Lutheran church marks a milestone

Members of the Christ Lutheran Church in Wantagh gathered together last Sunday to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the historic church. There was a special service to recognize the anniversary with a brunch following to kick off the year-long celebration.

“To me, it’s like a second family,” church member Claudia Gross said. “We know so many of the people here and there are just so many great memories.”
The 76-year-old Gross has been a member for 70 years and was baptized, confirmed and married in the church.

“My daughter got married here and my granddaughter got baptized here,” Gross added. “So it truly is a generational church.”

Along with the festivities, the 90th celebration committee decided to compile a commemorative recipe book for church members to buy for $10. The spiral bound book is filled with various recipes from all community members and is expected to arrive before Mother’s Day.

“Everyone can contribute their favorite family recipe,” committee member LillyAnn Munnich said. Munnich, 70, said she has been involved with the church since she was 7 years old, and lived down the block so it was easy for her to walk there every Sunday.

“We are also working on other events,” Gross said. “In the summer, we will be holding a picnic where we will be going back to our roots, where the church first started on Wantagh Ave.”

Christ Lutheran Church wasn’t always located on Island Road. In 1859, several German-American families secured an acre of property from the Town of Hempstead for a chapel. Helped by the German mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, they organized a congregation, built St. John of Jerusalem on what is now Wantagh Avenue, and established a cemetery. After the turn of the century, the congregation ceased to exist and the building only served as a chapel for funerals and burials. It wasn’t until 1926 that many community members with a Lutheran background came together to organize a congregation at the unused church. The first service was held on Thanksgiving Day.

“Many of the members of this church have buried their loved ones in that cemetery,” Munnich added.

It was in 1934, during the Rev. William Steinbicker’s pastorate, that the land located at Island Road and Church Road was purchased for the new building. The 90th celebration was held in Steinbicker Hall, named in honor of the former pastor.

“There were 160 people signed up to come today which is a fabulous success,” Munnich said. “It sort of brings everyone together and because this was such a success, people will come to the other events we hold. Hopefully we can build up the congregation with younger families, too.”

With generations of families filling the church, Christ Lutheran has become a dependable meeting place for the community. Gwen Hennig, 48, has been coming to the church for more than 40 years and has instilled many Christian values in her son, Michael.
“It’s a wonderful family to belong to,” Gwen Hennig said. “It really grounds you into this community. In today’s world, where there is a ton of chaos going on, it’s nice to have wonderful people around you to help start your week off.”

Michael, a student at Wantagh High School, is also learning the ropes of the church. “Every Thursday I play with the Bell Choir and I also teach Sunday school,” he said. “There are a lot of people I don’t get a chance to speak to, so events like this allow me to talk to them.” The Hennigs plan on staying at the church for another 90 years and keep the family line within the congregation.

“It’s such a fellowship,” Gross said about the church. “Everyone is so spread out and yet we all come together on this one day.”

Christ Lutheran Church will be holding various events in the upcoming months, including a “Super Sundae” ice-cream party in January and a strawberry festival in June.