Emanuel Lutheran Church has stood on Manville Road in Pleasantville, New York, since the middle of the twentieth century, but its roots reach back to November 11, 1893, when a small group of Swedish immigrants gathered for worship in a meeting hall over Washburn's grocery store, next to the old train station. More than 130 years later, the congregation that began with 38 services and seven infants baptized in its first year has grown into a multi-generational parish known for its three internationally recognized handbell choirs, a Kegg pipe organ installed in 2013, a free monthly concert series, a Labyrinth and Meditation Garden, and an unusually warm welcome to people of every race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, marital status, and economic circumstance.
A Swedish Beginning, an American Move
Emanuel was organized in 1893 as the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Emanuel Church of the old Augustana Synod. For the next sixty years the congregation worshipped in a one-room building on Lincoln Avenue that seated ninety people, was heated by a large stove, lit by kerosene lamps, and backed by a horse shed for buggies. Electricity arrived in 1911, the mortgage was paid off in 1920, and Pastor William Frindberg began offering monthly services in English in 1916. Sunday school, the Luther League, the Ladies Aid Society, and men's clubs all began during these decades.
By the late 1940s the Lincoln Avenue building had become too small, and in 1952 the congregation purchased the only parcel large enough for a new church still available in Pleasantville, on Manville Road. Ground was broken in May 1954, the building was completed in March 1955, and membership climbed past 200 within a year. By 1968 the parish numbered 644 confirmed and 300 baptized members, and the sanctuary was soon joined by a fellowship hall, classrooms, and the spaces that now make up the present campus.
Steady additions have followed over the years: a carillon was dedicated in 1982, the Kegg pipe organ was installed and dedicated in 2013, and solar panels, an elevator, and a renovated Pearson Hall have modernized the building. The library was redesigned into a combined worship and meeting space called the Living Room, and a Labyrinth and Meditation Garden was created on the grounds. The exterior has been refreshed with new stucco and paint, and a new playground serves both the preschool and the church.
Two Sunday Services, One Open Door
Sunday worship at Emanuel follows the Lutheran liturgy and is offered in two forms. An 8:00 AM spoken service provides a quieter setting for those who prefer a simpler service, while the 9:30 AM service features the Adult Choir, handbell choirs, and the full pipe organ. The 9:30 service is livestreamed each week on Emanuel's YouTube channel.
The congregation's mission statement, "To Worship, Live, Love, Learn and Teach the Word of God in Christ," is matched by an explicit welcome. Emanuel intentionally welcomes people of every background and dedicates itself to racial and gender equity, respecting and embracing the uniqueness with which each person is created. Following the 9:30 service, everyone is invited to Coftea Fellowship downstairs in Pearson Hall.
Handbells That Have Traveled the World
Emanuel's most distinctive musical tradition is its handbell program, which began in 1973 under Rosemarie Wildman and now includes three choirs: Emanuel Ringers II for children just learning to ring, Emanuel Ringers I for the most experienced teen and young adult ringers, and the Adult Emanuel Ringers. The choirs have represented the church at regional concerts and international tours for decades, including appearances at international handbell symposiums. Eiko Cornelius directs the program and also serves as the church's Youth Group Director.
The Adult Choir and the Kegg Organ
The Adult Choir meets Wednesday evenings from 4:30 to 5:45 PM, September through June, singing anthems, service music, and hymns across the church year. No auditions or music-reading skills are required. The choir is accompanied by the church's Kegg pipe organ, installed in 2013, and by Director of Music and Organist Deborah Jones-Norberto, who joined the staff in 2021.
Noontime at Emanuel
Each third Wednesday of the month from October through February, Emanuel opens its doors for a free noon concert series called Noontime at Emanuel. The series features performers from a wide range of traditions - jazz, classical music, Argentine folk, Balkan folk, harp, lute, harpsichord, flute, guitar, and vocals - and welcomes the wider community into the sanctuary.
Learning at Every Age
Sunday School meets each week from September through June during the 9:30 service. Confirmation classes are offered especially for seventh and eighth graders, beginning each September. A weekly Bible Study gathers via Zoom at 1:00 PM, September through June, and a Common Threads knitting group meets year-round to knit prayer shawls for the sick, the shut-ins, the newly baptized, and graduating seniors headed off to college.
Fellowship gatherings include a Women's Breakfast on the first Tuesday of each month and a Boys' Breakfast on Wednesday mornings.
Deacons, Knitters, and Community Care
A team of synodically authorized deacons carries much of the congregation's pastoral and community work. The first was Lynne Hansen in the 1990s; today the active deacons include Bill Bello, who oversees Bible Study, Blood Drives, and serves as BSA liaison; Barbara Meberg, who leads multi-generational family ministries and contemplative worship; Karen Nurmi, who focuses on advocacy, environmental issues, and worship, music and arts; VictoriaLee Struss, who oversees visitations, infant care, and college ministries; and Nancy Schoener, who also serves as parish nurse.
Committees such as Worship, Music and Arts; Christian Faith and Life; Environmental Stewardship; Evangelism; Properties; Altar Guild; Ushers; Acolytes; and Youth Group keep the congregation running, alongside handbell choirs, the choir, the knitting group, and a long tradition of men's organizations, including the GOTHEM, "Get Out To Help Emanuel Men," founded by a group of retirees.
Pleasant Hill Nursery School
Housed in the same building and grounds as the church, Pleasant Hill Nursery School serves children ages two through four under the direction of Maureen McArdle. The school's playground is shared with the congregation, and the school remains a daily part of life at Emanuel.
Looking Ahead
Emanuel continues into its growing future as a multi-generational congregation shaped by Swedish Lutheran roots, a strong music tradition, and an open welcome. Rev. Kevin O'Hara, who became Emanuel's pastor in the spring of 2021 after a difficult year of Covid lockdowns, continues to guide the parish. A refreshed exterior, a new playground, an ongoing concert series, and a steady stream of handbell tours keep the building, the campus, and the choir loft in active conversation with the wider community around Manville Road.