Inside Historic St. John’s Lutheran Church in NYC’s West Village

When St. John’s Lutheran Church was built in 1821, the West Village was considered the northern frontier of New York City. Now, its pastor Mark Erson invites you to step through the virtual doors to this soon-to-be 200-year-old sanctuary as he shares with you the history of its structure, its theological evolution, and its relationship with the West Village social conscience and vast artistic community.

Starting in 1797, Lutheran leaders in New York City began laying the foundation for a church. John Christopher Hartwick started holding seminary classes at the parsonage of John Christopher Kunze, which stood on the site of St. John’s. Kunze, a professor at Columbia University and pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, prepared young men for the ministry, and these classes continued until 1940 before the seminary was moved to Oneonta.

In 1821, the leaders of the Eighth Presbyterian Church bought the property from Pastor Kunze’s heirs and built the church that stands here today. The church was constructed in the Federal style, popular in the U.S. from around 1780 to 1830. The sanctuary passed to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, which then sold it to St. John’s in 1858.

St. John’s began as a congregation of German-speaking Lutherans in 1855 by Rev. August Held, who joined after departing St. Mark’s in the East Village. After struggling for three years as a young congregation, members were able to raise enough money to purchase the property and expand operations. Over the past century and a half, St. John’s grew into a diverse community. According to its website, “We proclaim the radical nature of the gospel, teach the understandings of our denominational tradition, and engage the artistic spirit and the LGBTQIA+ traditions of the community we live in and serve.”

On December 4, step through the doors to the sanctuary and celebrate one of the oldest, if not the oldest, continuous houses of worship in the West Village. Survey of the diversity of stained glass that is housed in the sanctuary, including examples of Munich glass. Learn how St. John’s Lutheran Church evolved into an immigrant church in a rapidly changing 19th & early 20th Century Greenwich Village and hear about the evolution of the West Village. View artifacts and documents from the church’s archives. See how this historic church is engaging the creative spirit of the West Village. And enjoy a mini-concert by Dr. Janet Sora Chung. The event is free for Untapped New York Insiders (and get your first month free with code JOINUS).

Tour of St John’s Church

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Next, check out 10 Secrets of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine!