CHURCHES BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS
A HISTORY OF THE
LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONS IN
PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by
REV. D. H. FOCHT, A.M.
CHAPTER I
SECTION III
LUDOLPH (alias GERMANY) CHURCH,
In Spring Township
A number of members in the vicinity of Elliottsburg, then Tyrone, now Spring Township, belonged to the church at Loysville, and some to St. Peter's. To either of these churches the distance was considerable. Hence, the members prevailed on the
Rev. John W. Heim,
to preach for them occasionally at what was
known as Carl's School-house, about one mile and a half east of
Elliottsburg. Rev. Heim preached at fist on week-days at this place, from
1837 to 1840. This school-house stood on a tract of seven acres of land,
which Henry Ludolph Spark, some fifty or sixty years ago, donated in his last
will and testament for school purposes. He was a German school-master, a
member of the Lutheran Church, and sometimes preached and administered baptism
in this community at the beginning of the present century. He had no
family. From what we can learn he was a good man, and sought to do
good. On these seventeen acres of land, Mr. Spark had a school-house
erected, where for many years he taught the children in that neighborhood.
He also died here, and lies buried in the old graveyard, now overgrown with
underbrush and small trees, about fifty rods northeast of the church and present
graveyard. After Mr. Spark's death, a Mr. Carl taught school here for some
twenty years. Hence, it used to go by the name of "Carl's
School-house." As the land had been donated for school purposes, after the
church was erected on it, the school directors claimed it; but to obviate all
difficulties said directors sold, on the 6th of March, 1852, one acre and one
hundred and twenty-six perches strict measure, for one dollar, to Jacob Dumm and
Abraham Kistler, then the trustees of the church.
Encouraged by the occasional visits of Rev. Heim, the members in all that region
were collected and regularly organized into a congregation in 1840. But as
their number was considerable, the school-house was too small to accommodate
them. Thus, the necessity of erecting a church was seen by all. This
church they built on the land donated by Henry Ludolph Spark, and they therefore
called it Ludolph Church. Rev. Heim wrote the following Church
Constitution in the German language:
CONSTITUTION.
In the name of God the Father, of God the Son, and of God the Holy Ghost. Amen. God is a God of order, and nothing can be acceptable to Him, or redound to His glory, unless it be done in the spirit of order, of love and peace. Therefore, We, the Church Council and Church Members, do solemnly obligate ourselves, on this the 20th day of May, 1841, to observe most faithfully and conscientiously the following Constitution:
CHAPTER I.
Of the Church, Land, Graveyard and School-house.
Our church, bearing the name Ludolph
Church, to be built on the land which Henry Ludolph Spark donated in his
last will for the use of a school-house and a school-teacher, consisting of
seventeen acres, situate in Tyrone [now Spring] Township, Perry County, State of
Pennsylvania, shall for all time to come be a Union Church, and so it shall be
used by both religious denominations, namely, the Evangelical Lutheran and
Evangelical Reformed, until, by the mutual agreement of both denominations, the
one denomination shall buy the right of the other. And it shall not be
allowed at any time, that any other doctrine than our Evangelical Lutheran and
Evangelical Reformed, according to the Bible and the Augsburg Confession, be set
forth or preached in this church. Of these two religious denominations,
the one shall not interfere in the divine-worship of the other; but the one
shall have divine service on one Sunday, and the other on the Sunday next
following, except when there is a funeral on Sunday, and then that
denomination which has the funeral shall have the use of the church. [The
remaining part of this Constitution is word for word the same as that of the
Loysville Church, ....and need therefore not be repeated here.]
To the above Constitution, We, the Church Council and Church Members, herewith
subscribe our names:
Lutheran Church Council
David Stambaugh, George Beistlein; Elders
John Shearer, Jr., Daniel Rupsomen; Deacons
John Shearer, Sen., Trustee
Michael Foose, Treasurer
Daniel Preisler, Secretary
German Reformed Church Council
Peter Shearer, Frederick Dumm; Elders
Simon Shull, Jacob Dumm; Deacons
William Shively, Trustee
The above Constitution has long since become obsolete, and each congregation
manages its own affairs according to its own General Synod's Church
Constitution.
The foundation work of the church was commenced on the 26th of April, 1841, and
on Thursday, the 20th of may following, the corner-stone was laid. On this
occasion divine services were held in "Carl's School-house," when and
where Rev. Heim preached an appropriate sermon in the German language. If
any other ministers were present at the laying of the corner-stone, we have
failed to ascertain the fact. The Trustees were the building
committee. On account of sundry difficulties, the church went up slowly,
and was not ready for consecration till November, 1842. Rev. Messrs. Heim
and Leinbach officiated on this occasion. Mr. George Wolf did the
carpenter work of the church. The edifice is of rough stone walls, about
thirty-five by forty feet in size. Inside it has but one floor, no end
gallery, and the pews are not painted-- all is plain and unadorned; but it is a
Union church, or more correctly, a disunion church. Sometimes it is called
Germany Church, because at the time it was erected the German language
was almost the exclusive language spoken in that vicinity, and then, as now, a
large number of Germans from the Vaterland settled and still settle in
that section of Spring Township. The use of the English language begins,
however, to prevail.
In the spring of 1844, among others, the following persons were admitted to full
communion by confirmation, after they had been faithfully instructed by Father
Heim in the Catechism:
Daniel Shoemaker; Daniel Shull; Martin Stambaugh; Jered Nunemacher; William
Nenemacher; John Bernheisel; William Foose; Michael Foose; John Beistlein;
William Shearer; John Souder; George Burkepile; Mrs. ---- Dale; Mary Comp;
Catharine Beistlein; Eliza Beistlein; Mary Shearer; Rebecca Shearer; Susan
Shearer; Mary Shoemaker; Susan Rice; Mary A. Nunemacher; Susan Bernheisel;
Catharine Bernheisel; Eliza Bernheisel; Susan Foose; Mary Stambaugh; Catharine
Stambaugh; Ann Burkepile; Rachel Burkepile; Mary Shull; Julian Stambaugh.
Some time in the year 1848, Rev. Heim confirmed at this place another class of
catechumens, but for want of a record we cannot give their names. He
preached exclusively in the German language. On the 27h of December, 1849,
the Lord called him from his labors on earth to rest in heaven. The
congregation was then vacant about ten months. Having accepted a call from
the Loysville charge in October, 1850, the
Rev. Frederick Ruthrauff
commenced his pastoral labors here. Here, as well as in all the other congregations of the charge, he at once introduced the use of the English language in the preaching of the Gospel. At the communion held on the 10th of May, 1851, the number of communicants was forty-eight. Having for some time faithfully instructed a class of catechumens, on the 15th of May, 1852, the following persons were received by confirmation:
Philip Burkert; Mary A. Grove; Susan Beistlein; Mary Ann Spohn; Isabella Shoemaker; Sarah Shoemaker; Elizabeth Foose; Mary Ann Kistler; Catharine Frey; Susanna Loy; Elizabeth Smith; Julian Minich.
Having served the congregation as pastor a little over two years, Rev. Ruthrauff resigned in November, 1852. The congregation was then without a pastor for about five months. Having accepted a call from the Loysville charge, the
Rev. Reuben Weiser
commenced his labors here as pastor on the 1st of April, 1853, and served the congregation about two years and a half. He resigned in September, 1855. We cannot learn from the church record, or from any other source, that any were added to the congregation whilst Rev. Weiser was pastor of it. The congregation was again vacant about seven months. Then a call was extended to the
Rev. Philip Willard
by the Loysville charge. He accepted
that call and entered on the discharge of his pastoral duties on the 25th of
May, 1856. This indefatigable and zealous minister of the Gospel labored
in season and out of season, and the Lord crowned his labors with great success
and gave him many souls as a reward for this diligence. In February, 1857,
during a protracted meeting, the Lord poured out His Holy Spirit on the
congregation, when many Christians were revived and many sinners hopefully
converted to God. The subjects of this revival were then formed into a
class and thoroughly instructed in the Catechism of the Church, and on the 18th
of April, 1857, the following persons were received to full communion by the
rite of confirmation:
David Grove; Josiah C. Foose; Samuel Hassinger; Samuel Fleisher; James G.
Messimer; Hugh Moffitt; Abraham Kistler; Jacob Kistler; David Wentzel; Abraham
Reem; Anna Rice; Catharine Rice; Mary Jane Loy; Susan Rempfer; Catharine Spohn;
Margaret Spohn; Eliza Spohn; Catharine Fleisher; Rebecca E. Shoemaker; Sarah
Beistlein; Lucinda Wentzel.
At the same time the above were confirmed, three persons, whose names were not
recorded, were received by certificate. In the fall of 1857, Rev. Willard
met another class of catechumens, and another precious revival was enjoyed,
during which a large number yielded their hearts to God. These were still
further instructed for some time, and on the 20th of February, 1858, the
following persons were admitted to full communion by confirmation:
John M. Smith; James A. Gray; John S. Kistler; John Loy; Henry Spohn; William
Perry; Jacob Shoemaker; George W. Gehr; Levi F. Gehr; Mrs. Mary Ann Smith; jaen
F. Kacy; Sarah J. Kacy; Mary Jane Gray; Catharine Loy; Catharine Stambaugh;
Sarah Foulk.
Having served the charge and this congregation with such marked success for two
years and a half, to the great regret of all, Rev. Willard resigned in November,
1858. The charge was then vacant about five months. In April, 1859,
the Loysville charge extended a call to the
Rev. G. M. Settlemoyer,
who, having accepted that call, commenced his
ministerial labors here. On the 21st of April, 1860, George Shuler was
admitted to membership by baptism and Mrs. Maria Boyd and Miss Cless were
received by certificate.
Having been carefully instructed for some time, on the 23d of March, 1861, the
following persons were received as communing members by the rite of
confirmation:
John Reapsoma; Sinary Wentzel; Caroline Wentzel; Anna E. Shoemaker; Mary E.
Clouser; Elizabeth C. Clouser.
After Rev. Settlemoyer had served the congregation two years, he resigned in
April, 1861, and on the 1st of September following, the
Rev. Peter Sahm,
accepted a call from the Loysville charge,
and preached his introductory sermon here on the 22d of September in German from
Heb. 13:17, and in two weeks afterwards in the English language from 2 Cor.
5:20.
After the pastor had instructed them in the Catechism of the Church, and being
found qualified on the 8th of March, 1862, the following fifteen persons were
confirmed:
George Fleisher; Reuben Shuler; Joseph Shuler; Michael Loy; John Shuler; Samuel
Ream; Elizabeth Fleisher; Elizabeth Rice; Mary Ream; Elizabeth Ream; Matilda
Reapsoma; Elizabeth Shuler; Ann Beistlein; Mary Wentzel; Catharine Kistler.
This congregation still requires that about one-half of the preaching be in the
German language. In a letter, Rev. Sahm remarks: "In the fall
of '61, before I held my communion meetings, I visited the members of my charge,
and found that two hundred and four belonged to the congregation at
Loysville, ninety to Mount Zion and seventy-eight to Ludolph's.
Since then forty-three have been added to this number in the charge,
making at this time (June, 1862) in all four hundred and fifteen
members. Between fifty and sixty persons profess to have been converted
since I have taken charge of this pastorate, and they were of different ages
from fifteen to sixty."
In May, 1862, Mr. Sam. Dunkelberger, as delegate of the charge, attended Synod
at Selinsgrove, Pa.
At different times since its organization the following persons have served as
officers of the Lutheran congregation worshipping at Ludolph's Church:
Elders
David Stambaugh, from 1841 to 1853
George Beistlein from 1841 to 1856
John Loy from 1853 to 1860
Daniel Wentzel from 1856 to 1860
Henry Fleisher from 1856 to 1860
Benjamin Rice from 1860 yet in office
John Beistlein from 1860 yet in office
Dr. Lewis Ellerman from 1860 yet in officeDeacons
John Shearer, Jr. from 1841 to 1853
Daniel Rupsomen, from 1841 to 1854
John Burrel, from 1853 to 1856
William Hassinger, from 1854 to 1860
Martin Stambaugh, from 1858 to 1860
John Rice, from 1856 yet in office
John Cless, from 1860 yet in office
James G. Messimer, from 1860 yet in officeTrustees
John Shearer, Sen., from 1841 to 1851
Abraham Kistler, from 1851 to 1858.
