"Only Names Change"
Rev. Martin Leiseder Gives No Thought To
Retiring
By Robert Schwartz
(JMW note: circa 1962)
Pittsburgh has a lot of
industries and business establishments in which personnel shift from one place
to another. And even in its hundreds of
churches, pastors may stay awhile, then expect a transfer to another church. But
the First Congregational Church of Etna has a pastor who has been there for 50
years.
He is Rev. Martin
Leiseder, 77, who is not even giving a thought to retirement even though he will
have completed tomorrow a half century of service to one church. The clergyman,
who was born in Bavaria and educated in Germany, is just as contented with his
congregation and community as they apparently are with him.
"Things never change,"
he observes. “Only the names change. Members who belong to the church live from
here to Butler, moving out to new developments on Routes 19 and 8.”
When Mr. Leiseder goes
to town, he thoroughly enjoys conversing with many friends he has made through
community relief work, service organizations or the Elks.
Scheduled for
missionary work in Japan while at the novitiate society in Austria, the
clergyman left Europe for the Orient but planned a one to two year stay in the
United States en route. He never made it to Japan, to this day. Arriving in New
York Jan. 10, 1911, he received a call later to preach the Christmas sermon at
the then German United Evangelical Church of Etna.
He was elected pastor
of the church, now the First Congregational, on Feb. 18, and installed the
following month. Five years later he married the daughter of one of the
member-families, Miss Sarah Sutter. She also serves as organist for the church
and as his chauffeur.
An avid student of
science and social studies, Mr. Leiseder worked during the depression of the
30's in relief areas of the community and during flood times helping to care for
the needy. It was in this field that he became friendly with Catholic priests
who today are considered by the clergyman as among his best friends. One of them
even asked him to help participate in a funeral service in the community.
Recalling how the
government in Europe provided for two hours of religious instruction by teachers
paid for by the government, Mr. Leiseder believes such a program with both
Protestant and Catholic instructors could apply to this country. "It may not be
a complete solution," he says, "but it is the best way to meet the need of
religious education under the circumstances where there is a separation of
church and state.”
The pastor spends the
first four hours of every day in study and reading. His reading includes
Scientific American and the Congressional Record. As to the automobile,
television and radio, Mr. Leiseder feels "they are here too short a time for us
to get used to them in the proper way."
The church, founded as
a mission in 1849, had about 20 pastors before Mr. Leiseder came. Its founders
were early settlers who wrote into its constitution the protection of freedom of
reason and conscience for both pastors and members.
Its 300 members today
will share in recollections of the pastorate during tomorrow morning's worship
service. It is the first of a series of events planned during the year.
And as Pastor Leiseder says, "I just
love it here."