At the corner of Atlantic and Poplar Avenues on the island of Wildwood, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church has been a steady Lutheran presence since the winter of 1904. The congregation belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and gathers under the simple banner: Proclaim the Gospel, Work for Justice, Serve People.
From Borough Hall to Atlantic and Poplar
The congregation's first worship service was held on December 11, 1904, in the Wildwood Borough Hall on Pine Avenue. The meeting had come together that fall when Dr. M. J. Bieber, a Lutheran home missionary, and G. H. Huppert, who also organized the Sunday School and led it as superintendent for 28 years, set out to serve the English, German, and Swedish Lutherans then living on the island. Throughout 1905, students from Mt. Airy Lutheran Theological Seminary led worship in the same rented hall. On July 19, 1906, the congregation formally organized, adopted a constitution, and chose the name The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, Wildwood-by-the-Sea, New Jersey.
A Sanctuary Built in the Late 1930s
The first chapel on the Atlantic Avenue lot was a white frame building raised in 1907 by Frank E. Smith of Holly Beach for $1,100. The Ladies Aid Society furnished the carpet and pews, Max Karrasch and William J. Walton built the white Gothic altar, and Howard W. Lewis donated a brass cross. Both the pews and the cross are still in use today. A parsonage, now known as the Fellowship Hall, was added in the winter of 1921 - 1922. Twenty-five extra feet on Poplar Avenue were purchased in 1925, and on May 23, 1937, the present church building was dedicated.
The sanctuary's art glass arrived in stages: the Rose Window with the building itself, the Good Shepherd Window in 1938, and the rest over the next decade. An Estey pipe organ was installed and dedicated on December 15, 1940, and the reredos was added in 1946. More recent changes reflect the congregation's evolving life: a free-standing altar, weekly Holy Communion, a bell choir, and a handicap-accessible entry ramp.
Sunday Morning on the Island
Two Sunday services anchor the week. At 8:00 AM a spoken service offers a quieter approach to the liturgy. At 10:30 AM the congregation gathers for traditional worship with hymns, readings, a sermon, and Holy Communion. Members and visitors are invited to bring nonperishable food to support the Lazarus House food pantry. The 10:30 service is also offered virtually as a Zoom meeting and on the church's YouTube channel, @lutheransinwildwood; Zoom invitations are sent by emailing the church office or following the Facebook page.
The congregation is comfortable with the Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal, drawing on ELW settings such as Gather Us In, All Are Welcome, How Great Thou Art, and Abide With Me across the Sundays of the church year.
Outreach Beyond Wildwood
Outreach has long been part of Holy Trinity's identity. The congregation sponsors or supports Lazarus House, Family Promise, Easter Seals, the School Supplies and Christmas Stocking Programs, and the making of quilts for Lutheran World Relief. Members also partner with Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey and the Lutheran World Relief.
Earlier generations of the church planted two mission congregations: Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in the Villas and Cape May Lutheran Church. Members of Holy Trinity helped establish the Lutheran Home at Ocean View, and several members were sent from the congregation into ordained ministry, including Rev. Jeff Elliot, Rev. Mary Wein Gade, and Rev. Nancy Rucket. The current vicar, Kenneth Bassett, is also supported by Holy Trinity.
A Retreat Ministry on the Shore
For 73 years Holy Trinity ran a retreat ministry at the shore. It began in 1948 under Pastor Atwood Smith, when colleagues from Pennsylvania asked about holding retreats on the island. Retreats were first hosted indoors using Sunday School rooms. In 1992 the congregation purchased the Lilly Inn, which was renovated and dedicated in April 1993 as the Luther Inn Retreat Center. With the help of summer interns, the program grew until the inn was sold in 2021.
Clergy Who Have Served
Since 1906, 15 pastors have served Holy Trinity. The longest tenure belongs to Rev. Paul J. Neff (1922 - 1947), followed by Rev. Atwood T. Smith (1948 - 1973). Other pastors include Rev. Bruce Davidson, Rev. Dr. Gary A. Mann, Rev. Dr. Frederick G. Neiderhiser, Rev. Alfred S. Petrill, Rev. Eileen Spehr, Rev. Frederick E. Becker, and Rev. James Jacob. The congregation is currently served by Rev. Mark Bruesehoff as Stated Supply Pastor and Vice Pastor, with Vicar Kenneth Bassett.
What a Visitor Finds
Holy Trinity stands at 2800 Atlantic Avenue, on the corner of Atlantic and Poplar Avenues in Wildwood, New Jersey, with a handicap-accessible entry ramp. Sunday worship is at 8:00 and 10:30 AM, with the later service also available on Zoom and YouTube. A weekly email newsletter keeps members informed, and worship recordings from 2023 onward are posted on YouTube, with Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost services from 2020 archived on the church's video page. Anyone in need of pastoral care can call the church office at 609-522-5000; information is available on the outgoing message.