A Wilmington Congregation That Has Outlasted Three Centuries
Hanover Presbyterian Church has stood at the center of Wilmington, Delaware, for more than two and a half centuries. Founded in 1772 as the Second Presbyterian Church and once known as Christiana Presbyterian Church, the congregation takes its current name from the street on which it built its second home in 1829. Today, that street is called North Jefferson, and Hanover's motto, "Hospitality, Diversity, Justice," describes the life the congregation has built on that corner since 1908, when it moved north across the Brandywine into the growing "Boulevard" neighborhood.
Anyone walking up to 1801 N. Jefferson Street on a Sunday morning will find a church that is both deeply traditional and unmistakably contemporary. Worship begins at 11:00 a.m., with Sunday school classes for adults and for the "Wonderers" meeting an hour and a half earlier at 9:30 a.m. From the steps of the brick sanctuary, the church reaches into the surrounding Baynard Village through a food pantry, a clothing closet, a hot dog cart, a cafe, free exercise classes, and a long-running partnership with the Jefferson Street Center.
From the Christina River to Baynard Boulevard
Hanover's story begins in a Wilmington that was little more than a village clustered along the Christina River. When the church was founded in the autumn of 1772, a rift had opened in the First Presbyterian Church between supporters of the Rev. Joseph Smith and those loyal to the regular pastor, the Rev. William McKennan. Smith's friends withdrew and built a stone meetinghouse at the southwest corner of Queen and Walnut Streets, dedicating it on October 24, 1772. That original building, the "Old Stone Church," still stands on what is now called Fifth Street.
The new congregation grew quickly in the early republic. In 1797 the Rev. Thomas Read, a patriot minister who had guided George Washington's troops across the Brandywine during the Revolution, was called as pastor. In 1814 a powerful revival swept through the church, drawing Methodists, Episcopalians, and Baptists into cooperative evangelism. Out of that revival the women of the church founded the Female Harmony Society in July 1814 "for the purpose of prayer, mutual instruction, and Christian labor," and opened a Sabbath school that October with twenty-three scholars. The Sabbath school has met in continuous session ever since, one of the longest unbroken runs in the United States.
By 1829 the Old Stone Church had become too small. The congregation built a new brick sanctuary, in the Colonial style with grand columns on the King Street entrance, at the corner of King and Hanover Street. The building served the church for nearly eighty years, until changing demographics along Wilmington's east side convinced the members to move. In 1908 the congregation purchased the building at 18th Street and Baynard Boulevard from the Washington Heights Methodist Church, with the help of member Samuel H. Baynard, who foreclosed the mortgage and deeded the land. The old Hanover building at 6th and King sold for $39,500 and was demolished to make way for a commercial structure. The move north was completed before January 1909.
Growth followed quickly. By 1911, Sunday school attendance had reached roughly fifty children, and in 1914 the congregation authorized a new education building at a cost not to exceed $60,000. The Haddock Brothers erected what is now called the Church School Hall, with a gymnasium in the basement and a balcony-surrounded meeting room upstairs. In 1922 the old sanctuary was torn down and a new one built in its place for $81,572, including a Bartholony pipe organ. A large stained glass memorial window was dedicated in 1927. An educational wing followed in the late 1950s.
The Chancel Window and the Long Restoration
The face of Hanover's sanctuary is the nearly one-hundred-year-old Chancel Window, "Christ, the Good Shepherd," which faces 18th Street and the parks along the Brandywine. Built by the Willet Stained Glass and Decorating Company for $2,700 and dedicated in 1927, the window consists of five sections and measures roughly ten by sixteen feet. Its rich blues and ruby reds, chosen for the southern exposure, are the work of Anne Lee Willet, who co-founded the Willet studio with her husband William in 1898 and took over management of the firm for thirteen years after his early death in 1921. The window's replacement value is well over $100,000.
For more than thirty years, this window has been hidden from street view behind a cloudy, yellowed Lexan protective cover that muted the rich hues inside the sanctuary. As part of Hanover's 250th anniversary, the old covering was removed, and the congregation is now working with Willett Hauser to preserve, paint, re-cement, caulk, and clean the window and its frame. Renovation is expected to cost about $15,000. A GoFundMe campaign has been opened to support the work, and additional lighting is being explored so that the window can be enjoyed from the park and along Baynard Boulevard at night.
The Statement of Faith and the Call to Hospitality
Hanover's current theological identity is captured in three words: "Hospitality, Diversity, Justice." The congregation's Statement of Faith and Purpose says, "In ministering to each other and the world our guide is the light, life, and love revealed in Jesus Christ. We seek to see the light in every child of God, believing that diversity is of God's desire and design. We strive to embrace the gift of life by offering unconditional hospitality. We serve to express the love of God by working for justice for all of God's children."
That identity has a concrete shape in the Statement of Welcome. Hanover describes itself as "fully welcoming and inclusive of all," adding, "Compelled by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the tradition of reformed theology, and our experiences of God's grace through inclusion, we welcome and respect all who desire to join with us. Our faith community is enriched by our differences, and we come to greater understanding of the realm of God as we are in relationship with one another. We invite into membership all who profess faith in Jesus Christ and who affirm that faith in baptism, without regard to any human condition."
Hanover is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and falls within the New Castle Presbytery. The current pastoral leadership reflects that body of beliefs in practice. The Rev. Dr. Stephany D. Graham Walker serves as Transitional Pastor, bringing a background of pastoral service and national PCUSA leadership. Silas Sheffer-O'Neill serves as Student Pastor; he is a second-year Master of Divinity student at United Lutheran Seminary and an inquirer for ordained ministry of word and sacrament with the New Castle Presbytery. Twyla Evitts has served as Minister of Music and Church Administrator since 2013. Tim Arnold, a member of Hanover for forty-five years and a former Commissioned Ruling Elder in the New Castle Presbytery, coordinates congregational care, including the weekly Prayer Circle, visitation, and food pantry support.
Sunday Mornings at Hanover
Education and study have always been at the core of Hanover. Each Sunday at 9:30 a.m., two classes meet in the Church School Hall. The Adult Discipleship Class gathers around a chosen theme each week for discussion, while the Wonderers Class welcomes children, youth, and the young at heart for a short video, conversation, and craft or activity tied to a Bible story. The Wonderers take the summer months off and resume in September.
Worship begins at 11:00 a.m. The all-volunteer choir provides music in a variety of traditions and styles. Pastors preach messages intended to be relevant to the world members actually live in. Children are welcome in the sanctuary; coloring pages and crayons are available at the back, and child care is provided during the service for those who prefer it. There is time during the service for participants to share a Joy or Concern for prayer, and a Passing of the Peace during which worshippers wave, smile, shake hands, or hug their neighbors. The dress code is whatever feels comfortable; the range runs from jeans to "Sunday Best." After worship, the congregation moves into the Church School Hall for Coffee Hour, where families and groups take turns hosting and a wide range of refreshments appears on the tables.
On the third Sunday of every month, worship becomes Youth Discipleship Sunday. The 11:00 a.m. service moves down into The Gathering Place and is co-led by the young people of the congregation, with music featuring percussion instruments, a DJ, games and activities provided by L.E.T.S. Play, and food. The whole congregation is welcome.
The Gathering Place and the Food Ministries
The heart of Hanover's community work is The Gathering Place, the old education wing that now houses a food pantry, a clothing closet, JB's Cafe, and the church's partnership with the Jefferson Street Center. Together, these programs serve thousands of Wilmington residents each year.
The Food Pantry is open every Thursday morning from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., staffed by Hanover members and community volunteers. The pantry serves more than 3,000 people each year, supplementing donations from the Food Bank of Delaware with groceries brought in on Sundays by members of the congregation, who leave donations in the little red wagon at the back of the sanctuary.
The Clothing Closet is open on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to noon (closed during July). Volunteers distribute quality items for the whole family, with each adult able to choose up to twenty pieces.
JB's Cafe operates year-round on Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with breakfast from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. and a lunch menu from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Hot dog carts have also been deployed on 18th Street during the warm months. The cafe is staffed by Hanover and community volunteers, and its proceeds go directly to the food pantry and other food ministries.
Free community exercise classes fill the gymnasium. Zumba meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.; Pickleball is played on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon; and Yoga is offered on Fridays from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. Newcomers are always welcome.
Periodically the church also opens its doors for a community dinner. Past meals have included spaghetti suppers and meatball subs, generally from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., with everyone in the neighborhood invited.
The Jefferson Street Center Partnership
Hanover shares The Gathering Place with the Jefferson Street Center (JSC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that grew out of the Jefferson Street Child Center, Inc., which was established in 1987 in partnership with the Southeast Ninth Ward Neighborhood Association. After the recession forced the closing of First Step Children's Center in 2010, the nonprofit reorganized around a community development model. In 2013, JSC and Hanover entered into a partnership in which JSC serves as the administrative organization responsible for the operations of The Gathering Place.
JSC describes itself as "a vibrant cornerstone of Northwest Wilmington, dedicated to implementing community development initiatives through an asset-based framework," with work that aims to "strengthen civic muscle, address systemic inequities and preserve deep-rooted resources that serve as the foundation for the neighborhoods they serve." Together, Hanover and JSC function as a "shared-use" Community Hub embedded in the heart of Baynard Village, supporting "in-house direct services, including the food pantry, clothing closet, and free wellness programs." JSC also runs the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Clean Up, Peace March, and Celebration, and is the fiscal agent for the Washington Heights Blueprint Communities revitalization team.
The Female Harmony Society
The Female Harmony Society predates almost every other institution in Hanover's building. Founded out of the 1814 revival "for the purpose of prayer, mutual instruction, and Christian labor," the FHS opened the forerunner of Delaware's free public school system in 1815, ran a Sabbath school that has met continuously since 1814, and has supported "Delaware's underserved, especially children," for more than two hundred years.
Today, the Society focuses on two grant programs. Social service grants are awarded once a year to programs that have included First Step Children's Center, Meals on Wheels, the Limen House, Gateway House, Hanover's Vacation Bible School, the Foster Care Resource Center, STEHM, Hanover's Food Pantry, and a continuing education fund for Hanover youth. Educational grants are given to Hanover-affiliated youth for post-high school learning, along with an annual $1,000 Marybelle Enslen Memorial Scholarship for post-graduate study. Most of the grant money comes from the interest on a bequest from Elizabeth Caulk, a former FHS member who died in 1839; additional funds come from the Susan Stewart Memorial Fund and annual dues.
The FHS also maintains the Free Little Library at the corner of 19th and Jefferson, a one-of-a-kind book-sharing box built in 2021 by Hanover member Bill Tudor and painted by his daughter Martha McFarland. Books for all ages are stocked, with special attention to neighborhood children.
Black History Month at Hanover
For more than thirty-five years, Hanover has celebrated Black History Month with a series of services and events across January and February. Sunday morning worship features African American guest preachers, speakers, and musicians, including The Twin Poets, The Melodic Movements, Gus Mercante, Martin Hargrove, Tina Betz, Michael Hunter, Brian Gray, Bebe Coker, Micah Graves, Ryah Minyon, Shannon Booth-Johnson, Taralynn Dillard, the Mount Pleasant High School Gospel Choir, the Delaware State University Choir, and the HildaMan Chorale. The annual Gospel Vespers service, an evening worship rooted in the African American gospel tradition, has become a particular highlight.
The celebration closes with the Soul Food Luncheon, held on a Sunday in February immediately after worship. Members bring a favorite dish to share, and tables fill up with fried chicken, ham, macaroni and cheese, greens, and homemade desserts. Proceeds have gone to support Hanover's student scholarship fund.
The Faces of Jesus
Throughout the church building, artwork reflects Hanover's conviction that "we imagine the face of Jesus through many cultural lenses." A painting of "Christ Knocking at the Door" by Philadelphia artist George Newman hangs in the building. Friar John Giuliani's "The Good Shepherd," drawn from his work among America's indigenous peoples, anchors a Native American Christian vision. "Christ of the Desert" by Brother Robert Lentz brings the Syriac Christian tradition into the sanctuary through a Byzantine icon whose inscriptions read "Jesus Christ" and "Christ of the Desert." Vermont artist Janet McKensie's "Jesus of the People," whose model for Jesus was a woman, was selected as the winner of the National Catholic Reporter's "Jesus 2000" competition and represents the image of Christ flanked by the yin-yang, a halo, and a feather.
Hanover UnGifts
Every December since 2006, Hanover has offered an alternative Christmas market called UnGifts. Members can purchase a donation to one of several partner organizations in honor of a friend or family member, and receive a card describing the project to give as a gift. Recent partner organizations have included the Amazon Conservation Team, Family Promise, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Unbound, and the Waterkeeper Alliance.
Worship Recordings and Online Giving
Each Sunday's worship service is recorded and posted online by Sunday evening or the following Monday. Recordings are available on the church's video page and through its YouTube channel. Past services going back many months are archived on the same page.
Online donations can be made anytime, with or without a PayPal account. Gifts can also be brought or mailed to the church office. Undesignated gifts go into Hanover's general fund for mission and ministry. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Visiting Hanover
Street parking is available along Baynard Boulevard and on the side streets around the church. Office staff and volunteers can be reached at (302) 658-5114 or office@hanoverchurch.org. Sunday school begins at 9:30 a.m., worship at 11:00 a.m., with Coffee Hour to follow. On the third Sunday of the month, the 11:00 a.m. service is the youth-led YD service down in The Gathering Place. The food pantry is open Thursdays from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., the clothing closet on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon, and JB's Cafe on Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Free Zumba, Yoga, and Pickleball are available through the week in the Church School Hall gymnasium. Anyone in the neighborhood is welcome.