A Brief History of Prince of Peace
Prince of Peace continues to be an active member of the community. We host toy drives and blood drives, provide space for the Scout troops to meet, collect for our local food pantry. We've collected backpacks for Lutheran Social Ministries and local school children, diapers for Today's Choice (a Christian pregnancy center), pillows for the Hospitality Network, stuffed animals for local police and ambulance services. Members of the Prayer Circle contiue to pray for the needs of the community. During the month of November we are host to the Sussex County Railroad Club's Holiday Train Display.
This brief history of Prince of Peace does not include a great many people, who worked very hard to make this ministry work. We are very grateful to them all, their gifts will always be remembered. Each person has been entrusted by God with gifts and abilities, which they are to use for building up the body of Christ, (1 Corinthians 1:7, 7,7) and Prince of Peace will be forever grateful to all who used their abilities on our behalf.
In a few places there are names of towns and churches mentioned, places which lost a pastor to Prince of Peace, places which called ours away. In the life of any congregation this is a normal occurrence. It reminds us that Prince of Peace is part of an old family of congregations called the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (founded 1847). We are part of that mission, bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ into every corner of the globe.
May our gracious Lord continue to inspire and encourage us by the faithful preaching of the Word. And may it be God's will to use us for another forty years to receive our praises, prayers and gifts of service.
To the Lord Jesus be glory now and always..
- Rev. Donald Sandmann was called to the Hamburg area as a missionary-at-large by the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. A number of congregations were planned, or already being formed by the Synod in New Jersey at this time. Rev. Sandmann came newly graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. (Later Dr. Sandmann would become our district's second president.) He and his wife, Marilyn made their home in the Pennyrock section of Hamburg. The first meetings were held in the parsonage, Pastor Sandmann's work consisted of canvassing the growing communities of Hardyston, Hamburg, Franklin and Sussex, gathering together interested families.
- The first worship service was held the Sunday after Christmas, December 29, 1963. Not surprisingly, Pastor Sandmann preached on Isaiah 9:6, from which the congregation takes its name, "Prince of Peace." The congregation met for Sunday worship in the All Purpose Room of the Hardyston Elementary School on Route 23 in Franklin until December 13, 1970 when the present building was dedicated.
- In 1970 the tract of land on Wheatsworth Road and Highway 94, on which Prince of Peace now sits, was purchased and the present sanctuary built. This was done with the help and prayers of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, AAL (now Thrivent), the Atlantic District, the Lutheran Women's Missionary League, and many well meaning friends and hard working members of the congregation. At this time we were part of the Atlantic District which then encompassed New England, Long Island, New Jersey and the Hudson Valley region of New York. In the mid-1970s it was broken up into three smaller districts and we became part of the New Jersey District - LCMS. The unique nature of New Jersey, between New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, makes it the only district in the Synod that is a whole state.
- In January of 1971 Pr. Sandmann received a call to Melrose, IL. He left Prince of Peace in March.
- Pastor, Rev.Philip Bruening was installed May 23, 1971. His wife, Alice, with other church members started the "Prince of Peace Nursery School" in 1975.
- During this time the Mission Circle came into being. Edna Meyer led ladies in making quilts for Lutheran World Relief. Later the Mission Circle's ministry became the Thrift Shop which was open every Thursday morning and afternoon. The Thrift Shop was in existence for about 15 years. It became an important gathering place and when open, engulfed the front room , the narthex, and what is now the the church office. The ladies gathered and sold used clothing and small household items. The funds they generated helped to pay the mortgage. Many people in the community remember it fondly.
- Pr. Bruening's last service was February 19, 1978.
- October 1978, Rev. Richard Izzard was installed as Prince of Peace's third Pastor. Pr. Izzard, his wife Eileen, and their children came to us from Redeemer Lutheran in Fords, N.J. He remained until 1984.
- In the winter of 1985 Prince of Peace called Rev. Stephen Vogt as its fourth minister. He and Caren, with their daughters Katie and Naomi came from Immanuel Lutheran Church, Osman, Illinois.
- In 1989 our new parsonage was built on Wheatsworth Road.
- Over the years the preschool flourished. It had several directors, including Caren Vogt and Joan Kuehm, under whom the preschool became the Early Learning Center and in the 1990's a kindergarten program was added.
- In December of 2013 Prince of Peace celebrated its 50th year as a congregation.
- In June 2017, with public schools opening more and more pre-K programs the decision was made to close the Early Learning Center.
- In 2018 PoP's (Prince of Peace's) Book Nook opened its doors providing gently used books, cds and dvds for sale as a fundraiser for the church and it's missions.
Prince of Peace continues to be an active member of the community. We host toy drives and blood drives, provide space for the Scout troops to meet, collect for our local food pantry. We've collected backpacks for Lutheran Social Ministries and local school children, diapers for Today's Choice (a Christian pregnancy center), pillows for the Hospitality Network, stuffed animals for local police and ambulance services. Members of the Prayer Circle contiue to pray for the needs of the community. During the month of November we are host to the Sussex County Railroad Club's Holiday Train Display.
This brief history of Prince of Peace does not include a great many people, who worked very hard to make this ministry work. We are very grateful to them all, their gifts will always be remembered. Each person has been entrusted by God with gifts and abilities, which they are to use for building up the body of Christ, (1 Corinthians 1:7, 7,7) and Prince of Peace will be forever grateful to all who used their abilities on our behalf.
In a few places there are names of towns and churches mentioned, places which lost a pastor to Prince of Peace, places which called ours away. In the life of any congregation this is a normal occurrence. It reminds us that Prince of Peace is part of an old family of congregations called the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (founded 1847). We are part of that mission, bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ into every corner of the globe.
May our gracious Lord continue to inspire and encourage us by the faithful preaching of the Word. And may it be God's will to use us for another forty years to receive our praises, prayers and gifts of service.
To the Lord Jesus be glory now and always..