Congregation’s Early History
For a number of years, the Protestants in Tamaqua held church in a school house on Dutch Hill and later in a union church building. In 1835 Rev. Hassinger, a traveling pastor, organized a Lutheran and Reformed congregation.
The cornerstone for the first Protestant church was laid on June 18, 1873 and was dedicated on September 19. It was a small frame church having three windows on each side and a window on each side of the entrance leading into the edifice. A bell hung in the steeple. The church was located on the present St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery. The church was known as the Union Church.
This church was used by both denominations until 1884. In 1887 the Lutherans erected a bilingual school building on the corner of Mauch Chunk and Pine Streets. The German Lutherans gained financial control in 1875, and teaching using the English language was terminated at the school. The English Lutherans moved to the basement of the Union Church.
On January 27, Zion English Evangelical Lutheran Church began as a congregation of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania. On June 26, 1876, a chapel, “The Little church on the Schuylkill”, was dedicated and it stands today and is known as the Italian Club.
In 1916 the congregation purchased land on the corner of Mauch Chunk and Greenwood Streets with additional footage being purchased in 1932. Total cost was $9,750.00. The ground breaking ceremony took place in 1924. On September 23, 1928, the church was dedicated. This day was Reverend Gebert’s 71st birthday.
Succession of Pastors:
Jan. 1876- Sept. 1877 – Rev. D. W. S. Erb
Sept. 1877 – Sept. 1883 – Rev. W. H. Laubenstein
Jan. 1884 – April 1886 – Rev. G. H. Drumheller
Jan 1886 – 1890 – Rev. J. O. Schlenker
Sept. 1891 – 1939 – Rev. Dr. George A. Gebert
1939 – 1944 – Rev. Maynard C. Hallock
1944 – 1951 – Rev. Charles C. Schlitzer
1951 – 1956 – Rev. Stanley B. Jennings
1956 – 1961 – Rev. Luther K. Mohr
1961 – 1970 – Rev. Robert M. Heiberger
1971 – 1987 – Rev. F. Peter Muhr
1988 – 1991 – Rev. Robert W. Bush
1992 – 2006 – Rev. Fred T. Crawford
2006 – 2008 – Rev. James C. Covert, Interim
2008 – 2010 – Rev. Debra K. Ernst
2010 - Rev. Jeffrey P. Kistler, Interim
Dr. George A. Gebert
Dr. Gebert’s dedication to his followers is an important and long part of Zion’s history. His dream for Zion resulted in what you see today. Not only do we have a beautiful edifice but a foundation upon which Zion’s spiritual strength grew over the years. Dr. Gebert shepherded his flock with devotion and discipline, strictness, and compassion. He worked as janitor, financial secretary, church council secretary, and helped with the excavation for the new church, giving 78 days of manual labor, in addition to laying pipes at the cemetery. When on March 3, 1937 the new church was not finished, he offered one half his salary, $100.00 a month, to begin a plan to complete the building. In 1916 he was in the prime of his ministry with eyes that sparkled and a beard which was graying, walking with a cane in hand to minister to his parishioners. He labored among his people for a half century until he died in 1940. The people of Zion were and are a devoted people. This can be attributed to the dedication of Dr. Gebert and the pastors that follow him to Zion.
Church’s Interior:
Between 1928 and 1947, church services were held in the social hall located on the first floor. After World War II the congregation, with the guidance of Pastor Schlitzer, made the commitment to complete the construction. The dedication was held in 1947.
The architecture of the interior has significant symbolism. One visiting the church needs to recognize these features. The structure is traditional Gothic in the form of a Latin cross. The ceiling resembles the bottom of a ship and symbolized the congregation’s voyage through life where Jesus calms the sea. The sanctuary light above the altar indicated the presence of the Holy Spirit. This Gothic structure provides the greatest acoustical quality found in the area.
The windows are made of baked painted glass. As you enter the church, the windows to your left depict the ministries of Jesus. The inserts in these windows show baptism, The Ten Commandments, communion and the alpha and omega. The rear windows portray the ascension with two angels dressed in Eucharistic vestments. Plaques above the left-side doorways symbolize two angels and the four evangelists. Over the rear doorways, plaques resemble the crucifixion. A Pascal candle is found in the front of the right row of pews and is lighted for baptisms, funerals, Christmas, and Easter services.
The chapel, to the front left of the church, is the Gebert Memorial Chapel. The windows in this area represent the birth of Christ. The window above the altar shows Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The congregation welcomes your visit to Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. We extend an invitation for you to visit and worship with us in the future.
Our Church
The Resurrection Window is the window you face as you walk out of the church with your back to the altar. It acts as a channel of light allowing vibrant rays of sunshine to fall upon the morning worshippers. Its placement was not only to brighten up the church but also to inspire us as we left the church, seeing Christ standing over the empty tomb with worshipping angels on both sides, reminding us of His message, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in Me though he were dead yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.” We could take that message home with us so that during the week to come whatever troubles would present themselves, we knew we would not be alone.
The glass panels on either side of this magnificent window reveal meaningful symbols. On the left, we see the spear and the sponge. We also see the crown of thorns, the cross, the nails, Pilate’s inscription--these things remind us of His pathway to glory which had been borne of suffering.
When is the last time you looked up to get that inspiration as you left our Church? Let today be your opportunity to take in what has been waiting for you all along. This window was presented by Mrs. Rosa Nester & Mrs. Mary Nester in memory of their husbands, John and Cyrus respectively.
The Gebert Memorial Stained Glass Window
The purpose of a chapel is to provide an area for meditation, prayer, and the administration of the Sacraments. It is a place of learning. The chapel window (in the front of the church on the left) reflects those characteristics in the humble surroundings of our Lord’s Nativity. We are reminded of the miracle that took place in simplistic surroundings and also that we must have a humble heart, knowing that “God can exalt the humble and give to it the touch of the divine.”
Mary and Joseph both direct their attention upon God’s gift of His son. Remember what problems Joseph was faced with in his upcoming marriage to Mary who was with child; you can see a somewhat doubtful look on Joseph’s face, but he still stood by Mary. Mary, too, must’ve been perplexed by finding herself with child and yet she has a content look on her face. Both accepted their place in the scheme of things with humility. Of course, the Christ child is in the very center of the scene. Even the animals have an almost reverent look on their faces.
The gifts from the three kings are represented at the bottom right, but almost as an afterthought; the true Gift to all of us is in the center of the window.
The Amanda Gebert Bible Class presented this window “in loving memory of their beloved friend and teacher, Mrs. Amanda Gebert.” It cannot be understated how much love, appreciation, and respect the congregation had for their minister and his wife, both of whom who gave selflessly to our church.
The Side Aisle Windows
Peter Walking on the Water, one of the side-aisle windows, serves to demonstrate to all of us the “power that never fails.” “It defies all powers.” Take a moment to look into Peter’s face; he is clearly pleading with Jesus, scared that he will go under, not quite so certain of his faith. On the other hand, Jesus’ demeanor is one of total assurance. He has everything under control. So what if they are both standing on water. Also notice that Jesus has one hand raised while the other has Peter firmly in His grip.
We need only to gaze upon it and understand that we can truly be sustained by believing in the Lord. Peter had said, “Lord Save me.” We, too can utter those words to “know the power of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.” You will clearly see the Holy Bible, our written guide, in a side panel.
Mrs. Hattie Kolb and her daughter Mrs. Frances Montgomery presented this window in loving memory of Julius, Hattie’s husband.
Christ Knocking on the Door, another side-aisle window emphasizes the “truth of the great welcome of God at the throne of grace.” That welcome is unconditional and unchanging IF we have the love of God in our hearts. One can look at the expression on Christ’s face to know how important it is that we get it right. His hand is gently knocking, almost with some hesitation. Rev. 3:20 inspired this window: “the human heart is the only thing in this vast universe which can persistently and ultimately set itself against God.” If we want Him to answer our call, we must show Him our love.
Along the sides, you will see the 10 Commandments and a dove--symbols of how to live our lives.
Mrs. Margie Linkhorst presented this window in loving memory of John A. Linkhorst, her husband.
The Good Shepherd, the last of the side-aisle windows stresses companionship—the knowledge that we are never alone and that we are being watched over even when we are unmindful of our Lord’s presence. We are reminded that, “The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.” Did He not receive abuse at the hands of men, carry a cross, and die on that cross for us?
The Eucharist and wine-filled Chalice are on a side panel, reminding us of Christ’s body and blood which he freely offers us each week.
This window was presented by Mr. & Mrs. Wm. Burt and Mr. & Mrs.David Burt.
Gethsemane
This is the Chancel (altar area) Window. It is the one we see as we face the altar and look up, and it has an immediate impact on us. The scene in that window is based upon a famous painting by Heinrich Hofmann. When it is back-lit, it is something to behold with its vibrant colors and Our Lord’s flowing red robe with the deep blue sky. It is our only stained-glassed window that has a red outline. It shows Christ looking heavenward to His Father—for strength, guidance, peace from his torment, something else perhaps, or all of those things while praying in Gethsemane’s Garden. His posture is that of submission. As we sit and face front, each of us is reminded of our Lord and realize that “My house is a house of prayer.” This window inspires many deep emotions—love, trust, faith, reverence, prayer, and service.
There are subtle messages in this window, just as there are in the others. For this one, we must surely understand this thought, “Thy will be done.” Additionally, we can discern that “We come to worship and go to serve.” Who cannot be filled with reverence when they look upon that window with the full knowledge that our church “is a house of all peoples, so that all who come may be made to feel the Savior’s love”?
Another message in the window is demonstrated to us as we witness Jesus kneeling alone; we, too, must face most of life’s big crises alone. Yes, our fellow men may attempt to comfort us and show us companionship, but they do not suffer for us nor do they die for us. As we see Jesus look to His Father, we can in turn look to Christ as our Father to get us through any fear, any problem that we might encounter through life—nothing is too big for Our Father.
We have Mrs. Minnie Saylor to thank for presenting this window in memory of her husband Richard.
The Clere-Story Windows
Clere-story is just another way of describing the upper areas of the church, and we have ten such windows which were placed above the Gothic arches—5 on either side. Their function is to add light, warmth, and color to our church, but they do much more than that. They tell us stories from the Bible if we can but interpret the symbolism. Those on the right side display symbols of the Old Testament with those on the left side being from the New Testament.
Reading from front to rear on the right side, the donors were as follows:
Window No. 1 – Mr. Charles Billig and his sister Miss Clara Billig in loving memory of their mother.
Window No. 2 – Mr. August Witzel in loving memory of his wife Elizabeth.
Window No. 3 – Mrs. Maude Nester in loving memory of her husband Elmer.
Window No. 4 – Mrs. Irene Feathers in loving memory of her husband Harry.
Window No. 5 – The Bischoff Family in loving memory of their parents
Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Bischoff.
Reading from front to rear on the left side, the donors were as follows:
Window No. 1 – Mrs. Raymond H. Billig in loving memory of her husband.
Window No. 2 – Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Banning and Family.
Window No. 3 – Mr. Rush Gunther in loving memory of his wife Edith.
Window No. 4 – Mrs. Ella Hartwig and Miss Henrietta Gallagher.
Window No. 5 – In loving memory of Mr. Herbert Seitzinger by his wife Helen and
daughter Helen.
Tower Windows
There are eight windows in the Greenwood Street tower; they were presented in loving memory of Mr. William L. and Kate G. Bittle. Several have a simple design with three leaves like the ones you see as you go down the stairs that eventually take you to the side of the lobby that has the pictures of the ministers on the wall. Below those three windows, you will also see Noah's Ark as you descend the stairs. To the right of the stairs, as you're going down, you will see one lovely window with a cross and a rock at its base which, of course, is symbolic.
The window in the Mauch Chunk Street tower was presented by the Junior Department of the Sunday School.
Gebert Memorial Chapel
The congregation had a tremendous desire to honor Dr. and Mrs. George Gebert and to make sure that we “…never forgot their sacrifices for Zion’s.” So, they dedicated the chapel as the Gebert Memorial Chapel. You will find the Chapel to the left of the Altar near the Lord's Nativity or The Gebert Memorial Stained Glass Window. The congregation stressed that “…in the providence of God he (Pastor Gebert) was led to a vision for a greater Zion’s and dreamed the dreams which we of our day have been privileged to dedicate. It was the undaunted courage at an age when his thoughts should have been upon retirement which makes us conscious of this honor bestowed….Blessed shall be their memory in Zion’s forever for this chapel shall not permit their names to be omitted from the history of this Church nor to fade from our lips.”
FIRE IN OUR CHURCH
In March of 1959, a fire broke out in the Church School area as a result of a faulty light fixture. The fire was confined to two rooms—the main auditorium (now called the Gathering Room) and the Beginners Room (now called the PreSchool), where the fire originated. It was thanks to the Tamaqua Fire Department’s quick response that we did not have even more damage.
The auditorium floor had to be completely re-sanded. Smoke and water damage occurred in other rooms, necessitating the repainting of all the classrooms, all the halls, and stairwells. Other work done was the installation of new lighting fixtures (fluorescent this time) and new acoustical tile ceilings and a new floor had to be laid in the Primary Department. In the main auditorium of the Church School, a large 6½-foot wooden cross replaced the dossal (ornamental hanging of rich fabric) which was soiled by the smoke. Harold Yost made the cross.
A re-dedication of the Church School took place mid-September of that year, after the repairs and clean up were conducted.
The Pipe Organ
We have an Austin organ; if it were a car, a Rolls Royce might come to mind; in fact, this is how an Austin organ is described, “the only remaining Great Name from the Grand Period of American organ building.” Did you know that Austin organs from the 1890’s are still in use today? We bought ours in July of 1958 at the same time that the U.S. Space Program got its beginnings. It was built in Hartford, Conn., for Christ Episcopal Church in Warren, Ohio. When we got it, it had a replacement cost of $45,000. With the additions and improvements we put it into it, it increased in value by $10,000.
It has 30 ranks with 2,000 pipes—the smallest is the thickness of a pencil and about half as long and the largest is 18 feet tall and 16 inches square. It has a 3-horsepower motor on a 3-phase line, has over 30,000 feet of wiring (that’s 5 miles). It has 41 stops. It is divided into two chambers—1 each side of the chancel. The east side contains the Swell organ; the chamber on the west side holds the Great, Choir, and Pedal organs.
It was installed by J. Eldon Leidinger, Director of Music, with assistance from Technicians Jack Weise and Clifford Eyer, along with many church members. They worked day and night in order to meet the dedication date. Yes, it was blessed and dedicated at a special service at 4 pm on Sunday, December 20, 1959. It was done in dramatic fashion beginning with a silent procession of the choir and clergy at which time Pastors Mohr and Romoser made the Presentation of the Organ and “Then will be heard the first sounds of the massive instrument as the opening strains of the hymn Angel Voices Ever Singing” were played to open the service. Many other hymns were played throughout the service with Toccata in D Minor as the Postlude. Later, it was rebuilt in 1966 and re-dedicated.
Just as it is easy for us to become complacent about our lovely stained glass windows, we have also come to take our pipe organ for granted as well. The next time you hear its uplifting and melodious sounds, sit back and take it in and know that it is truly something special, and let’s not forget to thank our Organist!
How the Interior Got Completed
In 1927, Rev. George Gebert inspired our congregation to support the construction of this Gothic style church; he also directed the completion of the exterior. The interior was left for the next generations to finalize. The interior work became stagnant until 1945 and many people lamented, “We shall never see our church completed.” They had lost hope. Pastor Schlitzer came up with a plan to revitalize the parishioners so that THEIR church could finally be completed. In the booklet, IT HAPPENED THIS WAY, he states, “The purpose of this booklet is to emphasize what God can do with us, if we will.”
The first part of the plan was to get the people to commit to their stone church by connecting to their church. In 1945, he held the Candle Light Service on Christmas morning in the unfinished structure while all gathered around the Altar of the original church which was set up in the stone church. The next Sunday, the Bannings donated $500 to start a fund in order to make future worship in the church possible. That donation became the start of the First Step in the Forward Program; during that drive, $3,000 was amassed.
The Second Step in the Zion Forward Program began on Mothers’ Day in 1946. The congregation once again gathered in the unfinished church, as the Pastor challenged his flock, emphasizing “the hope of 20 years,” telling them they could enjoy this privilege any time that they desired and asked for one hundred $100 donations. To his amazement, 120 such donations were made. Each donor was given a 70th Anniversary Certificate. A list of the donors for the First and Second steps appears in the booklet.
The Third Step was taken in order to complete some of the programs which were able to get started with the money from the first two steps. The Pastor now asked that 1,000 Certificates be sold for $10 each and to do it before the 70th Anniversary. Those names also appear in the booklet IT HAPPENED THIS WAY. In June of 1946, work finally began with Arthur Snyder of the parish serving as Contractor without his fee after other contractors would not offer bids because they were uncertain over prices, material, and wages. Lumber was scarce and very expensive since it was needed for the war effort. Mr. Snyder’s resourcefulness was indeed a blessing; he purchased trees and arranged for them to be cut into boards. Our beautiful vaulted ceiling made of oak came about that way. He had two paid carpenters work under him—Ray Frantz and Earl Ruch. His wife Isabelle volunteered to be Secretary for the building project. To save additional money, Mr. Snyder used all the materials from the scaffolding, once he was done with it, in the rest of the building.
The last step in this phase was to purchase pews; there are about 78 pews in varying sizes. An announcement was made that the parishioners could purchase them and were told how many were needed. Thanks to an outstanding effort, more people came forward than the number of pews for sale, and their names can be found in the booklet as well.
The Sabaoth Bible
People had finally caught the spirit and began to ask, “Why not complete the entire program now? The Church School still needed to be completed; the pastor stated, “The Sabaoth Bible is the answer to our financial needs.” He explained that Sabaoth meant hosts of the Lord or Army of the Lord. It came to mean that the parishioners would fight the battle of completion to a finish; it meant going beyond what was expected. It came to represent loyalty and Christian fervor.
The plan was to order a loose-leaf Bible which was prepared by The Holman Bible Co. of Philadelphia. The Pastor designed it such that all the pages could be removed. Every $20 gift placed for construction of the school put one page in the Sabaoth Bible. The donor had the privilege of signing that page and those names stood as their memorial to faith. Everyone knew at the outset that the Bible would be completed. Some bought 2, 3, 4, and 5 pages; most bought 1. Schilbe Lumber Co. purchased 15. The Sewing Circle purchased 2. The total of pages came to 489.
It was through ingenious ways to inspire the people of our congregation, as well as their generosity, that we were finally able to realize the completion of the interior of our beautiful church. That Bible rightfully rests atop the lectern in the Gebert Memorial Chapel.
List of Craftsmen (take note of how many are local)
“Beauty is determined by the type of craftsmen who produce any piece of work. The beauty found in Zion’s is due to the skill, ability, and interest of the craftsmen of the following firms”:
Stained Art Glass Windows – H. J. Smith & Sons, Philadelphia, PA
Chancel Furnishings & Oak Ceiling – The Herndon Mfg. Co., Herndon, PA
Lighting Eq. & Cast Stone Window Frames of Clere-Story & Chancel – Voigt Co., Philadelphia, PA
Hardwood Floors of the Church and Sunday School – Federal Hardwood Floor Co., Philadelphia, PA
Painting of Oak Ceiling – Charles A. Garber, Tamaqua, PA
Registered Architect Designer Consultant – Charles M. Talley
Installation of Heating Units in Sunday School – Fred Sembach, Tamaqua, PA
Construction of the Church School – The Schilbe Lumber Co., Tamaqua, PA
Installation of Lighting System – Henry H. Allen, Tamaqua, PA
Installation of Boiler and Heating Units in Church – J. Howard Williams & Sons, Tamaqua, PA
Contractor and Builder, Arthur Snyder, Tamaqua, PA
A special Tribute was also made to Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Snyder in a Dedication Services pamphlet dated May 9-16, 1948, “recognizing a debt of gratitude which we owe to Mr. Arthur Snyder and his wife, Mrs. Isabelle Snyder, who came to the rescue when it seemed as if our project would suddenly end and fail. Contractors refused bids because of uncertainty of prices and of wages. It was then that Mr. Snyder volunteered his service to act as contractor for the congregation without any fee for services rendered. Mrs. Snyder volunteered her services as Secretary for the building project. It was this interest which saved the day for us.”
Tribute was also made to the following in that same pamphlet dated May 9-16, 1948: American Seating Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan (Pews)