the growing congregation.  Submitted by Messrs. Paul W.H. Eydt and Homer W. Berner, Canvassers for the Board of American Missions of The United Lutheran Church in America, the survey did not create an entirely rosy picture.  Imagine yourself to be a Church councillor in 1939 and judge for yourself the cultural milieu and attitude facing the construction of a new church.

“The area surveyed is the town of Woodstock, located in the center of a prosperous dairy country.  It has a population of 11,418—a figure which has remained practically static during the last eight years.  The people are largely Scotch and English of the better type, living in fine, well-built homes.  They are mostly retired people and one finds few children under fourteen years of age in proportion to the total population.  Because of this general condition one finds, not unnaturally, an extremely conservative attitude prevailing among the people.”

The Parish House at 62 Graham Street also came under close scrutiny:

“The physical setup of the church is far from satisfactory.  The congregation has to worship in a very unchurchly atmosphere.  Then, too, the location, while ideal as far as accessibility is concerned, is not so psychologically.  Right next is the large Presbyterian church—the largest church in the city.

Knox Presbyterian Church

Central United Church

A block away is the Central United Church—another large church building.  This has a tendency to develop an inferiority complex in the minds of the people.  Also it has an adverse effect on outsiders who are inclined to class the Lutheran Church with the sects like the Pentecostals.”

The greatest detriment, as noted by the canvassers, seemed to be in the attitude of the general population of Woodstock.  While questioning the conservatism of the townsfolk and the Parish House location, the 1939 report goes on:

“Still another thing.  In the minds of many people, the Lutheran church and Germany are synonymous terms.  Today the feeling against Germany and anything German, is very acute.  This feeling is also directed against the Lutheran Church.  In fact, so strong was this attitude in this town, that we were forced to discontinue our canvass. People were suspicious of us and phoned the police on several occasions. ...the international situation has become so delicate that we decided that it would not be in the best interests of our church to continue the canvass.  Therefore, our canvass covered everything except the territory south of Dundas St. and east of Finkle St...”

In summary, the 1939 study specified two positive conditions but listed seven that were unfavourable.  The two favourable conditions:                                                    

“1.  Church property [62 Graham Street] centrally located, and

 2.  Good type of citizen found here.”

The unfavourable aspects of the study field were these:

“1.  There is a definite hostility toward the Lutheran Church because of its German background.  In view of the present European situation this hostility has become even more marked.

2.  Poor physical equipment of the church.  Under present conditions the building chosen is neither a good parsonage nor a good church.  Its only redeeming feature is its central location.

3.  Extreme conservatism of the population making it very difficult for a new congregation to get started.

4.  Not a strong Lutheran consciousness among the members of the congregation—many split families—one half of the family going to the Lutheran church and the other half to another.

5.  The population of the town has remained static for some years.  There are not many young people—mostly retired people.  There are no new areas opening up.

6.  The town is well-churched.

7.  The town is cut into two distinct sections by a heavily travelled main highway running along Dundas St.  This is a hindrance to Sunday School attendance, since parents living on the south side of this highway have expressed hesitancy in sending their children to the church, located on the north side.”

Well, 1939 Lutheran Church Councillor, what’s your decision?  There may be several choices, among them:  Expand the Parish House at 62 Graham Street?  Sell the building, relocate and build to suit your potential needs?  Disband and join other churches?

In the ensuing decade of the 1940s, whether through a test of faith or in blind Lutheran stubbornness, the Council and congregation of Bethany Lutheran Church chose to remain at home at 62 Graham Street.  Alea Jacta Est –The die is cast for the future.

02. Return with us now Excerpts

Excerpts – Return with us now…

 

*Ladies Aid:  Sept. 2, 1937.  “Rev. Neff moved that the secretary [Mrs. I Bennewies] make an alphabetic list of the Ladies names and see that two ladies clean the church each month.”

*Ladies Aid:  October 15, 1937.  “It was moved that each lady buy a set of salt and pepper shakers for the church kitchen.”

*Ladies Aid:  Jan. 16, 1938.  Lenten Contest  “...The ladies are to be divided into two groups and after Lent, to be judged as to;

                   -the number of times they have attended the Aid meeting,

                   -and also church

          and  -the number of visitors  the members bring along with them.

At the termination of the contest the losers will hold a banquet for the winners.”

*Ladies Aid:  April 6, 1938.  “It was moved and seconded that a bill for curtain material from the LaFrance Textiles factory amounting to seven dollars and ninety-four cent  ($7.94) be paid.”

*Ladies Aid:  April 6, 1938.  “Mrs. Otto informed the ladies that the palms for Palm Sunday had been ordered at a cost of one dollar. $1.00  It was moved that this be paid.”

*Ladies Aid:  July 6^th, 1938.  “Miss Pruss announced that Tuesday evening had been chosen as an open nite for any of the ladies interested in swing bowling.”

*Ladies Aid:  July 6^th, 1938.  “A suggestion was made that oil cloth for the lower half of the walls in the parsonage kitchen be bought and hung.  This motion was carried unanimously.”

*Ladies Aid:  Sept. 7^th, 1938  “It was moved by Mrs. Bennewies seconded by Miss Pruss  that a Harvest Home supper be held...The price of the tickets was set at 35 cents and 25 cents. ... The secretary was instructed to rent the Legion Rooms for Thursday Oct. 13^th if possible. ... It was agreed that 200 tickets be printed...”

*Ladies Aid:  Oct. 6^th, 1938.   “A motion was made and carried that the person in the congregation selling the greatest number of [Harvest Home Supper] tickets should receive a prize of one dollar ($1.00).”

*Ladies Aid:  May 7^th, 1939.   “...moved by Mrs. Brown, seconded by Mrs. Krug that a cheque of  20 dollars to be given Mr. Brown to help pay the taxes and running expenses.”

*Ladies Aid:  June 27^th, 1939.  “...the Combined Lawn Social [of the Ladies Aid and the Brotherhood of Bethany Lutheran Church] was held on the church lawn...”

*Ladies Aid:  Jan. 3, 1940.  “The matter of the cleaning of the church was discussed.  A motion was made that the cleaning be done by a person hired by the Ladies  Aid for the wage of 25 cents a time.”

*Ladies Aid:  June 5, 1940.  “On Wednesday afternoon of June 26, a Patriotic Tea was held at the home of Mrs. J. N. Otto, Graham Street.  The proceed which amounted to $12.25 was turned over to the Red Cross Society.”

*Ladies Aid:  July 3^rd, 1940.  “A letter was read from Miss Canfield, Convenor of War Work in which she acknowledged the gift of money from the Ladies Aid.”

*Ladies Aid:  Oct. 2, 1940.  “Mrs. H. Wittig invited the ladies to her home on Wed Oct. 16^th to sew quilt blocks for the Red Cross.”

*Ladies Aid:  December 4, 1940.  “A motion was made and carried that the Ladies Aid provide the children of the Sunday School with the candy, nuts & oranges for the Christmas concert.”

*Ladies Aid:  March 5, 1941.  “A bill was brought in for the quilting frames...”

*Ladies Aid:  Sept. 10/ 1941.  “The president [Mrs. W. Krug] brough t before the meeting the fact that the church was in need of cleaning.  Rev. Berner was then called in and he suggested to clean it thoroughly before  the evening services start and that after that the church board when they came to put on a fire would also dust up, but it was up to the ladies to come once a month  and clean thru’ .”

*Ladies Aid:  1941 Summary  -Mrs. Otto, Secretary

“The annual business during the year of 1941:        there were 10 business meetings, 1 joint meeting with the Men’s Club, 5 socials and 1 picnic.   There were 26 homes visited by the ladies, during the year we sold Christmas cards [91 boxes], and calendars, also had a travelling apron for ways of raising funds.  There were five quilts made for the Red Cross , also one quilt donated and a layette.  The ladies also provided a treat for the Sunday School children at Christmas.”

 

03. Growing Pains

Growing Pains

So, a test of faith, or blind Lutheran stubbornness?        

The Parish House/Chapel on Graham Street remained as the Bethany congregation’s heart of operations for the 15 years between 1936 and 1951.  In the years following the resignation of Rev. George Orth  in 1937, the congregation was administered by a sequence of three pastors who shared their duties with St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church of Brantford.  Synod and the Committee of Mission Churches supported both new congregations financially and, in a ministerial sense, generously.  Weekly Bulletins for both churches came under the banner heading of Brantford/Woodstock Lutheran Church and were written by Rev. J.S. Neff from 1937 to 1940, and by Rev. N.A. Berner from 1940 to 1945.  Rev. A.A. Schweitzer carried on the joint ministry until 1953.

Rev. Neff

       

Rev. Berner

     

Rev. Schweitzer

Now although it has been suggested that Lutherans do not do Change readily, when change is thrust upon them, they will often accept it with great enthusiasm.  As if in confirmation of this fact, we read Councillor Helga Thompson’s devotional theme from June 1, 1987:

 “A lot of Christians are like wheelbarrows, no good unless pushed.”

 Growth of the congregation and even more noticeably in the Sunday School, numbers pushed the congregation into reality; the House/Chapel was no longer large enough.  Thus in 1951 the budding membership agreed to accept change to a new building while retaining their sense of ‘Where’—62 Graham Street.  After all, when faced with Change, one has to draw the line somewhere!

The House/Chapel was demolished in 1951 to build the attractive, Gothic structure known as Bethany, the first Lutheran Church in Woodstock.  The Parish Bulletin of August 8, 1951 announced a Ground Breaking Service:    

“This Sunday, (August 12)[1951] will mark one of the most important events in the history of Bethany Lutheran Church, Woodstock” and provided these details:  the location—62 Graham Street, the contractors—Laevens Brothers of Delhi, the architect—Mr. N.L. Irwin representing the Toronto firm of Hanks and Irwin and the pastor presenting the sermon—Rev. E.W. Heimrich representing the Home Mission Committee of Canada Synod.

 

 

 

Now, for a second instance, the question of “Where to meet” would have a sense of permanence.

               

1952—The Academy Award-winning movie of the year was The Greatest Show on Earth; the best actor was Gary Cooper in the role of Marshall Will Kane in the movie High Noon.  ‘Wheel of Fortune’ by Kate Starr topped the music charts, Kukla, Fran and Ollie were children’s favourites and The Ed Sullivan Show was family entertainment.  On the international scene, America was ensconced in the ‘Red Scare’ and congressional hearings inherent in the ‘cold war’ with Russia, Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen--- and the congregation of Bethany built a church.

                The little church was dedicated on June 22, 1952.  What a celebration it must have been.  A June, 1952 issue of The Brantford/Woodstock Parish Bulletin, published by Rev. Schweitzer presented the event under the Banner Heading Dedication of Bethany Lutheran Church Woodstock:

“That for which Bethany members have prayed and worked since the congregation was organized in 1934 will take place on Sunday June22—[1952]—the dedication of a new church building.”

 

 

The Dedication Week peaked on June 27 with a Community Service, hosted by Pastor Schweitzer, with the sermon presented by Reverend John Davies, President of the Woodstock Ministerial Association and with official greetings from the city presented by Mrs. Bernadette Smith, Mayor of Woodstock.

 

               

 

 

 

 

 

                    

Rev. Anderson

Barely a year after the dedication, Pastor Schweitzer wrote in the Parish Bulletin, “On Sunday, June 28 at 7 p.m. your pastor will preach his last sermon as regular pastor of Bethany... At the 7 p.m. service on Sunday, July 5 [1953], Rev. Earl Anderson will be installed as pastor of Bethany church...”.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                          

 

 When the Parish House/Chapel was demolished, new accommodation was necessary for the presiding pastors.  For the next several years Bethany, Woodstock would share a pastor with St. Matthew’s, East Zorra and an item of Business in the Annual Report of 1954 indicated that Pastor Anderson was residing in the parsonage provided by East Zorra, a comfortable home, but spending the majority of his time in Woodstock.  “In view of the nature of the parish,” he writes, “the only logical solution, in keeping with good stewardship of time and money, is that the Pastor reside in Woodstock as soon as possible.”  Rev. Anderson continued in the two-congregation parish through the years from 1953 to 1957 at which time he was replaced by Pastor N.L. Lange in the years from 1957 to 1960.

Rev. Norm Lange

 The Annual Report of 1957 gives some indication of the flurry of Sunday activity required of these ministers in the Graham Street church. Pastor Lange writes,        

”During the past year, worship services were conducted regularly at 11:00 o’ clock each Sunday morning (Your Pastor conducts the service at St. Matthew’s, East Zorra Twsp. at 9:30 every Sunday morning).  The Sunday School (9:45 a.m.), Catechetical Class, Luther League, Choir and Ladies Aid have met regularly for devotion, education and training.”

               

 

 

 

 

Pastor Cronmiller would follow Pastor Lange in this twinned congregation in the years 1961 to 1963.  On April 29 of 1963 congregation members received notice from Church Council to the effect that: “...our Pastor is leaving Woodstock to answer a call to become Executive Secretary for Parish Education and Youth Work for the Eastern Canada Synod.  The congregation has called another pastor and we are hopeful that he will accept and arrive in Woodstock early this summer.”

               

                                                    

 

 

Rev. Delbert E. Resmer

He would accept and did arrive.  Pastor Cronmiller left his parsonage at 39 Fairview Crescent and Rev. Delbert E. Resmer took over the Bethany ministry for the years from 1963 to 1967.

 

                                                                                                                                                  

               

The years of the early 60s must have been a period of great exhilaration.  It had become increasingly obvious that larger church facilities were needed.  In the Parish Notes of Sept. 13, 1959, Pastor Lange had written:    

“While investigating this [overcrowding in Sunday School], council also concluded that we are outgrowing our church.  There is a potential today of over 300, and we even now have to seat people in the aisle.”

 

It was not a time for complacency.  The little congregation had not finished its growth spurt.  Scarcely seven years later, Parish Weekly Bulletins and minutes of meetings indicate that the search was on for yet another new building site.

Bethany  Lutheran  Church

(This seems to be a position paper for the congregation, 1960.)

62 Graham St.,  Woodstock                    

Our Present Membership:

Baptized  260, Confirmed  192,  Communing  150, Avg. Attendance  110.

Sunday School  122,  Avg. Attendance  100,  Teachers  11, Teachers Training  7.

What is the future for Bethany Lutheran ???

1.          EXPANSION HAS BECOME A MUST:

Our Sunday School space was built to accommodate.................60                  

 

Our Sunday School enrolment this fall is .....................................122

                There are now 11 classes and 5 of these have 13 pupils each.  Classes meet in the kitchen, furnace room, church narthex, choir pews and the church pews.  Church Council was unable to procure additional space near by...or the price was prohibitive.

 

Our church was built to accommodate or seat............125

Our attendance during October ranged from 125.......150

Our potential church attendance is ..............................300

There are 192 confirmed members, over 100 children and we have from 10 to 20 guests and visitors each Sunday.  In addition, our membership will rise to the 100 mark by the New Year.

 

 

 A clipping from the Woodstock-Ingersoll Sentinel Review had supported Pastor Lange’s  1959 concern with the crowded conditions:

 “...the congregation had grown to 417 baptized members.  The Church, built in 1952, had no room to grow; three classes for the Sunday Church School were held in a hotel basement; a nursery class was held in the kitchen of the church; one class was held in the furnace room and three classes were held in the local library.”    

                The question “Where?” again became a major concern for Council and congregation.  Pastor Lange, in praising the efforts of the members, explained in a position paper entitled WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR BETHANY LUTHERAN??? that “Relocation seemed the best solution.”

“Your Church Council investigated the advisability of expanding the present unit, but found it to be costly, impractical and unwise.  If we did expand the present unit, it now appears that we would outgrow it again and still be forced to relocate.  The property next door is not for sale or trade at the present time.”

“Your council felt that to establish another church as a mission would be dividing our strength.  Relocation therefore seemed the best solution.  Available and suitable property was located on Knightsbridge just off Huron.  At a regularly called congregational meeting, purchase was approved.  The Home Mission Board of our Synod approved, but the Board of American Missions (Who would ultimately finance the entire project) has not yet given approval.  The $11,000. loan has been procured from the Home Mission Extension Fund, and we plan to proceed with the purchase of the 9 lots.”

             

   The purchase of the 9 lots on Knightsbridge between Sydenham and Wilton was rejected by the Board.  Although the city Planning Board felt that the Knightsbridge area would be Woodstock’s future town centre, after close inspection, the property was deemed to be unsuitable for Bethany’s purpose.  Much of the discussion concerned the water table in the general area.            The Bethany Building Committee continued its search.

               

 

The next two sites to be considered were at opposite ends of Devonshire Avenue but interest here waned with the discovery of the 8 lots available between Springbank Avenue and Edgewood Drive.  In September of 1964 a fund drive was conducted with the help of the Lutheran Laymen’s Movement, a Stewardship Venture resulting in a pledge of $34,700. over a two-year period.  A Wish-list and plans for a  Chapel and church-school came to reality through the efforts of the architect Mr. Karl Kruschen of Waterloo and the local general contractor McKinney Lumber Co. of Woodstock.  The Bethany congregation held its collective breath as we watched the proceedings.