By Rozella Bower, Church Archivist
Nineteen seventy-two was a most significant year for the congregation of Saint Matthew Lutheran Church in Moorestown, NJ. On September 10, a new church building was dedicated that included primarily a sanctuary, but also a large narthex (foyer), library/chapel, lounge, church offices and a small kitchen.
A look at some events of 50 years ago reveals the primary headlines were about the Watergate scandal, the murders of Jewish athletes at the Summer Olympics in Japan and President Nixon’s visit to China. The musical, “Grease”, was playing on Broadway; television favorite was “All in the Family”; and “The Godfather” was the most popular movie. Women wore mini skits and everyone wanted a Volkswagon “Beetle”. A family of 4 could be fed for under $4.00!
Back in Moorestown, ideas for a new sanctuary and larger narthex had been discussed for several years before Herluf Jensen became the pastor in September 1968. He was reluctant to get involved in a building program so soon after his arrival. As the congregation continued to grow its membership and a sanctuary that seated more than 125 was needed, he agreed to begin the process.
A Building Commission and various other committees were formed. The architectural firm of Hassinger and Schwam Associates of Philadelphia was selected to design the building. Herman Hassinger was a member of our congregation and he had designed other churches. A three-year Capital Campaign was begun, with the slogan, “A Time To Build Up” and a pledge goal of $108,740.
The congregation authorized construction of the new church building in January 1971. A Groundbreaking Ceremony was held after the worship service on May 2, 1971, led by Pastor Jensen and including the Rev. J. Brooks Moore, former second pastor of the congregation.
A Festival Service of Leave-taking was held in the “old church” in the afternoon on June 13, 1971. The congregation had worshiped almost 20 years in that building, originally owned by the Presbyterian church. There were memories of baptisms, weddings and other special services. As Pastor Jensen wrote in the bulletin for the morning worship service, “If there be sadness, may it nevertheless be suffused with thanks to God for the use that He has made of this building, and may there be rejoicing in the hope that leads us into a new venture in faith.”
Indeed it was a new venture in faith.The old church had to be demolished in order to build the new structure. Work began immediately by the Property and newly formed Crafts Committees to remove all articles that were usable and put in storage or set up in Fellowship Hall where the congregation worshiped for almost 15 months. Some items were purchased by members and friends which included stained glass windows, doors, lights, pews and carpeting and brought a total of almost $1500. (The pew in the narthex at the window by the driveway came from the old church.) One morning around 10:00 in the second week of July a bulldozer went to one corner of the building. The congregation had been told for several years that the building was “on its last legs”. When the bulldozer gave a single shove, it began to cave in. The bulldozer went to the opposite corner, gave another shove, and the entire roof settled in “like a wet paper bag”*. By 4:30 that afternoon, the site was leveled. (*John Garst, Chair of Property Committee)
Construction began in earnest. The architectural plan called for the joining of the new structure to the Parish Hall (part of the purchase from the Presbyterian church) and the “new” education building (completed in 1962). It could have been easy to let the construction be an excuse for not doing what was needed to carry on the work of the church. Instead the congregation actively pursued the dream of a lovely new church building.
Some members and friends donated architectural items designed by Herman as memorials to loved ones, including the altar, two stained glass windows on the sides, the baptismal font and the communion rail.
The entire process was a labor of love for many “willing hands” and the congregation watched the progress from week to week with much anticipation and excitement. Men crafted from Herman Hassinger’s designs the missal stand, the crown of lights, the magazine rack, the guest book registry, the parament rack, the flower stands, the paschal candle stand and ceramic portions of the main doors and the processional cross. Herman also designed complete sets of paraments, which were embroidered and stitched by women in the church, led by Doris Hassinger, Herman’s wife. He tried to involve as many people as possible in crafting the artwork and fixtures he had designed, which made it “a more personal venture for the congregation”.
The building consisted of 11,000 square feet. Site and restoration work was also done on the Parish Hall. The sanctuary has a seating capacity of 350 and the narthex is 2000 square feet, much larger than the tiny space in the previous building. The library/chapel has rarely been used as a chapel and the library area has rarely been used; however, it is a primary meeting room for the congregation council, Adult Forum, various meetings and for outside groups. In an article in “The Lutheran” magazine in 1988, Herman was asked what it was like to design a church for his own congregation. In his inimitable style, he said it “is a lot like doing your own open heart surgery”! He believed that living with this design provided satisfaction not known by any other of his church projects and he felt well supported by Pastor Jensen and the congregation.
The “new church” was completed in the summer of 1972 with a total cost of $355,375. The pledge goal of $108,740 was met and a mortgage of $250,000 was secured through Burlington County Trust Company. (An interesting note: the last appraisal of the church property was done in 2006, and given a value of $3,517,075.)
Finally in the afternoon of September 10, 1972, the Festival Service of Dedication celebrated the beginning of a new future for Saint Matthew Lutheran Church. It was a joyous occasion, with many participants in the procession as the congregation sang “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation”. We were joined by local church pastors and pastors of Lutheran churches in the New Jersey Synod. There were bearers of items for the church made by people in the congregation. Pastor Jensen was the liturgist and the preacher was former pastor, The Reverend Edwin L. Ehlers, then President of the New Jersey Synod of the Lutheran Church in America. The Senior Choir, under the direction of Rhonda Volk, organist and choir director, sang “Surely the Lord is in this place; this is none other but the house of God . . . The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad.” Perhaps that expressed the most personal feelings of all of us on that day of joy and glory to God.
At the beginning of the capital campaign In 1971 Pastor Jensen challenged the congregation through the words of a favorite poem by Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” with words that can still ring true today.
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.”
“Frost wasn’t thinking about the church, but that stanza always reminds me that we in the church of Jesus Christ cannot just sit back, spectator fashion, to marvel over the present worldly scene, or to lament it, much as we may be tempted to do one or the other.
“No – we too ‘have promises to keep’ – to Jesus Christ and to ourselves; ‘promises to keep’ – in order to keep faith with the past; ‘promises to keep’ – in order to redeem the present; ‘promises to keep’ – in order to stake a claim on the future in the name of Jesus Christ.“
Pastor Jensen
So here we are fifty years later worshiping in this same hallowed space so lovingly created, with a new challenge to “Live Love” in all we do and to share God’s love wherever we are, whether in community or around the world. Thanks be to God!