For eight decades, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church has been part of the West Hempstead community, growing alongside the families it serves while maintaining a mission centered on faith, fellowship and service.
The church will celebrate its 80th anniversary in October with a special worship service and community gathering, marking its history in West Hempstead and looking toward its future.
St. Andrew’s held its first worship service on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1947, in a section of what was then a newly constructed building. In the years following World War II, building materials were difficult to obtain, so members helped build the church themselves. Surplus government airplane crates used to transport airplane wings were repurposed as subflooring because lumber was scarce.
The original worship space remains part of the church property today, although the building has since been expanded.
Linda Robertson, a member of the property committee, began attending St. Andrew’s in 2001, after a neighbor recommended the church. She became a member the following year, and has since served on the church council and several committees.
“I personally have found a home at St. Andrew’s,” Robertson said. “It’s just the most wonderful, welcoming community.”
The Rev. Mary Button, who has led the church for about two and a half years, said that St. Andrew’s continues to focus on children, families and service to the surrounding community.
“We’re excited to continue to be a place in our community that welcomes all people,” Button said. “As so many things change in our community, we’re still here, and we gather every Sunday morning.”
One of the church’s major community programs is Little Saints Preschool, which is also marking a milestone this year. It opened 25 years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001. Dozens of children have graduated from the program since then.
The preschool and Vacation Bible School are among St. Andrew’s’ connections to local families. The church also supports the New Life Center food pantry, in Franklin Square, the Belmont Chaplaincy Program and community meal initiatives.
Through the chaplaincy program, church members organize clothing and coat drives and prepare a monthly hot meal for Belmont Park racetrack workers who live in dormitories without cooking facilities. The congregation also supports Pinecrest, a Lutheran summer camp for children and young adults.
Members participate in weekly Bible studies, a women’s book club and family programming. The congregation includes longtime members connected to St. Andrew’s for much of its history as well as newer families with young children.
Beverly Gregory has been active in the church for roughly 70 years, making her one of the congregation’s longest-serving members. A lifelong Garden City South resident, Gregory first got to know the church as a teenager through the Luther League. She eventually became a member, met her husband, Charles, there and married there in 1962.
The couple served on numerous committees and helped with church projects. Charles also helped create St. Andrew’s’ stained-glass windows with other church members, a project that took about three years to complete in the early 1990s.
“It’s a wonderful place, and we made many friends there and they’ve been our friends throughout our lives,” Gregory said. “It’s a wonderful church, it’s a caring church and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Rather than marking its anniversary with a formal gala or dinner dance, St. Andrew’s is planning a celebration for families and the broader community. It will begin on Sunday with a 10 a.m. worship service focused on children and families, followed by festivities at 11 a.m. The church plans a reception with food, coffee and anniversary-related activities, and community members are invited.
The anniversaries of the church and the preschool come as the church works to strengthen its connections to the West Hempstead community. St. Andrew’s has reached out to local civic organizations and other community groups to build relationships.
“Our mission statement is a caring church for all people, sharing God’s love,” Robertson said.
For Button, the celebration is also an opportunity to focus on the congregation’s future and its continued role in West Hempstead. “We’re excited to continue to be a place in our community that welcomes all people,” she said.
