The Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church is a church in

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia Lunenburg () is a port town on the South Shore (Nova Scotia), South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1753, the town was one of the first British attempts to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia. Historically, Lunenburg's economy relied o ...

. The church is the home of the oldest active Lutheran congregation in Canada. German Lutheran settlers arrived in 1753 and held services in the open air and later at St. John's Anglican Church (Lunenburg). The first church on this site was built in 1772 in preparation for the arrival of its first pastor, the Rev. Mr. Friederich Schultz at Lunenburg. He stayed for 8 years. After the position was vacant for two years,

Johann Gottlob Schmeisser Johann Gottlob Schmeisser (22 March 1751 – 21 December 1806) was an Evangelical Lutheran minister who was the second minister of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and served for 24 years. He arrived during the American Revolution, and, after being in the ...

arrived in Lunenburg on 1 May 1782. Within a month of arriving in the community, the Lutheran minister was involved in defending the town from American invaders in the

Raid on Lunenburg (1782) The Raid on Lunenburg (also known as the Sack of Lunenburg) occurred during the American Revolution when the US privateer, Captain Noah Stoddard of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and four other privateer vessels attacked the British settlement at Lun ...

. He is buried at the Hillcrest cemetery. In 1814,

Dettlieb Christopher Jessen Dettlieb Christopher Jessen (February 25, 1730 – August 12, 1814) was one of the founding fathers of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and helped the village through Father Le Loutre's War, the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. He ...

donated to the church a silver paten and two chalices. Third minister was Ferdinand Conrad Temme (1808-1832). He was forced to leave

Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel () was a subdivision of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, whose history was characterised by numerous divisions and reunifications. It had an area of 3,828 square kilometres in the mid 17th century. Va ...

(part of present-day Germany) in 1806 when Duke

Charles William Ferdinand Charles William Ferdinand (; 9 October 1735 – 10 November 1806) was the ruling prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, hereditary duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a military leader. His titles are usually shortened to Duke of Brunswick in English-l ...

was defeated by Napoleon's troops in the Battle of Auerstedt. Temme described his initial response to being posted to Lunenburg: "I reluctantly accepted this call ... and on 5th of February, 1708, commenced the voyage to the

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

of North America." He stayed at Lunenburg for 24 years. Almost 50 years after he died, the congregation built a monument to him in the Hillcrest cemetery. The position of pastor was vacant for three years until the arrival of Rev. Charles Ernst Cossman (1835-1876). He was a pupil of

Wilhelm Gesenius Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius (3 February 178623 October 1842) was a German orientalist, lexicographer, Christian Hebraist, Lutheran theologian, Biblical scholar and critic. Biography Gesenius was born at Nordhausen. In 1803 he bec ...

at the University of Hale. Cossman described how clergy thought about leaving Germany to come to Lunenburg: "not one would go because Nova Scotia was so far, such a dreary land and only a salary of $400 was offered; less than a common school-master in Germany." He stayed in Lunenburg 46 years. He is buried at the

Hillcrest Cemetery (Lunenburg, Nova Scotia) The Hillcrest Cemetery is the oldest protestant cemetery in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and one of the oldest in Canada. The cemetery is adjacent to the Lunenburg Academy. The oldest marker is dated 1761, eight years after Lunenburg was established. ...

. The church was replaced in 1841. The present building dates from 1890 and was designed in the

High Victorian Gothic High Victorian Gothic was an eclectic architectural style and movement during the mid-late 19th century. It is seen by architectural historians as either a sub-style of the broader Gothic Revival style, or a separate style in its own right. Prom ...

style. The only remains of the first Lutheran church are the key to the building and the Saint Antoine-Marie bell that had formerly hung in the

Fortress of Louisbourg The Fortress of Louisbourg () is a tourist attraction as a National Historic Sites of Canada, National Historic Site and the location of a one-quarter partial reconstruction of an 18th-century Kingdom of France, French fortress at Louisbourg, Nov ...

(St. Joseph is engraved on the bell, created 1723,

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) and had been purchased by the congregation in 1776. File:JohannGottlobSchmeisser.png,

, 2nd minister (1782-1808) File:Ferdinand Conrad Temme, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.png, Ferdinand Conrad Temme, 3rd minister (1808-1832) File:Charles Ernst Cossman, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.png, Charles Ernst Cossman, 4th minister (1835-1876)

References

{{Coord, 44, 22, 44.7, N, 64, 18, 43.6, W, type:landmark_region:CA_dim:53, display=title 1772 establishments in the British Empire Buildings and structures in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Churches in Nova Scotia Lutheran churches in Canada

See also

References