A Brief History of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ
1208 Oliver Street · North Tonawanda , NY 14120
St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, which turned 119 years old this April 10th, traces its beginnings to the German Evangelicals in Western New York . The organization of the Evangelical St. Peter’s Church of North Tonawanda , New York , was a rocky affair. A group of people had been holding services in a schoolhouse on Felton Street under the leadership of a Reverend Mr. Hanza. However, disputes arose and a congregation was started on Washington Street . Once more, dissatisfaction gained the upper hand and a group broke away to organize a church on East Felton Street, which subsequently joined the Ohio Synod, while the Washington Street church joined the Missouri Synod.
Not fully satisfied with either organization, some of the original group who had worshipped on Felton Street decided to organize a congregation independent of the other two. So, under the leadership of Rev. G. Kottler of Buffalo , a small group of German immigrants founded St. Peter’s Evangelical Church on April 10, 1888. A founding member, Mr. Henry Rasch, donated the land the church stands on today. The church was built and a dedication service was held on July 8th of that same year. The property was valued at $3,000 with an indebtedness of $1,000 still remaining. On September 30, 1888, the congregation called Rev. Conrad Bachmann as its pastor. In June of 1889, a schoolhouse was erected in back of the church. A parsonage was added in 1890. In 1955 a parish hall was added and in 1971 the parsonage was demolished and a new one was built.
The influence of the German Evangelicals was strong as they contributed to the establishment of St. Peter’s as a mission. Originally, all services were in the German language. However, in 1916 (after the church suffered a period of stark decline), English was introduced into the Sunday school, and one English service was held each month. Three years later, St. Peter’s began holding English and German services on alternating Sundays. In April of 1928, a new schedule of service was introduced: English services every Sunday, and additional German-language services the first and third Sundays of the month. The passing of German speaking members and the onset of World War II (and with it, anti-German sentiments) led to fewer German-language services until they were completely discontinued during the war years.
St. Peter’s has always been known for its love of music. Led by long-time organist Edna Warblow (she served from 1922–1994!), the Senior Choir appeared at the World’s Fair in 1939. Recently this tradition has returned with a music ministry called The Angelic Strings (guitars, bass, and violin) under the leadership of Jack and Sue Billiar. The Strings perform periodically in worship as well as at hospitals, nursing homes, and other organizations in Western New York . St. Peter’s has also begun offering a monthly contemporary worship service one Saturday evening each month.
The Women’s Fellowship at St. Peter’s was first organized in 1888 (then called The Women’s Union ). It continues today and supports mission work with migrant ministries, Dunkirk Conference Center , and Church Women United of the Tonawandas. In 1981, then pastor Rev. Richard C. Luh and the Women’s Fellowship organized the North Tonawanda Inter-Church Food Pantry. St. Peter’s was the pantry’s home until 1992 when its needs grew too large for our space and moved to its current location on Ridge Road . At that time the pantry merged with Meals on Wheels and a clothes closet (both run by other local churches) to become part of Twin Cities Community Outreach (TCCO).
The Sunday school at St. Peter’s has functioned since 1888. During the middle of the previous century it had an attendance of 80 pupils. Today it is a small, but strong group of dedicated teachers and students. Teachers continue to make the Bible real for each child and young person.
St. Peter’s has also developed a local reputation as the place to go for a good fish fry. Dinners are held in the fall and during Lent. Some of what makes them special is our offering of yellow pike, homemade German potato salad, and a huge variety of homemade pies for desert. During the July Canal Fest in the Tonawandas, St. Peter’s has a booth where volunteers serve fish and chips, fish sandwiched, and deep-fried Oreos.
From its roots in a German immigrant community and the German Evangelical churches, St. Peter’s United Church of Christ has seen many times of change over the years. Through them all we have remained a faithful, gathered community who believe in the grace and love found through the risen Christ. We continue to look toward the future, finding new ways to serve Christ in the world as we “seek in holy love to address ‘the cries in the wilderness’ of those who hurt spiritually, physically, and emotionally.”
God is still speaking,
