100 Years at Recklinghausen
On the weekend Saturday, 5th and Sunday, 6th March 2005 our friends at the Methodist Church in Recklinghausen celebrated their centenary. We have received a translation of a letter sent to members of the church about the history of the church.
Dear Readers,
On the first weekend in March we are celebrating the centenary of our church in Recklinghausen! Typically for a Methodist community, the church began in the open house of an individual family. The family Phielepeit, who moved from Wanne to Recklinghausen-Grullbad in 1905, invited preachers of the Evangelical Community to worship meetings in their house. Two years later there were already 30 children belonging to the Sunday school of the church, which now held its own quarterly meetings. In 1908 they rented a meeting room at 64 Herner Street and from 1915 the church met in a former laundry in Vonbruchhausen Street.
In 1921 it was possible to buy the house at 34, Limperstrasse (then 34, Hedwigstrasse) with assistance from the United States. At the official opening, the preacher Drews spoke on Matthew 17:4:
How good it is to be here! If you wish, we will build three shelters here: one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.We can take the exposition of this Bible passage in detail from the Recklinghausen newspaper of the time:The proclamation of Christ crucified, the unabridged word of the whole of Holy Scripture, as well as prayer for the nation, the town and individuals should all find room in this place.
The church remains committed to this mission today.
The layout of the building was a constant theme after the bombing in 1944, the rebuilding in 1949, the renovation in 1974 and the extension in 2001. But church life was also constantly moving on, characterised by the deep commitment of the church members and the 21 pastors who have served here up till now. They have all, so to speak, watered the growing church, which was planted 100 years ago by the Phielepeit family and which has belonged to the Evangelical Methodist Church since 1968. We have been thanking God for 100 years for its flourishing! Through Him we may hope for the further growth of the church in the future. It would be lovely if you - both old and new-could help to water it!
Affectionately yours,
