German Methodist Episcopal Church - Oakland

38th and Telegraph
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The German Methodist Episcopal Church (or German Methodist Church, later Calvary Methodist) was located at 528-530 - 17th Street, then later at 3800 Telegraph.

17th Street building ⁹

The congregation was founded in 1872. ¹⁵ Their first church building was purchased from the First Methodist Episcopal Church and moved to 17th Street in 1875. ¹⁷ In 1907, a new church was built and dedicated at Telegraph and 38th. ⁷

c.1877, Rev. H. Brueck was the pastor. ¹⁸

c.1887-1889 Rev. Louis Kroeck ^1,4 was the church pastor. The 1889-1890 directory lists living next door at 526 - 17th St. ¹ The same directory also lists Rev. Frederick Bonn as the pastor of the German Methodist Episcopal Church. ²

1889-c.1894 Rev. August Lemkau ^3,6 was the pastor of the German Methodist Church and living at 526 - 17th St. ⁵ (NB: so far as I've found, he's not directly related to Henry Lemkau.) Lemkau had previously been pastor at a church in Stockton. ⁶

In 1899, Rev. L. E. Schneider was appointed the pastor, succeeding Rev. R. Steinbach, who had been there since c.1894. ⁸

In 1901, the church was remodeled (rebuilt?) and rededicated. One of the new features was a large, round stained-glass window. Rev. L. E. Schneider was still pastor. ⁹

In 1907, a new church at Telegraph and 38th was constructed, designed by architect Henry Starbuck. While it was under construction, the congregation met at a chapel in Berkeley. ¹⁹ Rev. J. Schneider was the pastor. In 1908, Schneider was called to take over the First German Church of San Francisco. ¹³

In 1911, Rev. Henry J. Hobert was the pastor. ¹⁰

In 1924 and 1928, Rev. G. A. Waasa was the pastor. He lived at 494 - 38th St. next to the church. ¹¹

As late as Christmas, 1934, it was still called United German Methodist Church. ¹⁴

In 1935, the directory lists Calvary Methodist Church at 3800 Telegraph. So it was no longer identified as German Methodist, but the very German-sounding Rev. Rudolph Zubuchen was pastor. ¹²

In 1950, newly-renamed Montclair Calvary Methodist Church laid the cornerstone of a new building at the corner of Snake Rd. and Mountain Blvd. A newspaper article doesn't mention the German roots, but does say the church was organized in 1872 at 6th Street and Washington before moving to the 17th Street location. ¹⁵ However, it was decided that although Calvary Methodist was sponsoring the new church, it was considered a new congregation, and the new name was to be Montclair Methodist Church. ¹⁶

new 1950 church ¹⁶