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| 7730 Bradley Boulevard • Bethesda, MD 20817 • 301-365-5733 • FAX 301-365-9236 |
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 › Sunday Worship Services › Christian Education |
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On Sunday, February 11, Emmanuel celebrated the 45th anniversary of its founding (which actually occurred in December, 1961). At the luncheon, charter member Bob Weise spoke of those early days. This talk is reproduced here. From grubby thicket to a shining light on the hill–this is the story of Emmanuel Lutheran Church. But to tell the story, I must start at the beginning. The year is 1961. Kennedy was President of the United States. The Capital beltway had not yet been constructed. River Road was still a two-lane State road. Urban development in the area was spotty although rapidly changing. Large tracts of farmland were still under cultivation. Cows were grazing in the fields which are now part of Montgomery Mall. There were only two Lutheran churches serving this West Bethesda area: Pilgrim Lutheran Church [LCMS] on Massachusetts Avenue near the District Line and Christ Lutheran [TALC] in Bethesda. Seven Locks Road and Bradley Boulevard therefore seemed to be a logical location for a church which could serve this fast-growing community. In July, 1960, the Board of American Missions of the Lutheran Church [in America], after careful survey, took title to 3.1 acres of land known in the community as “grubby thicket.” It was located at the intersection of Bradley Boulevard and Seven Locks Road. The acquisition was not only timely but also fortuitous as the U.S. Postal System had also been eyeing the property for the location of a new Post Office. The name Emmanuel first came to the attention of my late wife, Ingrid and myself shortly after we moved into our new home in Bannockburn Estates. A small sign on the corner of River Road and Nevis with the Lutheran insignia read, “Join us for Sunday worship at Emmanuel Lutheran Church as we gather in the auditorium of Bannockburn Elementary School.” As both my wife and I came from a Lutheran background, the prospect of attending a neighborhood Lutheran church appealed to us and we therefore decided to give it a try. Needless to say, our first impressions were good, and before long, we joined up as charter members. The drawing appeal was the dynamic personality of Pastor Frederick Reissig. His earlier pastoral work had been in the District of Columbia where he had been a prominent member of the Washington Council of Churches. Although ready for retirement, he answered a call from the Augustana Lutheran Church in downtown Washington to develop a new mission church in the Washington suburbs. During the first two years, before we had our own church building, services were held in the auditorium of Burning Tree Elementary School. To prepare for the service, it was necessary that a designated person arrive early and set up the altar with altar cloth, cross and candles. Access to the school on Sundays was dependent on the arrival of the school custodian who had the keys to the building. On more than one occasion, the custodian either overslept or arrived late, while the congregation, braving the elements, waited patiently on the steps of the school. Under Pastor Reissig’s direction, each member of our group had a responsibility or assignment. Since there were only 41 of us, it meant that there was total involvement. Under the Augustana by-laws, we had 6 trustees and 6 deacons. Then came the Sunday school teachers, altar guild, ushers, music, and secretarial services. Before we knew it, everybody was involved. Meetings of the Church Council, deacons, and trustees, were held at the parsonage, the Reissig’s home on Tulsa Lane in/off Fernwood Road. These occasions were especially enjoyable, highlighted by delicious refreshments prepared by Florence Reissig, the pastor’s wife. Formal installation of deacons and trustees was celebrated at Lakewood Country Club in December 1962. The occasion was hosted by Hal Timken and his wife, Jeanne. Groundbreaking in December 1962, at our current site, was more than just the usual turning sod over with a ceremonial spade. The property was overgrown with a thick covering of wild rose bushes and brambles, interspersed with a rich covering of poison ivy. For years, passersby [had] dumped their yard trimmings, unwanted possessions, stones and rubble on these 3 acres so the cleanup was extensive. For the next months to come, volunteers from the congregation came on Saturdays with rakes, hoes, shovels, and wheelbarrows to undertake a massive clean-up. In the meantime, construction was started, and by July, 1963, the chapel was dedicated and the first service held. The grubby thicket was no more and a new light began to shine brightly on the hill.
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