Sixty Years with the People of St. Paul's
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Tilley, Doris B. Sixty years with the people St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Durham, North Carolina, 192 1983 Div.Sch. 284 .1756563 T576 S625 1983 <0t d^JV 1983 Cover By Helen Frederick SIXTY YEARS WITH THE PEOPLE 1923 - 1983 0 F ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA B Y Doris B. Tilley, Historian AND MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH HISTORY COMMITTEE EDITED BY Inez M. Beam Ida N. Elliott James F. Elliott Richard R. Entwhistle FOREWORD BY Harry H. Robinson, Jr. PRIVATELY PRINTED 1983 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/sixtyyearswithpeOOtill 1 I1 4 1U4 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTERS TITLE PAGES r UKCiWUKL) i ALKNUWLiEjLKjMiLiINa cvxirwdT etvmf'nit'C1 D ii T Origins of Lutheranism 1-1 thru 1 — 5 T T 1 1 uur nain s tjaLiy Liu unci, ans 2-1 thru Z 1 111T T T CjaL±Y necting riatco ana ine r lrsc Lnurcn DUiiaing 3-1 thru j 1 IV rresent Lnurcn DUiiaing ana Its Uses 4—1A 1 thru 4— ZU V Pastors of St. Paul's Lutheran Church 5-1 thru 5c — zUO fl VI The Church Schools 0 1 D — 1 Z ITTVIIT The Church Constitutions and "7 TO Administrative Structure 7-1 thru / — I z VIII St. Paul's and the Lutheran DiUQcncs on Area Laiupuses o-I thru oQ _ DC IXT V Church Finances 9-1 thru y — X Lutheran Church Women of in A bt . Faui s 1U-I tnr u I U — XIV T Lutheran Men 11 — 1 tnru 11— Z XII Lutheran Youth 1"I z—O 1 thru 12-4 4- U XIIIV T T T Altar Guilds I J— tnruVII I J - J v~ /"""^ /-\ r~\ r** 1 it4* a n AY 1T\7V v" r A r\ 14-1 thru 1 4 j AY\7V ine xoung~in ,"opiL i l oup 15-1 thru 1 D— Z /"* AVIY \7T f V* n v* Vi M 1 1 c i ^ 16-1 thru 10 0 Y\7T T v A V 1 llltr r UWlc L L lclllUL la 1 LtJ-ULCLLy 17-1 XVIII The Donna Allman Memorial and the Proposed Memorial Garden 18-1 thru 18-2 XIX The David Paul Nolte Multi- Media Center 19-1 XX 60 Years of Witness to the Mission 20-1 thru 20-18 XXI Miscellany 21-1 thru 21-3 XXII Epilogue 22-1 thru 22-4 XXIII Church Officers 1983 23-1 thru 23-2 FOREWORD The excitement that surrounded the writing of the history of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Durham, N. C, is evident from the number of persons involved in its compiling and exudes from the pages of this book. The Church is people, so this book is about people and their activities. It tells of their struggles, accomplishments, and joys. It is about people equipped for ministry and tells how this Church of small beginnings touched the lives of thousands of people, blessing them through fellowship, service, and word and Sacrament for sixty years. It is about ministry to community needs in desperate times and to people of the community with desperate needs. It is about ministry to soldiers in wartime, to students of our colleges and universities, and to Lutherans from other cities and states who were in local hospitals. It is about ministry to the handicapped, to the institutionalized, and to refugees seeking a safe homeland in which to rear their children. It is about an ongoing ministry by pastors and members who are presently in the line of succession from the first pastor and the original twelve charter members. This history could not be told without talking about the church as a place. It is also about buildings where the congre- gation has gathered for worship, learning, growing, and serving. It includes an account of the stewardship of the people gathering resources of time, talent, and money and using them for Christ and His Church. This book is written for two kind of readers. In the first group are those who have in some way been a part of the history of St. Paul's congregation. The history will provide nostalgia for such readers as it brings to memory the names of people and events already experienced. It will provide new information for all who have come on the scene in recent years as they read about what happened before they arriv- ed. In many cases it will bring to light new facts which were not known to even the oldest members. The other group of readers for whom this history is compiled is for new members yet to come. This book can provide them with a sense of belonging. They will be able to learn about the "roots" of their new congregation. It can continue to give a direction for future ministries as it provides important information about the past. It joins together both groups of readers as it shares vital accounts and information which will inspire those present and those to come to continue the excellence of service and dedi- cation of God's people described herein. Because this congregation has its primary source in Jesus • Christ, this history is a testimony of how God accomplishes His will through His people. St. Paul's Lutheran Church is one small segment of His Holy Catholic Church, but the reader will delight in this account of fruits borne by the people of St. Paul's. Dr. Harry H. Robinson, Jr., Pastor i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book is the product of the combined talents of many mem- bers and friends of St. Paul's. As always when such a task is completed one looks back with deep gratitude to all, and especial- ly to specific contributors. Grateful appreciation is due our pastors — Dr. J. Lewis Thorn- burg, who gave us all his newspaper clippings, bulletins, and pic- tures which are particularly invaluable since the Council Minutes prior to 1930 are lost; The Rev. Henry A. Schroder, who prayed such a history would be written and who instructed his children, Peggy and Hal, to give all St. Paul's related material in his es- tate to the Church Historian Doris B. Tilley; Dr. Harry H. Robin- son, Jr., who inaugurated the Church Year Book each of which con- tains the annual reports of the officers and committees, as well as a directory of members; and Dr. J. Larry Yoder, Associate Pas- tor, who initiated our weekly newsletters. We are also indebted to all the Council Secretaries since 1930 for their Minutes, and to our Church Secretary Mrs. Matt A. West, who for the past seven years has typed and assembled these Minutes, as well as the Year Books and Newsletters. A special word of thanks is due Mrs. Inez M. Beam, who has spent days typing, printing, and editing the manuscript on the Word Processor, to Mrs. Ida N. Elliott, Dr. James F. Elliott, and Col. Richard R. Entwhistle (Ret.), who have edited the manuscript. Al- so, to Preston R. Tilley, who has provided transportation, pa- tience, and understanding throughout the preparation of this book. It has been through the courtesy of Mrs. Carol Moseley, Man- ager, Word Processing, Commercial Equipment Company, Durham, N. C. , that we have had the use of the Lexitron Word Processor and Prin- ter to prepare this book for publication. All praise, honor, and glory be to God for those who lived the faith that this history records. Doris B. Tilley, Historian i i CHAPTER I ORIGINS OF LUTHERANISM A. THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION Through the years I have repeatedly quoted a line from Charles P. Kr'auth's book, The Conservative Reformation and Its Theolog y: "When the Festival of the Reformation shall come and shall wake no throb of joy in her bosom (our church's), her life will have fled." Well, that particular Sunday in the Church Year may no longer be the "fun festival" it once was. However, when in our common life as church members in the year of our Lord 1983, the 500th Anniversary of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther and the 60th Anniversary of the birth of St. Paul's con- gregaion fall together, there is cause to count our blessings. The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century was a world- shaking event. It might be compared, in a general way, to our 20th century experience of, and resistance to, totalitarian gov- ernments. The authoritarianism of that era was patently mani- fest in the world power of the Roman Catholic Church. It invad- ed, with its claim to spiritual sovereignty, all areas of soci- etal life —political, governmental, intellectual, educational, artistic, financial, scientific, and personal. Perhaps the best known illustration of this kind of "seizure of power" is the interdiction of the scientist Galileo in 1632. Galileo upheld the theory of Copernicus that the earth moves about the sun. The church placed the work of Copernicus on the index of prohi- bited books. The Holy Office or Inquisition forced Galileo to say that he gave up his belief in the Copernican theory and sentenced him to an indefinite prison term or house arrest. Martin Luther had refused to submit to such dictatorship. The Protestant Reformation, together with the political and social movements of the period, set spirits free to withstand and overcome ecclesiastical tyranny. Its reverberations and effects are still making waves today. Luther was one of the chief actors in this drama of religious development. Perhaps the most widely recognized and appreciated contribution he made to its unfolding was the telling effect one believer before God can have on history.