Immanuel is blessed to be the recipient of a pipe organ donated to the church by the Charlotte (NC) Presbytery and dedicated to the Glory of God by our congregation on July 7th, 2024.
Built in 1969 by the Möller Organ Company of Hagerstown, MD, at Plaza Presbyterian Church, the organ served the congregation until its final service on The Day of Pentecost, Sunday, June 5, 2022.
The organ as built consisted of 18 ranks of pipes. In 2004, John Dower and Company of Charlotte enlarged and improved the instrument, adding six additional ranks and 17 digital ranks of pipe sounds, bringing the total to 1,369 pipes and 854 digital pipe sounds. The organ then became a showpiece for the Dower Organ Company.
In mid-2024, members of ILC traveled to Charlotte to assist with the disassembly of the organ under the supervision of Stephen Spake and his team from Lincoln Pipe Organs of Lincolnton, NC. Several weeks later, when the new sanctuary was almost complete, the organ was reassembled with the Stephen and his team, that also refurbished the organ to like-new condition.
“We can mention only one point (which experience confirms), namely, that next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. No greater commendation than this can be found — at least not by us. After all, the gift of language combined with the gift of song was only given to man to let him know that he should praise God with both word and music, namely, by proclaiming [the Word of God] through music.” – Martin Luther