Pastor von Bosse and More Growth: 1886 - 1919
Pastor Schimpf was succeeded by Pastor Paul Schneider, who took over in March, 1986. As is often the case with a pastor whose predecessor has been in office for a number of years, he did not remain for a very long period of time, and resigned in February, 1898.
The next pastor was a man who was to serve at Immanuel longer than any of his predecessors: Hennig von Bosse, who remained for twenty years. Some of our oldest members still remember his ministry. During his pastorate the congregation experienced much growth, and major improvements and renovations were made to the church building and property; for example, a new Sunday School hall was added and stained glass windows were installed. It also seems that Immanuel grew to such an extent during his pastorate that earnest consideration was given to building a larger church at a new location. However, this proposal was not carried out at that time, but would surface again and again until it was finally taken up with new vigor in 1962.
The next pastor was a man who was to serve at Immanuel longer than any of his predecessors: Hennig von Bosse, who remained for twenty years. Some of our oldest members still remember his ministry. During his pastorate the congregation experienced much growth, and major improvements and renovations were made to the church building and property; for example, a new Sunday School hall was added and stained glass windows were installed. It also seems that Immanuel grew to such an extent during his pastorate that earnest consideration was given to building a larger church at a new location. However, this proposal was not carried out at that time, but would surface again and again until it was finally taken up with new vigor in 1962.
 Pastor von Bosse at the lecturn inside the Tackawanna Street church
(before interior renovations).
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The First World War brought with it many problems for Immanuel and its largely German-speaking members. At that time all services at the church were conducted in that language, and the members were not spared the harrasment to which German-Americans were subject at that time. In fact, an agent of the government who understood German was present at worship every Sunday to be sure that Pastor von Bosse was not preaching sedition or sympathy with the German cause! This situation was especially difficult for the children of German parents, who felt that since they had been born in the United States it was not fair to single them out for such treatment. Nevertheless, Immanuel managed to weather this storm and did not give up its use of the German language.
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However, the status of that language in the Lutheran church as a whole in this country was dealt a major blow at this time from which it never really recovered; by World War II most Lutheran churches in the United States which were of German origin had either abandoned German entirely or introduced a second service in the English language.
Pastor von Bosse resigned in January of 1919, due in part to his reaction to these indignities suffered during the war by otherwise loyal Americans who happened to worship in German. He retired to Egg Harbor, New Jersey, where he maintained a beautiful nursery and vinyards, supplying Christmas trees for the Haddon Hall Hotel in Atlantic City, among other places. Immanuel honored him by naming him Pastor Emertius, and he died on March 10, 1960 at the age of 94 years.
Pastor von Bosse resigned in January of 1919, due in part to his reaction to these indignities suffered during the war by otherwise loyal Americans who happened to worship in German. He retired to Egg Harbor, New Jersey, where he maintained a beautiful nursery and vinyards, supplying Christmas trees for the Haddon Hall Hotel in Atlantic City, among other places. Immanuel honored him by naming him Pastor Emertius, and he died on March 10, 1960 at the age of 94 years.