752 44th Street near Seventh Avenue Brooklyn, N.Y. 11220
Religious work among the Finnish people in Brooklyn began in 1887, when Pastor Emil Panelius came from Finland as a seamen's pastor and started to conduct services at the Greenwood Hall, at the corner of Third avenue and 22nd Street. Pastor Panelius' successor was Pastor Juho Korhonen, who came here in 1892 and continued to hold services in the same hall. The church was incorporated on June 10, 1891, under the name of "The Finns Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Brooklyn." The high hopes of this newly formed congregation received a setback in 1893 when Pastor Korhonen returned to Finland and the renting of Greenwood Hall was terminated in 1894. By 1896 all activity of the congregation had ceased to the point that the church was declared "closed until further notice." On May 23, 1897, two men from Finland, Akseli Järnefelt-Rauanheimo (who many years later became Finland's Consul General in Montreal, Canada) and Antero Riippa, editor of the Finnish-language newspaper "Siirtolainen", called a meeting of the people interested in the revival of the church work. As a result, ten former members and 22 new ones joined in the effort. Pledges in the amount of $595 were taken for the purchase of a building for the congregation. Such a building was found on 23rd street, near Fourth avenue. The price was $3,000. In a meeting held on June 13, 1897, the congregation voted to purchase the building. Loans from members and a $1,500 mortgage were arranged and the congregation began to function under the name of The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brooklyn. Pastor Alvar Rautalahti came from Finland in 1908, and soon the desire for a new church building grew. The congregation decided to sell the "Little Church" for $4,000. In March of 1908 it was learned that two lots on 44th street between 7th and 8th avenues could be bought for $2,000. The lots were bought and plans for a new church were approved on June 26, 1908. Construction began a month later. On September 13, the cornerstone containing documents of the congregation's history, a hymnal, a Bible, etc., was laid by Pastor Rautalahti. The new church was opened for worship on February 15, 1909, and the dedicatory services were held on August 29. In 1946, following the Second World War, the church organized two worship services each Sunday, one in Finnish, the other in English. An English-language choir was formed to enrich services and to supplement the Finnish choir's work. A tragic blow was suffered on March 26, 1947, when the front of the church burned. The damages were estimated at $21,000, but rebuilding began immediately. The church with its modern facade was soon completed according to plans drawn by the architects Katz, Waisman (Väisänen) & Co. In the 1950s, the Church Council suggested that the name of the church should be changed, because "the name Finnish Lutheran Church has been found to give hesitation to some prospective members who would otherwise desire to join the church." After much discussion and many dissenting opinions, a vote was taken, and the choice was Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church. At some point the church merged or disbanded, and the building is now used by Iglesia Evangelica Principe de Paz, and Assembly of God congregation. |
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