German Congregational Evangelical Brethren Church 1927-1967
Photographs of the former German Congregational Evangelical Brethren Church located at NE Mason and Garfield taken in 1999
The German Congregational Evangelical Brethren Church (known as the Brethren Church) originally began as the Free Evangelical Brethren Church in 1900. On September 13, 1922 the Brethren Congregational Church was organized and shortly afterwards incorporated under the name of Congregational Evangelical Brethren Church.
During its 44 years of existence, the church had the spiritual leadership of eight ministers.
Reverend Wagner was its first pastor and served until his death in November 1934. Under Reverend Wagner, the church moved from the location at 3605 NE Mallory to a newly built structure at 238 NE Mason in 1927. The new structure was erected at a cost of $24,880.75. The structure built in 1927 stands today and is now the Philadelphia Community Brethren Church.
Brethren First Confirmation Class 1928
Reverend Wagner was born in Frank, Russia on October 4, 1868 and came to McCook, Nebraska in 1899 with his wife Anna (Kissler) Wagner. He entered the Chicago Theological seminary, graduated in 1906, and became ordained that year. He held pastorates in South Dakota for a number of years before moving to Walla Walla where he built a church and parsonage during his ten-year ministry there. He later accepted a call from Endicott, Washington where he built another church.
In 1926 the church reported 97 male members and 98 female members. In addition, there were 110 people in the Young People’s Society. [1]
Under Reverend Wagner, the congregation had a parting of the ways and some went to the Ebenezer German Congregational Church and the others merged with Zion Congregational Church.
A fight between two factions of the church was reported in a Portland newspaper around 1927:
"The trouble at the church Sunday was the outgrowth of bad feelings which has prevailed among the two factions for many months. Last fall eight members of the then church council filed suit in circuit court seeking to oust the Rev. Conrad Wagner as pastor, assertedly because he preached almost exclusively in German and because he objected to having motion pictures exhibited in the church building. The plaintiffs in the suit alleged that the Rev. Mr. Wagner was a troublemaker.
According to Conrad Krieger, one of the complaining witnesses, the first fight Sunday occurred at the afternoon prayer meeting when one of the elders nominated a former member who had been ex-communicated and a present member to lead the meeting. A number of persons present objected to having the ex-communicated member lead the service but he started to go to the platform, Krieger said. Fists began to fly when some of the objecting members attempted to keep the ex-communicated member from going to the platform, Krieger said.
Several persons were scratched and bruised in the fight, which was resumed outside the church building after the night service, participants said.
Four police radio squad cars were called to quell the night disturbance. Police reported that several blows were struck but that no arrests were made. They said the fighting was over when they arrived, but that groups were standing about discussing the matter. The police were informed that a battled had occurred inside the church in the afternoon when some 100 were assertedly engaged. It was said that between 50 and 75 men and women engaged in the night conflict. Police had been called to restore order on two or three occasions.
The church fight was carried into court last fall, when eight members of the council brought suit seeking an injunction restraining the Rev. Mr. Wagner from continuing as pastor. Circuit Judge Lusk on November 23 denied the injunction." [2]
Brethren Church Choir 1935
In 1932, a fire partially destroyed the sanctuary. The $5,320.00 loss was insured and three months later the church was rebuilt and in use again. [3]
Reverend Wagner died in Portland on November 17, 1934.
Following Reverend Wagner’s death, Reverend Schmalle served as interim pastor for a period of six months. Reverend Graumann became the pastor in the spring of 1935 and served until the summer of 1944, he realized the necessity of changing the services by instituting the English language in order to captivate his audience. The brotherhood clung tenaciously to their mother tongue with prayer groups until about 1980 when most of the older members had been laid to rest.
Brethren Confirmation Class 1939 contributed by Marcie Fox
Reverend Eslinger was called to replace Reverend Graumann in 1944 and he served until November 1945. The following summer the Reverend Carl F. Brost became pastor and served the church until the fall of 1949.
Mr. Oliver Ketterling, a student at the Western Theological Seminary of the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Church, served as student pastor from September 1949 to June 1951. In August of that year, the Reverend John N. Sauer began his long ministry, retiring August 1963. He shared with the Reverend Conrad C. Wagner the honor of each serving the church for twelve years. Reverend Sauer was born in 1890 in Mannsburg, Bessarabia and died September 2, 1984 in Los Gatos, California. [4]
Reverend Strobel returned to Portland from California to live in retirement but he consented to lead the church for four years after Reverend Sauer stepped down. Reverend Strobel and his wife died in each other’s arms on February 13, 1983 – both from heart failure. [5] [6]
When the Congregational Christian Churches united with the Evangelical and Reformed Synod, the church joined the merger and became part of the United Church of Christ in America. This period was one of transition and readjustment. In 1966, Reverend Strobel wrote “We trust God’s guidance for the future.”
In December of 1966, the Brethren and Zion Churches voted and approved a merger of the two churches. In April 1967, a consolidation plan for merger is adopted and the Zion parsonage is sold.
The first service of the newly merged Congregation was held in July 1967.
The farewell service at the Brethren Church was held on August 6, 1967 and 155 members joined the Zion Congregational Church with its 265 members to become the Zion Brethren Church of the United Church of Christ.
Following the merger, the Brethren Church building was sold in October 1967 for $35,000.
Pastors of the German Congregational Evangelical Brethren Church
| Rev. Conrad J. Wagner | 1922 –1934 Reverend Wagner was the first ordained minister at the Brethren Church. Before serving the Brethren Church, Reverend Wagner led the Zion Church in Walla Walla, Washington (1908-1916) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Endicott, Washington (1916-1923). [7] The Reverend Conrad J. Wagner, 66, pastor of the German Congregational Evangelical Brethren church, Northeast Mason street and Garfield avenue, died Saturday at his home, 224 Mason street, on 11 Nov 1934 in Portland, Oregon. Funeral services will be held at the church with burial in Rose City cemetery. He was born October 4, 1868 in Frank, Russia. In 1898 he married Anna Kissler who survives him. The couple came to this country in 1899 to McCook, Nebraska; in 1903 he entered the Chicago Theological Seminary. He graduated in 1906 and was ordained that year. He held pastorates in South Dakota for a number of years, then moved to Walla Walla, Washington where he built a church and parsonage during his ten years’ ministry there. He later accepted a call to Endicott, Washington where he also built a church. From there he went to Portland about 10 years ago. The Rev. Wagner built the church and parsonage of the church of which he pastor at the time of his death. Besides his widow, he leaves an adopted daughter, Ruth, a brother in South Dakota, and a brother and sister in Russia. [8] |
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| Rev. Richard Schmalle | 1934 –1935 Interim pastor for a six-month period. |
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Rev. Edward Graumann |
1935 –1944 Obituary for the Reverend Edward Graumann The Christian Fellowship Messenger, 20 Nov 1968, Winnipeg, Canada The Reverend Edward Graumann was born in Harvey, North Dakota on February 26, 1900 where he was baptized as infant and confirmed in Christian in his youth. His parents were Frederick and Julia Graumann, both deceased. Edward was united in marriage with Elsie Delabarre on June 13, 1923 at Redfield, South Dakota. The day of his marriage was also the day of his ordination into the Christian ministry. After his graduation from the Theological Seminary of Redfield, he and his faithful wife served churches at Tacoma, Washington, Alpena, South Dakota, Tacoma for a second time, Portland, Oregon Brethren church and Fort Morgan, Colorado Christ Congregational Church, a total of 24 years. After this, in 1946, he was chosen as Pastor‑at‑large, and served the General Conference of German Congregational churches very faithfully for twenty years, until retirement in 1966. During this time his residence was in Portland where they owned their home. The deceased and his wife enjoyed their brief retirement in taking extensive travel‑vacations away from home. Although be had a heart condition and was under the doctor's care, he was not bedfast. While vacationing in Washington, he suffered a heart attack and went to be with his Maker, July 27, 1968, at the age of 68 years, 5 months and one day. His survivors include his widow, one daughter, Betty Weimer and her family of Fort Morgan, CO, five brothers, eight sisters, four grandchildren and a host of friends and relatives. Memorial services were held from Skyline Memorial Gardens Chapel where he was interred and rests in peace. Officiating were Dr. Royal Caldwell, senior minister of First Congregational Church, Dr. Del Buttrey, Oregon Conference minister, and Rev. George Pollard, retired. Pallbearers were Rev. Theodore Strobel, Paul Kalmbach, Robert Klein, Arthur Delabarre, Joseph Gyorog, and J. E. Gebhardt. Other ministers who served in honorary capacity, were Rev. John Sauer, E. Springer, C. Martin, M. Grosz and W. Kranzler. May the Lord bless and comfort the bereaved household and grant them a reunion in eternal glory. Rev. R. Klein Portland, Oregon Reverend Graumann served the Evangelical Congregational Church in Tacoma, Washington (1923-1927 and 1933-1935) and was Pastor-at-Large from 1945-1964. [9] |
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| Rev. Edward Eslinger | 1944 –1945 After serving the Brethren Church, Reverend Eslinger led the United Congregational Church in Odessa, Washington (1946-1952). [10] |
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| Rev. Carl F. Brost | 1946 –1949 Served Brethren from 1947-1949. The records for the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches do not indicate that he served other churches. [11] |
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Oliver Ketterling (Student pastor) |
1949 –1951 Served Brethren in 1950. The records for the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches do not indicate that he served other churches. [12] |
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| Rev. John N. Sauer
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1951-1963 The Reverend Sauer was born on January 12, 1890 in Mannsburg, Bessarabia, Russia. He immigrated to Lind, Washington with his family in 1901 aboard the S.S. Lahn and grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He graduated from Redfield Seminary in 1920, after which he served as circuit riding pastor in Burt, North Dakota. In 1925 he moved to Idaho and served churches in Paul, Kimberly, Jerome, and American Falls. Before moving to Portland he also served churches in Brush, Colorado; Fresno, California; and Lacrosse and Colfax, Washington. He later became pastor of the Brethren church in Northeast Portland and lived in Northeast Portland for 12 years (until 1982). He died on September 2, 1984 in Los Gatos, California at the age of 94. Following a memorial service at Rivercrest Congregational Community Church in Portland, he was entombed at Portland Memorial Mausoleum. [13] Prior to serving the Brethren Church, Reverend Sauer served the Zoar Church in Odessa, Washington (1918), the Freudenfeld Church in Warden, Washington (1918), the First German Church in American Falls, Idaho (1926-1928), the First German Church in Paul, Idaho (1926-1927) and the St. John Church in Lacrosse, Washington (1948-1951). [14] Reverend Sauer and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1971 at Zion Brethren Church. Rev. and Mrs. Sauer have two sons, a daughter, and four grandchildren. Reverend Sauer concluded 43 in the ministry in August of 1963 after 12 years at the Brethren Church in Portland. He began his pastorate in Willa, North Dakota in 1920 and also served churches in Brush, Colorado; Fresno, California; and Colfax, Washington. [15] |
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Rev. Theodore C. Strobel |
1963 –1967 Prior to serving the Brethren Church, Reverend Strobel served the Zion Church in Walla Walla, Washington (1926-1929) and the Zion Church in Portland (1948-1952). [16]
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Endnotes:
[1] Local Church Report for the year ending December 31, 1926 for the Congregational Year Book submitted by Rev. C. J. Wagner.
[2] The Oregon Daily Journal, clipping circa 1927, p. unknown.
[3] Churches Along The Oregon Trail, (Portland, Oregon: Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1976), p. 68.
[4] The Sunday Oregonian, September 9, 1984, p. D13.
[5] The Sunday Oregonian, February 13, 1983, p. D11.
[6] The Oregonian, February 12, 1983, article titled “Family finds couple in death’s embrace”.
[7] History of the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, p. 13.
[8] The Oregon Journal, clipping from November 20, 1934, p. unknown.
[9] History of the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, p. 6.
[10] History of the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, p. 5.
[11] History of the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, p. 4.
[12] History of the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, p. 8.
[13] The Sunday Oregonian, article from September 9, 1984, p. D13.
[14] History of the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, p. 11.
[15] The Oregonian, clipping from 1971, p. unknown.
[16] History of the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, p. 12.