Another interesting find from our shelves curtesy of the Salem Evangelical and Reformed Church, Buffalo, New York, a self-described "Workingman's Church."
This is a pamphlet is from 1937 and clearly places the church on the workers' side of the economic battle.
"Salem Church not only believes in the right of workers to organize but maintains that it is a necessity for the achievement of the abundant life to which the Church has dedicated its efforts. Therefore, Pastor and Congregation are constantly giving their support to workers who are engaged in the effort to build a labor movement strong enough to win economic freedom for the masses."
Their pastor, Rev. Herman J. Hahn, seems to have spearheaded the churches philosophy.
"Mr. Hahn has been among those who have pioneered in relating the principles of Jesus to the problems of the day and insisting that the Church must not only recognize the class struggle but take sides in it."
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Eden Seminary Archives | #tbt in Eden History
May 4 | Cornerstone laying for the Eden campus
The corner stone for Eden Theological Seminary’s Webster Groves campus was laid on May 4, 1924. When its remote Marthasville campus, established in 1850, became cramped, the seminary decided to relocate to Wellston, Missouri in 1883. Its proximity to the Eden railroad stop soon gave the seminary its nickname, later adopted officially. Overcrowding, the cost of upkeep, and pollution from encroaching industries spurred yet another relocation.
The seminary purchased 20 acres of the Reber Estate in Webster Groves on the Lockwood Ave. streetcar line. On Sunday afternoon, December 2, 1923, a thousand supporters attended the groundbreaking ceremony. This level of interest demonstrated that for most of the Evangelical Synod’s existence, Eden Seminary and Elmhurst College were the denomination’s most prominent physical representations. The Evangelical Synod had no headquarters or paid staff until 1922.
The Webster Groves campus, the denomination’s biggest undertaking to date, created a significant financial burden. Shortly after the first phase of construction was completed (proposed library and chapel buildings were never built), denominational officials feared they would have to sell the campus to pay construction obligations. Fortunately, additional fundraising made the action unnecessary.
The “New Eden” facilities provided more classroom space and individual rooms for students—an improvement over the 40-bed dorm rooms at “Old Eden!”
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In 1934, the Evangelical and German Reformed Church merged together to created a larger worshipping body. This merger created many opportunities for growth. A new hymnal is but one.
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