This history appeared in Morton Montgomerys 1908 edition of The History of Berks County, p. 1378.
Surnames: KERCHER, KEARCHER, MISHLER, LEHMAN, KNOSKE, ENGEL, STREIN, WALZ, KELLER, IAEGER, EBERMAN, KLINE, ZWEIZIG, DRUMHELLER, MILLER, GABLE, KLINE
St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hamburg, Berks County, Pa. Since June, 1901, the Hamburg charge has consisted of three congregations, namely, St. Johns, Hamburg; Zions Perry township, and St. Pauls, Windsor township.
In 1773, a period when Hamburg was a wilderness and people worshiped in private houses, a Martin Kercher, or Kearcher, donated a piece of land to be used by the Lutheran and Reformed people as a place of worship. The first structure was built of logs and was dedicated in 1790 the lower floor being used as a school room and the upper as a place of worship. About a score of years later a larger building was erected, with a weather vane in the shape of a fish, and its pulpit fashioned like a tulip, which served until 1857, when a more spacious one took its place, and was burned to the ground in 1898. The present church was erected at once and was ready for use early in 1899.
St. Johns has a bible society of three hundred members, a Luther Guild, a Luther League, a society formed by the children of the congregation and called The Childrens Temple, and a Lutheran Aid Society. The organization last mentioned has done noble work, among its activities being the purchasing of a splendid pipe organ, contributing rich altar cloths and collecting more than $4,000 for the liquidation of the indebtedness on church and parsonage.
Following are the ministers who have preached for the Lutheran congregations: Peter Mishler- not ordained; Rev. Daniel Lehman, 1778-1803; Daniel and John Knoske, 1803-1816; Rev. F. Engel, 1816-1823; Rev. Carl Strein, 1823-1828; Rev. Ludwig Walz, 1828-1832; Rev. F. A. M. Keller, supply; Rev. G. F. I. Iaeger, 1832-1860; Rev. J. H. Eberman, 1860-1861; Rev. S. S. Kline, 1861-1867; Rev. T. T. Iaeger, 1868-1880 (German); Rev. Benjamin Zweizig, 1868-1880 (English); Rev. C. K. Drumheller, 1880-1883; Rev. O. D. Miller, 1884-1896; Rev. Z. H. Gable- supply for a few months; Rev. H. C. Kline, 1897-
[Supplied by Rev. H. C. Kline]
Note: The 1898 building of St. John’s Church in Hamburg was designed by architect Milton B. Bean. He designed many Lutheran churches in a wide area over the 1880’s, 1890’s and 1900’s.
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