From urban middle-class to inner city ramshackle to rejuvenated showplace, such is the history of the harbor community of Baltimore, where, by the grace of God, Martini Lutheran Church continues to serve its constituency and the church-at-large in its second century of dedication to the work of the Lord.

Martini was the third and final offspring of the Second German Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, Baltimore's original confessional Lutheran congregation organized in 1835. This church joined the Missouri Synod in 1848 under its second pastor, Pastor F. K. D. Wyneken. When members of the rapidly growing mother congregation decided to disband to form three neighborhood congregations. A South Baltimore contingent formed Martini, and dedicated its own house of worship at Sharp and Henrietta Streets and installed its first pastor, Pastor Carl Frincke, on May 10, 1868.

Through wars, depressions, and neighborhood decay, the building remained the home church for members eventually scattered throughout the metropolitan area of the city and the surrounding counties. In the middle 1970's, it fell prey to condemnation

  procedures to make way for an expressway. The congregation had nearly given up relocating in the South Baltimore area, when, through prayer for God's guidance and intercession by Mayor Schaefer of Baltimore, a new site, feasibly priced, was made available in an urban development area just two blocks removed from the site to be vacated. There, a new building and hall were erected and dedicated November 6, 1977, with a number of treasured furnishings from the old building preserved. At the time of dedication, only six pastors had served the congregation in its 110 years of existence.

Since the dedication of the church that you find on the corner of Henrietta and Hanover Streets Martini has continued with her mission to be the light of Christ in Southern Baltimore. As the neighborhood changed, Martini has continued to reach out to all people. Yet they have not changed their firm faith in Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Holy Bible. Since that time we have been blessed with two pastors, Pastor Donald Biggs and our present pastor, Pastor Elliott Robertson.

Through change and challenge, Martini has been blessed with spiritual vitality and mission orientation. The congregation has provided leadership and support for formation and expansion of the Southeastern District, for establishing Valparaiso University as a Lutheran institution, and for originating Synod's mission among Muslims. Its members and clergy played leadership roles in forming sister congregations in the Baltimore metropolitan area, in establishing the Augsburg Home for the Aged, the City Mission Society, which grew into the Lutheran Mission Society and the Baltimore Lutheran High School.  From Martini also came the first Walther League for young people, the worship service for Synod's English Sunday School hymnal, and the musical setting for the common worship service in the large English Hymnal.

Former Pastor E. F. Engelbert, in the early 1940's, offered a prayer at the conclusion of a sermon based on Thessalonians 1:2-3, which is appropriate today as when delivered: "May God give this congregation grace to be and remain a true flock of Christ, so that its influence for good may stretch far and wide,working that which is pleasing to God.  Amen."