From “St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church,”
In the summer of 1896 the Rev. J. L Smith, D.D., pastor of Christ’s Lutheran Church East End, Pittsburgh, began to hold services in Wilkinsburg and to endeavor to gather the Lutheran people into an organization. On Nov. 27, 1896 a meeting was held in Ralston’s Hall at which St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church was formally organized by adopting the constitution recommended by the General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America. The congregation was incorporated July 10, 1897 and received by the Pittsburgh Synod of the 1897 convention. Dr. Smith continued to act as pastor until May 1897 when Mr. R. W. H Frederick, (now Dean of the Theological Seminary at Portland, Oregon) was sent to take charge of the field and develop the work. His services were gratefully accepted.
The congregation received aid as a mission of the Pittsburgh Synod for six years, when the membership having increased to 100, it heroically assumed the responsibility of self-support.
After the departure of Mr. Frederick the congregation was served by supplies for a time. On. Jan. 23, 1898, a call was issued to the Rev. J. F. Heckert of Rochester, Pa. The call was excepted. Rev. Heckert became pastor April 1, 1898. This pastorate continued almost twelve years, until Feb. 1, 1910, when he resigned to become pastor of St. Johns’s Lutheran Church, McKeesport. For three and one half years after the coming of Mr. Heckert, service was held in the First National Bank Hall, but the congregation was working for its own church-house. Several lots were considered but finally the lot at the comer of Ross Ave. and Center St. was decided on. An option was secured on a lot here, 100 ft. by 99 ft. on July 15, 1899 and the purchase consummated soon thereafter.
A building committee had been engaged in preparation for the work, but owing to circumstances, building operations were postponed for a year. Final plans were adopted Jan. 10, 1901, at which time it was decided to build a parsonage also. May 23, 1901 the cornerstone was.laid. Oct. 27, 1901 the church was appropriately dedicated., Dr. E. Balfour, then president of the Pittsburgh Synod preaching the sermon.
Besides the work through which the excellent church property was secured, the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Heckert was marked by the growth of the congregation from a mission to a self-sustaining congregation, and the work of molding the membership gathered from many and distant congregations and representing several nationalities, into a new English congregation was accomplished.
After Mr. Heckert’s resignation the interests of the congregation was carefully looked after by Rev. J. Q. Waters of Pittsburgh. On March 20, 1910 a call was extended to Rev. W. B. Bauer of North Side, Pittsburgh. In answer to this call the present pastorate began May 1, 1910. Since then the work has progressed steadily and harmoniously, and the prospects are bright.
An active Sunday School has been maintained from the beginning. It is now well organized with an efficient corps of officers and teachers and uses the admirable General Council Graded Lesson Series.
A band of faithful and energetic women form a Ladies Aid Society. This Society has been of great assistance to the church. Recently it has devoted an hour each month to mission study and contributes its portion of the work to the Synodical Women’s Missionary Society.
In 1913 the congregation met at Calvary Luthern Church while St. Paul’s was raised for the installation of a basement. The two congregations merged on December 17, 1919.
The YWCA purchased the former St.Paul’s building to be their Wilkinsburg headquarters with the church building as a Community House and the parsonage as a dormitory. They built an addition to the main auditorium and remodeled the basement to have more space for a modern cafeteria.
The Wesleyan Methodist Church purchased the building in 1946 from the YWCA and held a dedication service October 8.
The Wesleyan Methodist Congregation will dedicate the new church next Sunday at 2 p.m.
The congregation was established here in April of last year and met at the Malta Temple until that building was purchased by the American Legion.
The congregation then bought the old YMCA [YWCA] quarters at the corner of Ross and Center avenue.
The Rev. H. C. Van Wormer, president of the Allegheny Conference of the denomination will preach the sermon; the Rev. Mrs. Oneida J. Gleason, evangelist, will tell of the history of the local church and his wife, directors of the radio programs “Wesleyan Hour” and “Family Altar” will be in charge of the musical programs.
Other ministers will participate.
The local pastor, Guy E. Terpe and the congregation invite the community to be present.
Wilkinsburg Historical Society
Rev. Goy Terpe went to Massilon, Ohio. Rev. L. B. Owens from the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Mentcle, Pennsylvania, began his pastorate in 1948. Mentcle is a community in Indiana County formed around the coal mining at the Mentcle Mine.
St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church purchased the building in September 1988.
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Marjorie Michaux, editor-in-chief, Historic Wilkinsburg 1887–1987, One Hundred Years of Pride. Wilkinsburg Centennial Publication Committee, 1988, p. 86.
The Nugget: Wilkinsburg Golden Jubilee 1887–1937, p. 157.
“Mentcle, Pennsylvania,” Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentcle,_Pennsylvania
Wilkinsburg Public Library Digital Archives:
“St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church,” History handwritten and transcript.
100th Anniversary 1896–1996, Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, Celebrating 100 Years of Ministry.
“To Open With Sunday Service” September 6, 1946.
“Reverend Owens Is New Pastor Here,” June 18, 1948.