A Short History of St. Peter’s
St. Peter’s was the first Lutheran congregation established in Oneida County. During the summer of 1830, Rev. P.W. Domeier of Canajoharie, New York, began preaching in private homes and schoolhouses. In 1831, Pastor Andreas Wetzel, from Germany, came through Central New York, with the intention of going on to Ohio.
But he found a great mission field in the Verona area. So he stayed, to preach the “Good News” of Jesus Christ. St. Peter’s was established. In 1836, a site for a church building was identified. And in 1849, a frame structure was built. In 1852, a parochial school and Sunday School were organized.
Over the years, many additions and renovations were undertaken upon the St. Peter’s building. In 1907, a new Sunday School addition was built. Beginning in 1931, the interior of the church was redecorated and completely refurbished. This included a new pipe organ. A new bell was installed in 1941, to commemorate the congregation’s 110th anniversary.
Because of growth in the area, St. Peter’s helped to establish a new mission congregation in Rome, New York. This was done in 1959, under the direction of Pastor George Kenyon. This mission became Ascension Lutheran Church.
In 1982, the first female pastor was called, Rev. Ruth Snyder, and St. Peter’s Nursery School was also established. By the mid 1990’s, the congregation wanted to become more visible. It wanted to do more outreach for Jesus within the community. So it voted to relocate and construct a new worship space. This building was dedicated in May 1996.
Since then, St. Peter’s has experienced great growth and continues to grow in its relationship with Jesus, both individually and as a congregation. St. Peter’s recently served as an internship site for several years, helping to train future pastors for the life of the church. God is still doing amazing things through St. Peter’s!