SeattleChange
On July 18, 1928, 59 men and women, mostly Lutherans from Czechoslovakia who had settled in the Newark area, prayerfully organized our Zion Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church in the school of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Newark, New Jersey. Divine services and other activities were held there for over two years.
In 1929 the congregation wrote a constitution and was incorporated under the laws of the state of NJ. In March 4, 1930, the congregation purchased a church and parish hall located in Newark for the sum of $40,000. The Church and School Dedication Service was held on May 18, 1930.
The congregation called Rev. Stephen G. Mazak, who had previously served the congregation. He was installed as the first full-time pastor of Zion in August of 1929 and served until December 31, 1931.
Our second pastor was Rev. John Horarik who faithfully served from December 1932 until November 1937.
Our third pastor was Rev. Bohuslav D Tuhy who was installed on January 23, 1938 and served 22 years until February 16, 1960. At the end of 1948, the debt on the old church was retired. The mortgage on the church and the parsonage was symbolically burned at a congregational dinner in May of 1949.