A Brief History of our Church
In 1906, The Rev, Silas D. Daugherty, Missionary Superintendent of the Philadelphia Conference of the East PA Synod of the
General Synod of the Lutheran Church in the United States, studied the map of West Philadelphia and decided that the area
around 60th & Spruce Sts. needed a Lutheran presence. Housing was just being built. A community was developing and even
then Lutherans wanted to be where the action was. Five building lots were purchased at the northeast corner of 59th &
Spruce Streets in 1906. Beginning with a Sunday School and then adding church services, Tablernacle Lutheran Church was
organized with 30 members in a store front at 60th and Irving Streets on January 27, 1907. The portable frame chapel
pictured above was erected thereon and was dedicated on June 16, 1907.
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Various supply pastors worked under the supervision of Dr. Daugherty until the first pastor was called in 1908. The first
pastor. The Rev. William J. Miller, Jr., came here right out of the Gettysburg Seminary. His entire ministry was spent in
Tabernacle. He retired in 1946. His pastorate was marked by phenomenal growth. Ground was bought at 59th & Spruce Streets.
Tabernacle's first building was made of half inch boards and tar paper. Often the tar on the roof, melted and seeped
down onto the seats. The building was heated by two coal stoves; one in the front and one in the back. The pews were
donated by St. Matthew's Church, Broad and Mt. Vernon Streets.
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The building was modest
to say the least. But the congregation grew rapidly. More ground was bought and a larger, grander building was erected.
The present parish hall was originally designed to serve both as a church and an educational unit. It was dedicated on
September 27, 1914 and served as Tabernacle's second house of worship. While land was being bought and buildings were going up, the
congregation also organized itself for mission. The Sunday School remained a vital part of Tabernacle's ministry.
The Ladies Aid Society was formed. The Christian Endeavor Society was established for young people.
A choir was recruited. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts organized troops. The Women's Home and Foreign Missionary Society
was established to support the propagation of the Faith. A Man's Brotherhood was formed to bolster fellowship.
It was an active congregation.
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With all the activity and with continuing rapid growth, yet another church building was required. On February 14, 1926
ground was broken for Tabernacle's third house of worship. The new church building in grand gothic style was dedicated
on February 20, 1927. The cost was approximately $275.000. |
Artist's
drawing of the new building.
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Rev. Henry Miller
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J. Edgar Willing, Architect |
E. J. Kreitzberg, Builder
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Rev. Hebert Luffberry
The Rev. William J. Miller remained the pastor for nearly 38 years. He retired in 1946.Tabernacle's next pastor. The Rev. Henry Luffberry, arrived here in April, 1944. He served as Associate Pastor until Dr.
Miller's retirement and then became the Pastor. The growth and activity continued. The women's organizations were all
combined into one group. The interior of the church was repainted. Pastor Luffberry remained here until 1957.
The Rev. lan Tarbet was called as Pastor in 1958. He was to direct Tablernacle's ministry through the challenging period
of transition. The neighborhood was changing racially. Many of Tabernacle's members were moving to the suburbs. Under
Pastor Tarbet's leadership, Tabernacle became one of the first Lutheran Churches in Philadelphia to begin ministry to the
Afro-American community. |
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Pastor James Gunther was called as Assistant Pastor in 1959 to help in this new ministry. He remained with us for nine
months. In 1960 Pastor William Barrett was called as Assistant Pastor to help continue the effort to make Tablernacle's
ministry inclusive. And yet the content of the ministry remained the same; serving the people of our neighborhood with
the Word of God and the Holy Sacraments. Pastor Barrett stayed with us until 1966. That same year Elizabeth Waid accepted
the position of Lay Associate at Tabernacle. Under her leadership there was a creative explosion of activity in the areas
of Christian education and youth ministry. |
Rev. James Gunther |
Tabernacle's youth programs began to grow once more. Waid and Tarbet together led the congregation through a fascinating
period of liturgical renewal. A new worship style for a new era was being built. In 1969 just as things were going so
well, the grand gothic church building was utterly destroyed by a fire. The cause of the fire seems to have been a faulty
wire in the organ. Almost immediately plans were made to rebuild. The congregation met for worship in Sayre Junior High
School until the parish had been sufficiently repaired for church use. For almost four years the parish hall served once
more as worship center and educational unit combined.
Major Fire in 1969 |
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In 1973 the present church building was constructed. Tabernacle's fourth house of worship, and the new Get Set Center were dedicated. At the end of 1973 after having led
Tabernacle through a period of transition and crisis, Pastor lan Tarbet submitted his resignation in order to accept a
call to St. Andrew's Church in South Philadelphia.
On January 2, 1974, Pastor Thomas Kochenderfer began his ministry here. His job was simple; continue in the set direction
and keep the congregation out of debt. He has done both! Seven months later, Elizabeth Waid, the first Lutheran woman to be
ordained in Philadelphia, was ordained here at Tabernacle, having previously accepted a call? as Pastor of Christus
Church in Camden. Under Kochenderfer's leadership the congregation continued its emphasis on community ministry and
liturgical renewal. With the assistance of many capable Vicars, Tabernacle's ministry to young people continued.
Exciting summer day camps, champion track teams, bold basketball teams, clubs and classes. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts,
scholastic tutoring; all have made the walls of our facilities vibrate day in and day out with activity. At the end of 1974
Wanda Lofton assumed the position of Parish Musician. Under her leadership, the choir not only grew in size but in
capability as well. Under Lofton's leadership, the Tabernacle Choir became one of the finest volunteer choirs in the Center
City Lutheran Parish, incorporating music from the Afro-American tradition into the worship life of the congregation.
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Rev. Kochenferfer resigned in 1985 to accept a
call to St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Audubon. The rev. Donald Motaka was called to Tabernacle in 1986 and served until 1988.
The rev. Rosa Key was called as pastor in July 1989. She became the sixth called pastor in Tabernacle's history and its
first African American female pastor. Pastor key continued the rich liturgical tradition handed down by her predecessors and
is responsible for starting its lay preaching ministry. Rev. Key retired in June 2003. The Rev. Carlton Rodgers was assigned
to Tabernacle on a part time basis in July 2003 and accepted a call to pastor the church on a fulltime basis in October 2004.
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Rev.
Rosa Key
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Photos
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