By Fae Locke - Originally published in the Feburary 2005 Link

What's in a name? To answer that question we travel back to 1859 when St. Matthew Evangelical English Lutheran Church was established. It was the first English speaking Lutheran Church in Brooklyn.

It was a difficult time for the young church. It wasn't until 1895 that the congregation bought a lot on the corner of 6th Avenue and 2nd Street. After years of leasing space in other church buildings, St. Matthew erected a sanctuary of its own.

St. John's Lutheran Church was organized in 1866, under the leadership of Pastor Reidenbach, a Dutch Reformed minister. The new German speaking congregation also worshipped in neighboring churches until three lots on Middle Street (now Prospect Avenue) were purchased. In 1868 a small white frame building was erected and the young church flourished. As the congregation grew, the need for a larger building was apparent. The cornerstone for the brick building, we worship in today, was laid in 1898, and consecrated in 1899. The name of the church became The Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Congregation of Brooklyn.

Even in the early years conflicts arose. In 1884 several families at St. John's became dissatisfied as St. John's moved from a strictly German church to become bilingual (German and English). They left St. John's and formed the German Evangelical Emanuel Lutheran Church that continued to worship in German. They purchased a church building on 7th Street between 6th & 7th Avenues in 1903, and flourished there until they consolidated with St. Matthew in 1948.

For 26 years St. Matthew - Emanuel Lutheran Church ministered to its members and the community Project Reach Youth (PRY) came into existence when a Wagner College chaplain and students interested in working with inner city children met with the church elders. PRY continues to this day to provide social and educational services in the Park Slope community.

In 1955, after the disruption to the St. John's neighborhood with the building of the Prospect Expressway, St. John's caught fire. The interior of the church was a shambles although the altar mural was left intact. St. John's members continued their worship at St. Matthew - Emanuel while restoration was done at St. John's. Services resumed on Prospect Avenue in 1957.

In the 1960's and 1970's, St John's and St. Matthew - Emanuel grew close. When both churches were left without pastors, Pastor Thomas E. Anderson was called to be pastor to the two congregations that were now "yoked". Under Pastor Anderson's direction St. John's sponsored the Prospect Hill Senior Services Center in 1974. This center continues to be a thriving part of our ministry today.

As yoked congregations, Sunday services were held in both St. Matthew - Emanuel and St. John's. One service was at 9:00 am; the second service at 11:00 am. Separate church council meetings were held each month. Many alternate worship services and social activities were celebrated together.

Talk began about consolidating St. John's and St. Matthew - Emanuel and St. Mark's.

After much discussion, St. Mark's withdrew feeling their church was geographically too far from the others.

After many hours of planning and meeting together, the consolidation looked like a done deal. However, the issue of the name for this "new" church was a major stumbling block. Members of the congregation felt strongly the name of their church must be retained. They had been baptized, grown up in the church, attended Luther League, been in Boy Scouts, married there and their children baptized and taught there, too.

In spite of the harmony felt by the parishioners of both congregations, the new name was to be a barrier that seemed insurmountable.

So, a separate vote was taken! The first vote was to approve or disapprove the union of the two churches. The second vote was to choose the name of the new church. Three names were suggested. One of them our current name St. John - St. Matthew - Emanuel Lutheran Church.

The votes were counted. The approval to consolidate was almost unanimous. The second vote was loud and clear. We became St. John - St. Matthew - Emanuel Lutheran Church.

Our church name is not just a story about three church buildings. It is the story of three congregations dedicated to worship and service to God, just as we at St. JME are doing today.