Page:History of West Hoboken NJ.djvu/111

 The present membership of the church, consisting of immersed believers on public confession of faith, is 175. The Sunday school has an enrollment of 250. The following societies are connected with the church:—a Woman's Missionary Circle, with a membership of 50; a Young People's Society, with a membership of 49; a King's Daughters Circle, consisting of 18 members. An Industrial School, with an enrollment of 100, is also connected with the church.

ST. MATTHEW'S LUTHERAN CHURCH.

Highpoint avenue and Clinton avenue.

This church originally belonged to the Town of Union, having been organized in the year 1884. Its first house of worship was on New York avenue and Jefferson street, that town. In the year 1889, the present building was erected and the congregation became one of our most prosperous churches. The first pastor of this church was the Rev. E. Bohm, who served until the year 1890, then the Rev. H. Heintz took charge until 1894, when the third and present pastor, Rev. A. Gurschke, was installed.

GERMAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Clinton avenue and Oak street.

The above named church was organized as a mission in the fall of 1886 by the Rev. Chas. Reuss, at that time pastor of the German Methodist Episcopal Church, of Hoboken, New Jersey, and a few persons who met in the home of Mr. G. Barfus.

The meetings were conducted here until the following spring, when the Rev. A. C. Gabelein was appointed as pastor. Soon after his installation the congregation secured the privilege of meeting in the old Methodist Church building on Spring street, opposite Walnut street. After a short time this old building was sold and the congregation was compelled to seek new quarters. They hired a store on Spring street, where they remained until January, 1891, when they moved into their present cosy church building. In 1892, Rev. H. Meyer was appointed pastor. He served until 1893, when he was succeeded by the Rev. I. Pieringe.

From this time on the church continued to grow considerably, until, in the year 1894, it was organized into an independent church under the corporate name of the German Methodist Episcopal Church of West Hoboken. The same year the