Senate Resolution No. 1984

BY: Senator THOMAS

COMMEMORATING the 125th Anniversary of The
Lutheran Church of the Epiphany

WHEREAS, Religious institutions, and the many spiritual, social, and
educational benefits they confer, play a vital role in the development
of the moral fabric of a responsible citizenry; and

WHEREAS, It is the tradition of this State and Nation to pay tribute
to those institutions and individuals who have contributed to the
ethical and spiritual values of their communities; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 125th Anniversary of The Lutheran Church of the Epiphany
on October 26, 2023; and

WHEREAS, On February 7, 1897, the congregation was officially
organized, a constitution adopted, and a Church Council of six men was
elected; later that month a call was made to Reverend Paul Baehnisch to
serve as the congregation's first pastor; and

WHEREAS, The church was incorporated on October 26, 1898, as the
German Evangelical Lutheran Epiphany Church, and the congregation voted
to change the name to The Lutheran Church of the Epiphany in 1918; and

WHEREAS, The first church structure, an eight-room parsonage and
Sunday School building were dedicated on June 27, 1907; the ground was
broken for the current location of The Lutheran Church of the Epiphany
on July 19, 1931, and the cornerstone was laid on October 4, 1931; the
building was ultimately dedicated on June 4, 1932; and

WHEREAS, Starting out, church services were held in German, with
English services being permitted occasionally; this changed by the year
1913 when weekly services and Sunday School instruction became more
regularly done in English, with German services becoming less frequent,
but still present to a degree; and

WHEREAS, During the early part of the twentieth century, Hempstead
Village was a town amidst farms and the social and commercial center of
Nassau County, and Epiphany was the only Lutheran church for miles in
any direction; the congregation flourished even as surrounding areas
became more populated and new Lutheran churches were started in
neighboring communities, with membership peaking in the early 1960s; and

WHEREAS, The demographic, social, and cultural changes of the
subsequent decades are reflected in the faces and worship services of
Epiphany's current parishioners; African American families were welcomed
into the congregation beginning in 1955, and, by 2003, the church's
congregation included Iglesia Luterana de la Epifania, a Hispanic
congregation that worships weekly and conducts services in Spanish;
joint bilingual services are held for special services throughout the
year; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church of the Epiphany stands on the threshold
of tomorrow, prepared to meet the challenges of the coming decades while
retaining a spiritual resolve which characterizes its past; and

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to take note of
enduring religious institutions and to bring such institutions to the
attention of the people of this Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 125th Anniversary of The Lutheran Church of the
Epiphany; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Lutheran Church of the Epiphany of Hempstead, New
York.