Our History

Learn more about Reformation's 92 years of history in the West Long Branch community!

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1930s

• Sunday, September 27, 1931 – the first service was held.

• October, 11, 1931 Congregation Organized –  24 charter members

• 1931 The Rev. Carl Miller (who also served Atonement Lutheran, Asbury Park) was the first Pastor.  There were 31 communing members. 

• The annual budget was $694.

• 1932 – Pastor Howard Kuhnle (who lived to be 101 and died in 2006) was called as the second Pastor.  7 children were baptized on the first anniversary of the congregation.

• 1933 – The first Confirmation service for 7 young people.

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1940s

• 1940 – The congregation moved to the American Legion Hall.

• 1945 – The present church site was purchased.

• 1946 – Pastor Paul Alberti was called to Reformation.  The congregation moved to the YMCA Hall.

• December 19, 1948 – the Chapel (present day Fellowship Hall) was dedicated.  The membership stood at 63 communing members.

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1950s

• 1950 – Pastor Charles Gartner was called to Reformation.  An organ was purchased.

• 1951 – Pastor Fred Bartelt called to Reformation.

• 1954 – The home next to the Chapel was purchased and transformed into a parish hall.

• 1958.  Pastor Robert Oswald was called to Reformation.  The communing membership stood at 202 with 203 children in the SCS

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1960s

• Jan 27, 1963 – Dedication of the new sanctuary and Sunday Church School wing.

• 1966 – Parsonage sold and a housing allowance established.

• 1968 – Purchased additional property on Broadway.

• 1969 – 805 Baptized members, 208 in Sunday Church School

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1970s

• 1970 – Pastor Robert Linders called to Reformation.

• 1974 – Improvement to parking lot and grounds.

• 1976 – 2 offices added.

•  1978 – Pastor Alfred Acer called as the Senior Pastor

• 1979 – 653 Baptized members, 117 pupils in Sunday School

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1980s

• 1981 – Reformation’s 50th anniversary and the burning of the mortgage.  First Word and Witness class.  New organ installed.

• Budget of $99,000 with $4,000 in savings

• 1985 – Pastor Richard Tupy accepts the position of Pastoral Assistant. 

• 1986 – Stained glass is installed in the side windows of the sanctuary.

• 1987 – The first concert of the John Fabrici Memorial Concert Series is held.

• 1988 – The Endowment Fund begun.  

• 1989 – 841 Baptized members, 93 pupils in Sunday School

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1990s

• 1991 – Anna Beaty honored for serving as SCS Superintendent for 50 years.

• 1992 – Pastor Penelope Stechmann joins the Pastoral staff.  The first Saturday Eucharist is held.  Pastor Tupy steps down.

• 1995 – Dr. Doris Watson starts as our Organist / Choir Director.

• 1997 – Mike Hamrick, Dave Matthews and Peggy White became our first Diakonia graduates.

• 1999 – 983 Baptized members

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2000s

• 10/20/02 – Dedication of addition to the sanctuary, extending out, adding sacristy, installing stained glass, moving to a free standing altar

• 6/13/04 – Dedication of the East Wing expansion adding the gathering area, offices and Great Room

• 12/4/05 – Dedication of the New Food Pantry in a converted garage

• 2006 – Year long celebration of the 75th anniversary of Reformation

• 2008 – 1090 Baptized members, 63 children in Sunday School + 22 students in the Confirmation program for a total of 85.   A budget of $401,000 was approved

• June 13, 2008 – Pastor Alfred C. Acer died

• June, 2008 – Pastor Penelope Stechmann is Pastor of Reformation increasing her hours to 30 per week; Pastor Richard Tupy assisted the congregation by working 10 hours per week

• August 16, 2009 – Congregational Call Meeting held to vote on calling Pastor Penelope Stechmann as Senior Pastor. This vote was insufficient for a call (2/3 majority needed)

• September, 2009 – Pastor Stechmann resigned effective November 30, 2009

• December 1, 2009 – Pastor James McKinley is assigned as the Interim Senior Pastor; Pastor Richard Tupy Jr. continues to assist the congregation, working 10 hours per week.

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2010s​

• July 25, 2010 – Pastor Matthew Cimorelli called to Reformation with a vote of 121 yes and 16 no

• September, 2010 – Pastor McKinley completes Interim Term; Pastor Richard Tupy Jr. discontinued his part-time service to Reformation

• October 3, 2010 – Pastor Matthew Cimorelli began serving as Senior Pastor

• October, 2011 – Celebration of 80 years of ministry

• October 2012 – Superstorm Sandy hits the Northeast. Reformation, in partnership with the County Food Bank, Long Branch Covenant Church, Lutheran Disaster Response and Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, becomes an emergency aid distribution center

• June, 2013 – Reformation, in partnership with the same organizations listed above, and Monmouth University, begins housing recovery workers who sleep and eat at Reformation and shower at Long Branch Covenant and/or Monmouth University. This ministry continued through 2016.

• January, 2017 – Following a 3-year process of study and conversation, the Congregation votes to become a Reconciling in Christ Congregation, accepting the Affirmation of Welcome Statement prepared by a task group of 5 members.

• July, 2017 – Reformation hosts ELCA Global Missionary, Rev. Eric Trozzo, a clergy person rostered in New Jersey, serving as a professor at a Lutheran seminary in Malasia.

• 2017 – Commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation: 9-10, we hosted Holy Trinity, Red Bank, and Atonement, Asbury Park, for a showing of the documentary, Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World. Several Ecumenical Reformation500 events were held with Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church, including: a fellowship meal at Soul Kitchen on 8-3, an educational event led by Father Bob and me on 8-28, cooking and serving a meal at The Center in Asbury Park on 9-24, joint worship, Hymn Fest and Oktoberfest dinner on 10-14, and a Festival Service of Word and Prayer marking the anniversary on Reformation Sunday, 10-29.  

• 2017 – Quarterly Dinner Church Experiences begin.

• 2018 – Monthly Family Church Experiences begin. Weekly Saturday evening worship discontinued.

• 2018-2020 – The Council accepts an invitation from the NJ Synod to participate in a 2-year process called Cultivating Missional Capacity for Sustainability, gathering quarterly for learning and sharing with a cohort of five other local congregations, aimed at gaining new insight and skills related to doing mission and ministry in sustainable ways in the new cultural and religious landscape.

• April, 2019 – Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening of newly expanded Community Food Pantry and Clothes Closet facilities.

 

2020s

•  March, 2020 – On site worship services and activities are suspended in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Worship services are livestreamed on Facebook.

• October 2020-March 2021 – Seminarian Vicar Dale Newton serves the congregation under the supervision of Pastor Cimorelli.

•  October 2020 – We hold our first CROP Hunger Walk.

• December, 2020 – Following a livestreamed Christmas Service, members parked in the parking lot for a brief prayer, the reading of the Christmas Gospel, and the singing Silent Night by candlelight.

• April, 2021 – A parking lot gathering was held, as we did at Christmas, following a livestreamed Easter Morning Service.

• June, 2021 – On site worship resumes. On site Sunday school resumes in September.

• July, 2022 – Bishop Bartholomew preaches at a Service of Celebration as we celebrate the renovation of the sanctuary (new flooring, refurbished pews), the installation of all new windows in the Sunday school wing of the building, and the early retirement of our mortgage.