First Lutheran Church (Albany, New York)
Encyclopedia
First Lutheran Church is a Lutheran
congregation in Albany, New York
. Founded in 1649 as Ebenezer Lutheran Church, First Lutheran is the oldest congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
, the only congregation in the ELCA to be founded while New York was under control of the Dutch
, and the oldest Lutheran congregation in the United States. When the congregation was founded, it was a part of the Dutch settlement of New Netherlands; it later adopted German
and then English
in 1808 for use during worship. The congregation began to use the name First Lutheran Church in 1871.
The congregation has worshipped in five different buildings; the current building has been in use since 1929. In 1926, another Lutheran congregation, the Church of the Redeemer, was consolidated with First Lutheran Church. First Lutheran is currently a part of the Upstate New York Synod
of the ELCA. The current pastor is the Reverend Vernon A. Victorson.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
congregation in Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. Founded in 1649 as Ebenezer Lutheran Church, First Lutheran is the oldest congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
, the only congregation in the ELCA to be founded while New York was under control of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and the oldest Lutheran congregation in the United States. When the congregation was founded, it was a part of the Dutch settlement of New Netherlands; it later adopted German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and then English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1808 for use during worship. The congregation began to use the name First Lutheran Church in 1871.
The congregation has worshipped in five different buildings; the current building has been in use since 1929. In 1926, another Lutheran congregation, the Church of the Redeemer, was consolidated with First Lutheran Church. First Lutheran is currently a part of the Upstate New York Synod
Upstate New York Synod
Upstate New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is led by bishop Marie C. Jerge, and is a Companion Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe, a partner synod with the Central/Southern Illinois Synod, and a Reconciling in Christ Synod....
of the ELCA. The current pastor is the Reverend Vernon A. Victorson.