Pastor Haug, and a New Building in Somerton:
1954 - 1980
Pastor Herrmann's successor was Pastor David L. Scheidt, a young man right out of seminary, who served from 1955-1957. One of the outstanding accomplishments of his pastorate was the rewriting of the constitution and by-laws, which were adopted on January 11, 1956. Although he did not remain for a long period of time, Pastor Scheidt later returned to Immanuel as a member during the 1960's while working as an editor for the Lutheran Board of Publications. During this period he often filled in at Immanuel's pulpit and remained a friend of the congregation for the rest of his life.
The next leader was Pastor Hans R. Haug, who like Pastor Herrmann had been educated both in Germany and the United States. From the time of his arrival, Pastor Haug sought to reach out to the younger generation of German immigrants, who often could not relate so well to traditional programs in existing German Lutheran congregations. He also recognized that Immanuel's prospects for future growth were limited at Tackawanna Street, which was no longer conveniently located for most of the present and perspective membership.
To this end a definite plan for future development was worked out in 1962. The Board of Home Missions of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania gave its encouragement and support, and possible sites for a new building were considered. By early 1964 a suitable piece of property had been found in Somerton, which was then purchased. In the meantime, application was made to the Executive Board of the Eastern Pennsylvania Synod (the successor body to the Ministerium of Pennsylvania) for approval to build a new church on this site. Also that year Dr. James Clements began his service to Immanuel as organist and choir director.
The next leader was Pastor Hans R. Haug, who like Pastor Herrmann had been educated both in Germany and the United States. From the time of his arrival, Pastor Haug sought to reach out to the younger generation of German immigrants, who often could not relate so well to traditional programs in existing German Lutheran congregations. He also recognized that Immanuel's prospects for future growth were limited at Tackawanna Street, which was no longer conveniently located for most of the present and perspective membership.
To this end a definite plan for future development was worked out in 1962. The Board of Home Missions of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania gave its encouragement and support, and possible sites for a new building were considered. By early 1964 a suitable piece of property had been found in Somerton, which was then purchased. In the meantime, application was made to the Executive Board of the Eastern Pennsylvania Synod (the successor body to the Ministerium of Pennsylvania) for approval to build a new church on this site. Also that year Dr. James Clements began his service to Immanuel as organist and choir director.
Pastor Haug in the pulpit of the church in Somerton
|
Although Immanuel was anxious to begin work in Somerton as soon as possible, the Board in its wisdom chose to delay a decision until a full study of the matter could be made. Finally in September 1965 it elected to decline Immanuel's application to build a new church. The church political climate of the times and Pastor Haug's wish to retain the building and ministry in Frankford even after the new church was opened probably had something to do with this decision. Thus the first major attempt to relocate to Somerton was frustrated and for several years little progress was made in this area.
|

However, life went on in the congregation just the same. Working under circumstances which could hardly be described as ideal, Pastor Haug managed to carry on the ministry at Immanuel in such a way that the membership remained fairly stable. Although the synod had not permitted the congregation to build a church there, the property in Somerton was nevertheless the scene of various church events, such as picnics and vacation Bible school. In addition, the Haug family moved into the house located on the proposed site of the new church soon after the lot was purchased.
During this period of time Pastor Haug also completed his doctoral studies at Temple University, writing a dissertation on "The Predestination Controversy in the Lutheran Church in North America." This extensive work receives due recognition on page 315 of The Lutherans in North America (E. Clifford Nelson, ed.), the standard work on American Lutheran Church History. Pastor Haug's academic accomplishment was duly recognized by the congregation at a suprise party given in his honor on February 25, 1968.
In June 1969 Pastor Haug approached the President of the newly-formed Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Dr. William A. Janson, concerning Immanuel's future development plan. As a result a special committee on German interests was appointed, which subsequently gave Pastor Haug permission to conduct German services in the Somerton area on behalf of the German Interest Conference of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) in order to determine if there was a need for German services in that area. In March of 1971 the first service was held in the chapel of Sunset Memorial Park, with the small room filled to overflowing. Soon a sizeable group of new members was received and the congregation's future development fund grew considerably.
By April of 1972 Pastor Haug felt the time had come to act, and applied (as he had done eight years before) to the Executive Board of the synod for permission to build in Somerton. The experience at Sunset and other positive developments lent weight to his request, and the outlook was rather good. However, the Board again elected to study the matter and come to a decision at a later date. In early July it again chose to deny Immanuel's request. But this time Pastor Haug had learned to play church politics. During the summer he collected the signatures of numerous pastors of the synod and also put together a document demonstrating rather convincingly the need for a German language ministry in the Somerton area. In addition, he sought and gained the support of the President of the LCA, Dr. Robert Marshall. Moreover, one should not neglect to mention Dr. Haug's strong faith in God and his conviction that Immanuel's could accomplish great things in the new location.
On September 21, 1972 he once again appeared before the Executive Board, and this meeting marked the turning point in the long struggle to build a new church. Permission to relocate was granted, provided the congregation would agree to certain conditions, among them the termination of the ministry in Frankford and turning over one-third of the proceeds from the sale of the building there to the synod. On January 21, 1973 the congregation voted to go along with the Board's conditions, and final permission to build was granted by the synod on February 26, 1973. (It is interesting to note in connection with the synod's lengthy resistance to Immanuel's desire to move to Somerton that today, with a totally different leadership and philosophy of church growth in place, such a plan would most likely have met with enthusiastic approval from the start!)
The next months were full of activity. Under the leadership of Mr. Paul Wolf and later Mr. Fritz Rommel a large building committee was formed and went to work at once. The members and friends of the congregation were especially generous when the call went out for contributions to fund this undertaking. In addition to outright gifts, members bought building and loan certificates and thus made it possible to finance the new church without a bank mortgage. Money was also made available at three percent interest by the Diakonisches Werk of the Evangelical Church in Germany.
The Somerton church under construction
The ground-breaking ceremony for the new church was held on September 15, 1973, and construction commenced soon thereafter. The cornerstone was laid on June 16, 1974; a special service to commemorate the occasion took place in the not-yet completed fellowship hall. As the building neared completion a request went out for donations for furnishings, and again the response on the part of members and non-members alike was overwhelming. Largely through a gift made by I. Frida Wolf, it was possible to purchase the organ from Immanuel Lutheran church in Burholme, and was installed at Immanuel, Somerton by Jacob Gerger & Son. Finally, on November 24, 1974 the long-awaited day arrived when the new building was dedicated. Many individuals had worked very hard to make the dream of a new church in Somerton a reality.
The Cornerstone Laying Ceremony
There followed a period of spectacular growth in membership and programs. 231 new members were received during the first two years at the new location. Services continued to be held in the old church in Frankford until the building was sold in 1976 to a Korean Presbyterian group. On March 7 of that year the members of Immanuel held a final service in the Tackawanna Street building. After the termination of worship there a school bus was purchased to transport members who still lived in the Frankford area to the church in Somerton on Sunday mornings. This arrangement has continued to the present day, although the original school bus was replaced by a Dodge Maxivan in 1979 and a Ford Van in 1992.
Pastor Haug had by now become a well-known figure in the German-American community of Philadelphia and the German Interest Conference of the LCA, which he served as President for two terms during the seventies. He also helped organize the German-American Committee of Philadelphia and later the United German-American Committee USA. He was instrumental in the creation of the Immanuel German Language School, in 1975. It was his wish to promote the German language in the Philadelphia Area and also to give enrolled youngsters some exposure to German culture.
In the summer of 1980, Pastor Haug conducted a congregational trip to Europe, the highlight of which was attendance at the Passion Play at Oberammergau. Soon after his return from this trip, on September 13, he suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage while working in the church office, and died early Sunday morning, September 14, 1980. The church was filled to overflowing for his funeral, which was held on September 18. Thus Immanuel bade farewell to its faithful shepherd who had been from the beginning a tireless fighter for its cause, and despite opposition from many quarters had refused to sit back and watch the congregation die a slow but certain death. During the course of his ministry he touched many lives, and his influence will continue to be felt at Immanuel for years to come. The beautiful church building in Somerton stands as a memorial to his dedication to Immanuel and work of the Gospel.
During this period of time Pastor Haug also completed his doctoral studies at Temple University, writing a dissertation on "The Predestination Controversy in the Lutheran Church in North America." This extensive work receives due recognition on page 315 of The Lutherans in North America (E. Clifford Nelson, ed.), the standard work on American Lutheran Church History. Pastor Haug's academic accomplishment was duly recognized by the congregation at a suprise party given in his honor on February 25, 1968.
In June 1969 Pastor Haug approached the President of the newly-formed Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Dr. William A. Janson, concerning Immanuel's future development plan. As a result a special committee on German interests was appointed, which subsequently gave Pastor Haug permission to conduct German services in the Somerton area on behalf of the German Interest Conference of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) in order to determine if there was a need for German services in that area. In March of 1971 the first service was held in the chapel of Sunset Memorial Park, with the small room filled to overflowing. Soon a sizeable group of new members was received and the congregation's future development fund grew considerably.
By April of 1972 Pastor Haug felt the time had come to act, and applied (as he had done eight years before) to the Executive Board of the synod for permission to build in Somerton. The experience at Sunset and other positive developments lent weight to his request, and the outlook was rather good. However, the Board again elected to study the matter and come to a decision at a later date. In early July it again chose to deny Immanuel's request. But this time Pastor Haug had learned to play church politics. During the summer he collected the signatures of numerous pastors of the synod and also put together a document demonstrating rather convincingly the need for a German language ministry in the Somerton area. In addition, he sought and gained the support of the President of the LCA, Dr. Robert Marshall. Moreover, one should not neglect to mention Dr. Haug's strong faith in God and his conviction that Immanuel's could accomplish great things in the new location.
On September 21, 1972 he once again appeared before the Executive Board, and this meeting marked the turning point in the long struggle to build a new church. Permission to relocate was granted, provided the congregation would agree to certain conditions, among them the termination of the ministry in Frankford and turning over one-third of the proceeds from the sale of the building there to the synod. On January 21, 1973 the congregation voted to go along with the Board's conditions, and final permission to build was granted by the synod on February 26, 1973. (It is interesting to note in connection with the synod's lengthy resistance to Immanuel's desire to move to Somerton that today, with a totally different leadership and philosophy of church growth in place, such a plan would most likely have met with enthusiastic approval from the start!)
The next months were full of activity. Under the leadership of Mr. Paul Wolf and later Mr. Fritz Rommel a large building committee was formed and went to work at once. The members and friends of the congregation were especially generous when the call went out for contributions to fund this undertaking. In addition to outright gifts, members bought building and loan certificates and thus made it possible to finance the new church without a bank mortgage. Money was also made available at three percent interest by the Diakonisches Werk of the Evangelical Church in Germany.
The Somerton church under construction
The ground-breaking ceremony for the new church was held on September 15, 1973, and construction commenced soon thereafter. The cornerstone was laid on June 16, 1974; a special service to commemorate the occasion took place in the not-yet completed fellowship hall. As the building neared completion a request went out for donations for furnishings, and again the response on the part of members and non-members alike was overwhelming. Largely through a gift made by I. Frida Wolf, it was possible to purchase the organ from Immanuel Lutheran church in Burholme, and was installed at Immanuel, Somerton by Jacob Gerger & Son. Finally, on November 24, 1974 the long-awaited day arrived when the new building was dedicated. Many individuals had worked very hard to make the dream of a new church in Somerton a reality.
The Cornerstone Laying Ceremony
There followed a period of spectacular growth in membership and programs. 231 new members were received during the first two years at the new location. Services continued to be held in the old church in Frankford until the building was sold in 1976 to a Korean Presbyterian group. On March 7 of that year the members of Immanuel held a final service in the Tackawanna Street building. After the termination of worship there a school bus was purchased to transport members who still lived in the Frankford area to the church in Somerton on Sunday mornings. This arrangement has continued to the present day, although the original school bus was replaced by a Dodge Maxivan in 1979 and a Ford Van in 1992.
Pastor Haug had by now become a well-known figure in the German-American community of Philadelphia and the German Interest Conference of the LCA, which he served as President for two terms during the seventies. He also helped organize the German-American Committee of Philadelphia and later the United German-American Committee USA. He was instrumental in the creation of the Immanuel German Language School, in 1975. It was his wish to promote the German language in the Philadelphia Area and also to give enrolled youngsters some exposure to German culture.
In the summer of 1980, Pastor Haug conducted a congregational trip to Europe, the highlight of which was attendance at the Passion Play at Oberammergau. Soon after his return from this trip, on September 13, he suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage while working in the church office, and died early Sunday morning, September 14, 1980. The church was filled to overflowing for his funeral, which was held on September 18. Thus Immanuel bade farewell to its faithful shepherd who had been from the beginning a tireless fighter for its cause, and despite opposition from many quarters had refused to sit back and watch the congregation die a slow but certain death. During the course of his ministry he touched many lives, and his influence will continue to be felt at Immanuel for years to come. The beautiful church building in Somerton stands as a memorial to his dedication to Immanuel and work of the Gospel.