First Evangelical Church had a dual founding date: in 1819 they applied for a charter in the city of New Orleans, but the city refused to give them a charter as they were not a Roman Catholic congregation. Then in 1926, they again applied for a charter and when the charter was granted, First Evangelical Church became the 4th protestant church within the City of New Orleans. Prior to the Civil War ending in 1865, there were four Evangelical New Orleans Congregations:
These four congregations became part of the National Synod of North America which was formed around 1873 and their clergy started coming from Eden Seminary in St. Louis, MO. These same four congregations had a news letter written in German that was called The Messenger or in German Freedensboda. It is believed that one of the Messenger editions had an article stating that we (as Evangelicals) do not believe in slavery and condemn the practice of slavery. The article went on to say that we (as Evangelicals) do not believe in this Civil war and we will not serve for the North or the South as we are pacifists. Because this position offended both the North and the South, it caused Eden Seminary who had been the source of the evangelical clergy to no longer provide clergy candidates to these churches. Thus the churches developed their own clergy until 1873 when Eden had a softening of heart. At that time, clergy served a church for just about a life time.
Somewhere in the 1960’s predating the formation of the New Orleans Association, an Evangelical sort of union was created and each congregation had a participating representative. The purpose of this organization was hold the title of the Dielman Center Camp located across the state line in Mississippi. Ordination at this time was done by the Texas Synod President.
(courtesy of Lynn Slagle)
