Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd

Advent

St. Mark's

A History of Traditions, Liturgy, and Doctrine

Organized Lutheranism in Lancaster began with the founding of Trinity Church in 1730 and their early involvement in the Ministerium of Pennsylvania in 1745. However, by the Civil War, Pennsylvania Lutheran attitudes had coalesced into two dominant groups: the Ministerium and its eventual larger group the General Council (founded 1867), which emphasized historical Lutheranism, liturgy, and doctrine, and the General Synod (founded 1820), which emphasized more personalized pietism with less regard for specifically Lutheran traditions, liturgy, and doctrine. The two groups focused their attention on theological education at Philadelphia (Mt. Airy) and Gettysburg Seminaries, respectively.

Midsized towns in Pennsylvania often had two Lutheran churches with different pastors, aligned to the two larger groups. For example, churches in the Ministerium of Pennsylvania tended to serve communion with wine and pastors wore clerical collars and robed in surplice and stole and those in the Central Pennsylvania Synod served grape juice and pastors wore black Geneva preaching gowns.

On May 26, 1953 these two groups in Pennsylvania agreed on territorial boundaries that did not cross each other, placing Lancaster churches in the Central Pennsylvania Synod territory. The distinction between the two groups began to blur over time: both Advent and St. Mark's congregations began as Ministerium members, with St. Mark's tending more toward General Synod style. By the time of their merger in 1971, the effect was similar to the effect of the previous merging of the Ministerium and the General Synod.

The Foreword and the following time line were taken from the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd booklet "Building for Tomorrow A Dedication" (1990).

12 Dec 1897	Formal organization of a Sunday School at 17 Clark Street, which became Advent Lutheran Church
6 Feb 1899	Church services were conducted at Clark Street location by The Rev. Charles E. Haupt of Grace Lutheran Church.
21 Oct 1899	Formal organization of the congregation under the name Advent Lutheran Church, with The Rev. John W. Hassler, D.D., who served as first pastor until 1901.
28 July 1900 28 Oct 1900	Groundbreaking and cornerstone laying, respectively, of Advent at 969 East Orange Street
20 Oct 1901	The Dauphin Terrace Sunday School opened with 37 persons. Organized by The Rev. Jacob Darmstaetter, who served as the first pastor until 1904.
27 Nov 1901	Dedication of Advent Lutheran Church, Orange Street.
9 June 1902 13 July 1902	Groundbreaking and cornerstone laying, respectively, at 545 Freiburg Street between Green and Dauphin Streets for first St. Mark's building
11 Sep 1902	Official organization of St. Mark's as a congregation.
5 Oct 1902	Dedication of St. Mark's Lutheran Church (Freiburg Street became Pershing Avenue after WWI).
3 Apr 1903	St. Mark's is admitted to the Ministerium of Pennsylvania.
13 July 1930 28 Sep 1930	Groundbreaking and cornerstone laying, respectively, of St. Mark's building at East End Avenue and South Ann Street
13 Jun 1931	Dedication of St. Mark's Lutheran Church
1958	The Rev. John. W. Kammerer is called as Pastor, St. Mark's.
1965	The Rev. Theodore F. Schneider, D.D., called as Pastor, Advent
Fall 1966	Meeting at Advent at the request of the Board of Home Missions to discuss the growth of eastern suburban Lancaster and the effectiveness of existing parishes in the ministry.
29 Jun 1969	Advent congregation approves site at Pitney and Hempstead Roads (now Greenfield Road).
Sep 1970	Pastor Kammerer (St. Mark's) accepts a call to Muddy Creek Lutheran Church, Adamstown, Pennsylvania, and Pastor Schneider supplies St. Mark's as Interim Pastor.
10 Jan 1971	The two congregations merge as Advent/St. Mark's Lutheran Church, effective 30 May 1971, with Pastor Schneider as Senior Pastor.
21 May 1972	The name "The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd" (LCGS) was adopted by the merged congregation.
16 Jul 1972 Oct 1972	Groundbreaking service and construction begins, respectively.
Mar 1973	The Rev. Larry H. Louder is called as Assistant Pastor.
29 Apr 1973	Cornerstone laying of the LCGS
28 Oct 1973	LCGS building on Hempstead Road opens.
Apr 1974 12 Jun 1974	Sculptor Alois Lidauer arrives from Salzburg, Austria, commissioned to create the statue of Jesus, The Good Shepherd and finished Statue is place on pedestal in front of LCGS, respectively.
13 Oct 1974	Dedication of the statue of the Good Shepherd.
31 Jul 1986	Pastors Schneider and Louder accept call to St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, Maryland
1 Mar 1987	The Rev. Gerald A. Spice is installed as LCGS's Senior Pastor.
1 Nov 1987	The Rev. Timothy Bettger is installed as Associate Pastor, serving until 1991.
8 Jan 1989	LCGS votes to enlarge church building
22 Feb 1989	LCGS Council votes to seek a full-time church musician to be responsible for all aspects of music in the parish, and on 1 Aug 1989 Mr. Scott Weidler begins service as Cantor.
6 May 1990	Dedication of enlarged LCGS building
Nov 1994	The Rev. Mark L. Russell begins his call as Associate Pastor.
Jun 1999	Pastor Spice accepts a call to Louisville, Kentucky, and Pastor Russell becomes Senior Pastor.
14 Jan 2001	The Rev. Dr. E. Gordon Ross is installed as Assistant Pastor, serving until December, 2005, and Donna Mull is installed as Director of Lay Ministries, serving until 2003.
20 Oct 2001	The Rev. Marilyn Witte is installed as Associate Pastor to serve as Cantor.
10 Feb 2002	Dedication of the Memorial Garden cross and processional crosses, created by Mr. George Mummert, Millersville University.
Nov 2003	One Vision, One Voice appeal begins.
8 Mar 2004	Contract with Dobson Organ Builders signed.
1 Oct 2004	The Rev. Clifton D. Eshbach is installed as Associate Pastor, serving until April 2009.
Oct 2005	Congregation meeting approves contracts for renovation to the nave and narthex.
27 Dec 2005 - 28 Apr 2006	Congregation worships in Fellowship Hall During Renovations.
29 Apr 2006	First service in renovated nave.
September 2006	Dobson Organ opus 83 dedicated

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