Wyandotte County Churches
First Lutheran, Kansas City
"A History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Kansas"
H. A. Ott, 1907
While Rev. Morris Officer was the Secretary of the old Home
Missionary Society, he made a visit to Kansas City on the 1st of
September, 1866, and at once began looking up the Lutherans of
the place. On the following day he attended services in the Presbyterian church on Wyandotte street near ninth and preached in
the evening. He met a number of Lutherans who pleaded for a
church in this rising city of the West, which at this time had a
population of 25,000, and was enjoying quite a boom. Rev. Officer
was greatly impressed with the opportunities offered here for the
founding of a church. He considered it the entering wedge for
future operations in the rapidly developing state of Kansas. He
hastened back to Baltimore, planning as he went, how he might be
able to secure the necessary money with which to open work. At
the close of an impassioned appeal in the First English Lutheran
church of Baltimore, he was delighted to find one member who was
willing to pledge $600 for the support of a missionary in Kansas
City. This over enthusiastic brother failed to keep his pledge and
Rev. Officer had to look elsewhere for aid. Attending the convention of the Central Pennsylvania Synod he sought with eloquent
words to persuade that synod to take care of Kansas City. The
Synod consented, and levied an apportionment of twenty-two and
a half cents per member, raising $1,200 for the support of the pastor for two years, and $1,500 toward the erection of a building. At
this time this Synod had two licentiates attending Wittenberg Theological Seminary, and it was very desirious of having them enter
the mission field in the West. These two theological students were
Mr. E. J. Keplinger and Mr. A. W. Wagenhals, (the latter now of
the New York publishing firm of Funk and Wagnalls. Mr. Officer
opened correspondence with these young men and persuaded them
to become missionaries in Missouri, the first named to be located
at Tipton, and the latter at Kansas City, in the spring of 1867. Mr.
Wagnalls writes the editor, "I arrived in Kansas City, March 25th.
On the following Sunday I preached in the Congregational church
a sort of a trial sermon. There was no organization at that time,
but a committee attended that service. In a letter from Brother
Officer I was cautioned to say nothing in my sermon referring to
slavery or the late civil war as they were sensitive on that point.
I heeded the hint, and I distinctly remember the committee was
pleased and told me so saying I preached about love, and did not
say anything about politics."
On Tuesday following, Rev. Officer arrived from Topeka, and on
Wednesday April 4th, they "organized a church, elected officers,
and resolved to purchase a church lot." As to officers, there being
a scarcity of male members, Mr. Officer received a member by con-
firmation, and he was at once elected as an elder and installed with
the other officers. The charter members were the following:
Edward Stine, Emma L. Stine, Jacob S. Schell, Mary F. Schell,
Jacob W. Keefer, Miria J. Keefer, Edward Dively, Eliza Dively,
Solomon Tholander, Malinda Tholander, Mary Meiley, Malinda J.
Hendricks, Daniel Schroll and Aaron Raub.
As yet there was no synod organized in the West, and this church
through its pastor and a lay representative in the person of Mr. G.
W. Householder, participated in the organization of the Kansas
Synod at Topeka in November the following year. The young congregation found it very difficult to find a hall in which to hold services owing to the great boom on at that time in the city. One of
the members having a suitable lot offered it temporarily for this
purpose, and in a single day a shed called "The Tabernacle" 20 by
30 feet, was erected, with no floor other than the virgin sod, and
used for Sunday School and church purposes for a year. In the
meantime lots were purchased on Baltimore Avenue, (lots 1018
and 1020), between Tenth and Eleventh streets, about where the
Home Telephone Building now stands, and plans were adopted for
the erection of a brick building 29 by 50 feet, with a parsonage in
the rear. This building was completed and dedicated the following
year. The total cost of the property aggregated $7,772, including
$1,850 spent on the parsonage. This was all provided for on the
day of the dedication save $500 advanced by the Church Extension
Board, afterward paid by subscription.
Here the congregation worshipped happily for twenty years
through all of which there was considerable struggle to exist.
Rev. Wagenhals resigned in 1869 and was succeeded in 1870 by
Rev. W. H. Steck, who remained three years. Rev. T. F. Dornblaser was called in 1874, remaining until 1878. In 1879 Rev. S.
S. Waltz took charge, continuing as pastor till December, 1883.
On the 1st of April that year the congregation assumed self support. Prior to that time it had been a mission supported at first
by the Synod of Central Pennsylvania until the 10th of June, 1869,
when the newly organized Boards of Home Missions and Church
Extension had the Central Pennsylvania's interests turned over to
them. From the latter date till April 1st, 1884, the Home Mission
Board granted aid annually on an average of from two to three
hundred dollars. When the transfer was made a mortgage for
$1,000 was turned over to the Church Extension Board. On the
16th of May 1884, Rev. J. M. Cromer became pastor. Two years
later steps were taken to secure a better location and a more adequate church home. On March 1st, 1886, the old property was
sold for $10,000 and the present site at 14th and Cherry streets,
99 by 132 feet, was bought for $9,500. As the boom was on in
Kansas City at that time this selling and buying were both at boom
prices. The plans adopted for a new building comprehended a fine
structure of pressed brick, gothic in style, two story and with a
commanding steeple, at an estimated cost of $55,000. The foundation, 64 by 84 feet, was completed in the fall of 1887 and the corner stone laid on the 6th of December, Rev. S. A. Ort, D. D., assisting in the ceremony and preaching the sermon. Rev. M. F.
Troxell and Mr. Robert Weidensall were also present. By Easter
the following year the basement was completed, temporarily roofed,
and the interior handsomely furnished, making a very cozy church
home. Here they worshipped for five years. In the spring of 1892,
after a modification of the plans to an estimated cost of $45,000,
work was resumed on the superstructure, and by winter it was under roof. On April 9th of the following year it was dedicated.
Drs. Rhodes, Barnitz, Clutz, Wynn, Bowers, Geiger and Dysinger,
and Revs. McAfee, Rentz, Ruthrauff, Altman and Cromer (J. B.),
were present to take part in the dedication feast. This was a great
day for the First Church. The building was now complete, furnished with a fine auditorium, chancel, pipe organ, and a well equipped Sunday School room, in keeping with the best of the Kansas
City churches.
In order to accomplish these ends $15,000 was borrowed on the
church building. This was accomplished by the issue of bonds with
interest bearing coupons at 6 per cent, which were sold to friends
in the East. At the time the basement of the church was constructed, the sum of $3,500 was borrowed on the ground upon which the
parsonage was built to aid in finishing the parsonage. The carrying
of this tremendous debt was a factor which tried the patience of
the people. For a while it was cheerfully done, but later it became a positive burden, and toward the last so much so that the
interest was allowed to lapse. These financial troubles came to
a head in 1899 when those who had advanced money in the purchase of the bonds despaired of getting their money and both pastor
and people seemed helpless in paying. The church became divided
in its relation to the pastor, and Rev. Cromer resigned to take effect
November 1st. The resignation was accepted by both Council and
the congregation. Soon after that about forty members withdrew,
but the Church gathered itself together and promptly called Rev.
Holmes Dysinger, D. D., of Polo, Ill., formerly President of Carthage College, as its pastor, who accepted the call taking charge in
January, 1900. He found affairs in a very chaotic state, but gave
himself to the work of reconstructing with remarkable energy. His
first task was the raising of nearly $2,500 to pay on a large floating
indebtedness which had been accumulating for a number of years.
This he accomplished, besides serving the church faithfully until
it had in a large measure recovered from the shock resulting from
internal strife and division. On August 1st, 1902, he was succeeded by Rev. John A. M. Ziegler, D. D.
Dr. Ziegler soon came to the conclusion that the salvation of the
church depended upon the payment of its enormous debt, which
had now grown to $22,570, and the interest on which was eating
the life out of the congregation. It required a brave heart and a
consecrated man to undertake such a task in a church which had
but recently suffered terribly from strife and schism until it was
scarcely able to support its pastor. It would appall an ordinary
man. For one year he gave it his most profound thought. His
plans were carefully laid and
every possible contingency was
provided against. Then he inaugrated such a debt cancelling
movement as has never been witnessed in the General Synod. A
date was finally set for the wiping out of the entire indebtedness, Church Extension loans included. By skillful and tactful
management his plans were all
fulfilled and on the 13th of November, 1904, all indebtedness was
removed, the mortgage burned,
and a magnificent Jubilee Service held, the occasion being
honored by the presence of Rev.
E. J. Wolf, D. D., LL. D., President of the General Synod,
Rev. H. L. Yarger, D. D., Western Secretary Board Church Extension, Rev. L. P. Ludden, D. D., Western Secretary Board Home
Missions, Rev. R. B. Wolf, President of Kansas Synod and Pastor
First Church, Kansas City, Kansas, Rev. Frank Heilman, of Memorial Church, and Rev. A. W. Lindquist, of Swedish Lutheran
Church, and other prominent clergymen. Just how this was all
accomplished can best be told in an editorial "After Two Years"
taken from the November issue of "The Wartburg," Pastor Ziegler's
parish paper:
"It was apparent that unless the debt could somehow be gotten
rid of, the future of the Church was exceedingly uncertain. The
position was soon taken that the only thing to do was to get rid of
the entire debt, and to do it at once. The first encouragement came
from Mr. E. Stine, the only living male charter member. He expressed himself as ready at any time to give $1,000, on the sole
condition that the entire indebtedness be cancelled. In a trip to
the East in August, 1903, I went to York, Pa., to consult with Dr.
H. H. Weber, Secretary of the Board of Church Extension, and with
our worthy friend, Jere Carl, Treasurer. In conversation with Mr.
Carl, I remarked that I was not willing to return to Kansas City
to fiddle at the debt for the next five or ten years. With some considerable concern, he asked what I intended doing. When I replied
that I was going back to clear off the entire debt and to do it at
once, he said, "I will start the subscription with five hundred dollars."
From that moment I was confident of success. I was sure the
Lord and the Church were with us. The outcome justifies the confidence.
I should like to mention all the dear friends who so generously
came to the rescue, but modesty forbids, for their sakes as well as
for our own. When, however, in order to make our effort a sure
success, Mr. Carl increases his already liberal offer to more than
SI, 600, and Mr. Gladfelter donates $750 of his holdings, and Mr.
Denhart offers to pay the one-tenth of about 313,000, and Mr. Pore
writes, "I will give $1,000," our joy and gratitude will not allow us
to pass them by in silence. Nor would we forget the more than
ordinary support of the Board of Church Extension, in caring for
interest until it amounts to $2,000, and now generously cancelling
the entire obligation, and adding thereto a final cash contribution
of $500."
Unfortunately in the following June Dr. Ziegler was disabled
from over work, and was obliged to rest. After six months of patient waiting for complete recovery, he resigned on the 1st of May
1906. Rev. M. J. Firey, D. D., for a while supplied the congregation. On the 13th of January a call was extended to Rev. J. C.
Schindel.
A Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society was organized in 1884 which has continued to the present time. The church
reports 140 communicant members and property to the value of
$50,000. It disposed of its parsonage to assist in cancelling its
debt.
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