Page:History of West Hoboken NJ.djvu/109

 from the pastorate to accept a call from the Collegiate Reformed Church of New York City, to take charge of the Vermilye Chapel, and on June 1, 1901, the Rev. Edward Dawson,of the class of 1901 of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, was called to succeed him, and is the pastor now in charge.

On April 8, 1902, the church, as at present established, was organized. After due application of the classis of Bergen, the chapel, on the above date, was organized as an independent church with a membership of two hundred and three, to be known as the First Reformed Church of West Hoboken.

The following gentlemen constitute the Consistory:—

Elders.—Michael C. McCroskery, Henry C. Steinhoff, Alfred De Bevoise, Herman C. Steinhoff.

Deacons.—Henry Reiners, Walter Clum, Thomas Davidson, Louis A. Boehler.

The church at present maintains the following auxiliary organizations:—Two Sunday schools, with an average attendance of about six hundred: Ladies' Aid Society, Christian Endeavor Society, Junior Endeavor Society, Brotherhood of Andrew and Philip, and a Boys' Brotherhood.

GERMAN BAPTIST CHURCH.

Courtland Street. On August 11, 1867, a number of our German speaking citizens met for the purpose of organizing a church where the services would be conducted in their language. Among the people who organized this church were Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Blumenberg, Mr. and Mrs. C. Baum, Mr. and Mrs. C. Baumann, Mr. and Mrs. C. Henze, Mr. and Mrs. D. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Ph. Luther, Mr. and Mrs. J. Luther, Mr. and Mrs. A. Murath, Mr. C. Broker, Mrs. H. Fischer, Miss A. Schwartz; 19 in all.

This congregation's first house of worship was the old church previously occupied by the First Baptist Church congregation, corner Clinton avenue and Demott street. After meeting here for a number of years, the need of a larger and more up-to-date meeting house, on account of the fast growing congregation, soon became apparent, and in the year 1876 the present church building on Courtland street was erected. This building also, became too small, and in 1899 it was enlarged to its present size.

The first and subsequent ministers of this church are given as follows:—1st, Rev. E. Austermuhl, 1868-69; 2nd, Rev. G. Knobloch, 1870-72; 3rd, Rev. J. M. Hoefflin, 1873-75; 4th, Rev. G. N. Thomson, 1879-1881; 5th, the {SIC|presetn|present}} pastor, Rev. E. Anschutz, was installed in the year 1882.