[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      CELEBRATING 100 YEARS AT ST. LUKE'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

                                 ______


                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 30, 1994

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, on July 10, 1994, St. Luke's United 
Methodist Church in Long Branch, NJ, will celebrate the first century 
of the use of its landmark structure, which was dedicated on July 8, 
1894. This will be an exciting and important event for not only the 
congregants of St. Luke's, but for the entire community of Long Branch.
  The congregation first began meeting in 1856, when the church now 
known as Old First United Methodist Church of West Long Branch assisted 
in the purchase of a Presbyterian Church across Broadway from the 
present site of St. Luke's, for a meeting house for several of its 
classes. For 4 years, worship at the Second Methodist Episcopal Church 
of Long Branch was led by the minister appointed to First Methodist 
Episcopal Church of Long Branch. In 1860, the charge was divided, with 
a pastor appointed to serve each church. At this time, as the Civil War 
was consuming America, Methodism was celebrating its centennial in the 
United States with a great effort to build churches and bring in new 
members. The Long Branch congregation purchased the site near Broadway 
and constructed Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, completing the 
structure in 1869. President Ulysses S. Grant, with his wife and two 
children, attended the dedication in July of that year. After some 
initial difficulties, members of the community gave whatever they could 
to help the church reorganize as St. Luke's Methodist Episcopal Church.
  Fourteen years later, in 1893, disaster struck again when Centenary/
St. Luke's burned to the ground. But the members had the faith, courage 
and vision to overcome this adversity and--using stone and brick, this 
time--constructed a church dedicated as much for religious education as 
for worship. Built at a cost of $53,000 a century ago, this beautiful 
structure (which has since been refurbished, repainted and reinforced) 
would probably cost millions to recreate, if such an effort were even 
undertaken in this day and age. Membership has gone up and down, 
pastors and members of the congregations have come and gone, lived and 
died. But St. Luke's unique position as a special institution, both for 
its congregants and in the larger community, remains solid. I 
congratulate the entire St. Luke's family on their first 100 years and 
wish them well in their next century of faith and service.

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