Wyandotte County Churches
Trinity Lutheran, Kansas City
"A History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Kansas"
H. A. Ott, 1907
Although Kansas City, Kansas, is the largest city in the State,
no effort to start an English Lutheran church there was made until
in 1902. A few of the Lutheran people were connected with
churches in Kansas City, Mo., but the greater number were given
the option of going into some other denomination or of letting their
membership lapse. The pastor of the Memorial church in Kansas
City, Mo., the Rev. J. W. Ball, brought to the attention of the Board
of Home Missions the fact that there were people on the Kansas
side who desired a mission started, and after a personal investigation, the President of Synod, Dr. Yarger, advocated the movement
so effectively that the Board authorized a formal canvass of the
city to be made. Mr. C. E.
Sparks, a theological student, was appointed to
make the preliminary canvass and he enlisted a
number of families in the
enterprise. The organization was effected on September 14, 1902, at which
time thirty-three members
signed the roll and elected
officers. The following Sunday the Rev. R. B. Wolf,
of Eureka, installed the
first Council after administering the rite of baptism
to one of the Deacons and
receiving an Elder by profession of faith. A call
was extended pastor Wolf on that day, which call was later accepted and the pastoral relation was begun November 1st following.
The Charter Members were, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Anderson, Geo.
Bemarkt, Mr. and Mrs. C. Bohl, J. A. Cable, Mr. and Mrs. H. A.
Crandall, Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Dengel, J. Decker, Mrs. E. M. Fisher,
Miss Leo Frain, Mrs. K. Gauch, Mr. and Mrs. C. Kopp, Mr. and
Mrs. C. A. Kopp, Mrs. G. B. Lemon, Mrs. A. W. Myers, Mr. and
Mrs. B. Nelson, Mrs. F. A. Peterson, Mrs. C. Shipley, Miss Nellie
Shipley, Miss Martha Shipley, Mr. and Mrs. G. Stine, Mrs. P. Weidlein, Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Wall, George Wall and Sophie Wall.
For nearly two years services were held in the Knights of Pythias
Hall, 624 Minnesota avenue, on the third floor of a business block.
There were many disadvantages connected with this place of meeting, among which were its elevation from the street and without an
elevator, the fact that it was away from a residential section, but
most of all because the hall was in continuous use day and night
and could not be secured for an extra service, not even on Christmas Eve. However during the year twenty-six additional members
were secured and there abide many precious memories of the life
in the hall.
During the Summer of 1904 an opportunity arose to purchase
outright from the mortgagee a substantial brick church building in
a favorable location and the offer was quickly taken. Possession
was immediately given and the first service was held there on the
third Sunday in July. The building was originally built by a congregation of the Disciples at a cost of over twelve thousand dollars.
The whole plant with seating, lighting and heating was purchased
for $3,750. It has a seating capacity of 400 and a Sunday school
room accomodating 150 more, and other convenient arrangements.
About $500 were spent in repairs and the church dedicated September 25, 1904. Dr. Yarger of the Church Extension Board, Dr. Ludden of the Home Mission Board and Mrs. K. B. Shaffer, of the
Woman's Executive Committee assisted in the services. In the
purchase of the building, the Board of Church Extension made a
loan of $500, and donated $120 toward the payment of interest.
The Woman's Executive Committee made a loan of $750 and a
donation of $250. The present indebtedness of all character is
$2,500.
Of the original 33 members, sixteen are still in connection with
the congregation. A number of members have been lost by removals, and a few have become a part of the Church Triumphant.
The congregation became a Woman's Mission on July 1st, 1904,
and is the only one in the Kansas Synod supported by the Woman's
Home and Foreign Missionary society. The present membership
of the congregation is 79.
Officers: Elders, P. Jacobson and P. D. Schall; Deacons, H. E.
Dengel, H. A. Crandall, H. C. Bennetzen and R. Anderson; Trustees, Geo. Bemarkt, J. M. Mailand and C. Kopp; Pastor, Rev. R.
B. Wolf. The church is located at 712 Tauromee avenue. It has
had but one pastor, the Rev. R. B. Wolf, who is still in charge.
The Sunday school has flourished from the beginning and now enrolls 85. The auxiliary of the W. H. & F. M. society has been one
of the effective agents in developing the local church life. It has
a membership of 9. Especially helpful has been the Woman's society, which in the four years of its organization placed more than
$900 in the church treasury, and has been the avenue through
which a number of members have been added to the congregation.
It started with a membership of 7 and now numbers 35.
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