Adelaide, SA - Bethlehem Lutheran
Year Built: 1872
Denomination: Lutheran
Address: 170 Flinders Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 5011
Architect: James Cumming
Architectural Style: Gothic Early English
Traditional Owners: Kaurna people
Last Updated: 02/05/2024
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History and Architecture:
The beginnings of the Church can be traced to 1860 when about six families withdrew membership from Pastor Borgelt's Klemzig congregation on scriptural and confessional grounds. With several families who had been members of the Trinity congregation, as well as a number of others who were not affiliated with any group, they formed the nucleus of Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
On 18 April 1861 the members purchased the former Primitive Methodist church in Waymouth St on Light Square. However, by 1866 they had outgrown this building, so it was decided to build a larger church.
The Church was built of bluestone with much stucco and opened on 23 June 1872.
The circular windows with their heavy tracery are a feature of the building. Many alterations and additions have since been made. Renovated in 1971-72 by Berry, Gilbert and Plomka (architects) and Emmett contractors (builders).
Clergy:
This list may not contain every serving cleric, past or present, for this church.
Further submissions welcomed.
| Years | Name | Annotation | D.o.B | D.o.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 - 1863 | Pastor Johan Friedrich Meischel | ELSA | 1810 | 1883 |
| 1863 - 1867 | Pastor Carl Heinrich Conrad Loessel | I | 1812 | 1879 |
| 1873 - 1887 | Pastor August Hermann Ernst Homann | ELSA | 1838 | 1915 |
| 1888 - 1900 | Pastor Kaspar Dorsch | ELSA | 1858 | 1892 |
| 1900 - 1907 | Pastor Georg Carl F. W Koch | ELSA | 1874 | 1929 |
| 1907 - 1945 | Pastor John William Carl Janzow | ELSA | 1875 | 1949 |
| 1938 - 1954 | Pastor Harold Daniel Koehne | ELSA | 1900 | 1974 |
| 1953 - 1954 | Pastor Elmore Leske | ELSA | ||
| 1954 - 1961 | Pastor Clarence Everard Zweck | ELSA | 1908 | 1961 |
| 1957 - 1959 | Pastor John Merton Janetzki | ELSA | 1930 | 2004 |
| 1960 - 1962 | Pastor Robert John Winderlich | ELSA | 1937 | 1993 |
| 1962 - 1971 | Pastor Gerhard Edwin Fischer | ELSA & LCA | 1918 | 2003 |
| 1964 - 1967 | Pastor Neville Martin Lienert | ELSA | ||
| 1967 - 1970 | Pastor Geoffrey John Burger | LCA | ||
| 1971 - 1977 | Pastor Harold Norman Wendt | LCA | ||
| 1972 - 1982 | Pastor Theodor Carl Prenzler | LCA | 1931 | 2021 |
| 1979 - 1998 | Pastor J. Sims | LCA | ||
| 1982 - 1985 | Pastor Gerhard Edwin Fischer | LCA | 1918 | 2003 |
| 1986 - 2009 | Pastor Jeffrey Gordon Silcock | LCA | ||
| 1990 - 1996 | Pastor Stephen Gary Nuske | LCA | ||
| 1997 - 1998 | Pastor Michael Paul Semmler | LCA | ||
| 1997 - 2002 | Pastor Stephen Paul Schultz | LCA | ||
| 1999 - 2009 | Pastor David John Christian | LCA | ||
| 2003 - 2009 | Pastor Simon Wendell Cooper | LCA | ||
| 2010 - 2015 | Pastor Matthais S. Prenzler | LCA | ||
| 2010 - | Pastor Fraser Andrew Pearce | LCA | ||
| 2015 - 2022 | Pastor Joshua L. Pfeiffer | LCA | ||
| 2023 - | Pastor Stephen John Pietsch | LCA |
Organ:
When the Church was opened in 1872 it had a modest organ built by J.W. Wolff. This organ had a single-manual, pedal board and six stops". ln'1883 Mr (later Professor) I G Reimann returned to Adelaide from musicalstudies in Germany, bringing with him a one-manual-and-pedal pipe-organ built by Backmann of Berlin (c. 1878). The organ was rebuilt and installed in the gallery of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in 1888. The Backmann organ had a single-manual, pedals and 6 stops with 350 pipes.
For a complete history click here.
Contributions:
1. 2024 Simon Saunders for Architect details
Source:
1. Organ Historical Trust of Australia with permission.
2. Lutheran Archives with permission.
3. Church website.