CHURCHES BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS
A HISTORY OF THE
LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONS IN
PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by
REV. D. H. FOCHT, A.M.
CHAPTER I
SECTION II
ST. PETER'S,
NOW MOUNT ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH
IN SPRING TOWNSHIP
This church is located about five miles east
of Loysville, in Spring Township, and the old Union church as commonly known as
St. Peter's, but the new Lutheran church, about a mile north of St. Peter's,
received the distinctive name Mount Zion.
The early history of St. Peter's Church is involved in much obscurity, as there
are no authentic documents at hand from which information might be
gathered. As early as 1790, and probably a few years before that, the
congregation at Loysville was already organized, and it is very likely that the
other congregations in the Valley were at that time only preaching stations,
whilst on occasions of communion all the members went to Loysville. We are
led to this conclusion by the fact, that among the names of catechumens and
communicants of Loysville, in 1798 and 1804, we discover those of persons from
the vicinity of St. Peter's and of Blain. No doubt Rev. Kuhl preached here
occasionally in school-houses, private dwellings and barns. After him,
Rev. Messrs. Herbst and Sanno preached frequently in this neighborhood, as it
lay on their direct way between Carlisle and Loysville. In the year 1809,
Rev. John Frederick Osterloh
took charge of the Lutheran congregations in Sherman's Valley, and there is no doubt but that when he came into the Valley the St. Peter's congregation was first regularly organized, though we have nothing to show the particular time.
The Old Union St. Peter's Church.
The following Constitution shows that at the time it was drawn up, the Lutheran and German Reformed congregations were regularly organized, and that they had hitherto worshipped in a school-house, located on the site afterwards occupied by St. Peter's Union Church.
Church-Constitution.
Constitution of St. Peter's Church, drawn up
December 23d, A.D., 1815, between the Evangelical Lutheran and German Reformed
congregations, [then] in Tyrone Township, Cumberland County [now in Spring
Township, Perry County], Pa.
Whereas, in our vicinity the Germans are increasing in number, both by
emigration from other section of our country and by the natural growth of our
families, and Whereas, from these causes our congregations and membership
are growing in number, and we have reason to believe that our increase in future
will still be greater, and Whereas, the school-house, in which we have
hitherto been worshipping, has already become too small,--- Therefore,
we, the undersigned, after mature deliberation, have concluded to build a new
church edifice, for the public worship of Almighty God, on the following
conditions:
1. The church edifice shall be erected
on land given as a donation to the joint congregations, viz., the Lutherans and
Reformed, by John Gamber, on which land the school-house now stands.
2. It shall be a Union church for the use of the German Reformed and
Evangelical Lutheran congregations, and in it these congregations shall have
equal rights and privileges.
3. No other religious denomination shall be permitted to worship in this
church edifice; nor shall a minister, who is not in regular connection with the
Synod or Classis of one of the above-named congregations, be allowed to preach
in this church without the consent of the united Councils of said congregations.
4. The communion and baptismal service, the altar-cloth and church-key
shall be the joint property of these two congregations at all times and on all
occasions, both on Sundays and weekdays.
5. This church shall be the undisturbed property of our children and
children's children; should circumstances, however, make it necessary for the
congregations to separate, then one congregation may become the sole owner of
the church by paying to the other, upon amicable agreement, a just equivalent
for the right which the latter transfers.
As testimony that these articles have been adopted and sanctioned as our future
bond of union and government, we hereunto subscribe our names as the united
council and building committee of the above-named congregations:
Lutherans.
German Reformed.
Henry Swarner,
elder
Chris. Heckendorn, elder
John Miller,
elder
Conrad Carl, elder
Jona. Dunkelberger,
deacon
Henry Kell, deacon
---- --------,
deacon
John Snyder, deacon
John Miller & Henry Kell, building committee.
The corner-stone of this church was laid on the 15th of April, 1816. The
ministers who were present, and took part in the exercises of the occasion, were
Rev. Messrs. Jonathan and Albert Helffenstein of the Reformed Church, and Rev.
Messrs. Osterloh and Heim of the Lutheran Church. In the spring of 1817,
the church was dedicated to the service of God, and was called St. Peter's
Church. The ministers present at the dedication were Rev. Heim,
pastor, and Rev. Benjamin Keller, Lutherans, and Rev. Jonathan and Albert
Helffenstein, German Reformed.
It was a log church edifice, about thirty-five by forty-feet in size.
Inside there was a gallery on three sides; the pulpit was cup-shaped and mounted
on a high post; the seats were high and unpainted. In many respects the
internal arrangements was a bad one. The edifice stood till 1857, when it
was torn down and a brick church edifice was erected in its stead.
Rev. Osterloh ceased to preach here in the spring of 1816, and according to a
resolution of Synod, passed in June of the same year,
Rev. John W. Heim
took charge of the congregation, and served it as pastor about thirty-three years and a half, ie., till he was called from earth to heaven in December, 1849. The congregation was then vacant about ten months. Who and how many were here admitted to full communion, whilst Rev. Heim was pastor, we have no means of knowing, as no church-record has yet been found, and probably none was kept.
Rev. Frederick Ruthrauff
commenced his pastoral labors here, in
connection with the Loysville charge, in October, 1850. He at once
introduced the use of the English language in divine worship, a measure much
needed, and for want of which the congregation had been suffering for some
time. He labored here with great acceptance and success. A
church-book was now bought, and records were hereafter made. Soon after he
became pastor of the congregation he commenced instructing a class of
catechumens in the Catechism, and on the 24th of May, 1851, the following
persons were admitted to full communion by the rite of confirmation:
Abraham Bower; Henry Kiner; John Minich; Elizabeth Low; Mary Ann Dunkelberger;
Margaret Dunkelberger; Priscilla Nunemacher; Lydia Nunemacher; Jane Schaeffer;
Catharine Weingartner.
Having preached a year, Rev. Ruthrauff commenced to instruct another class of
catechumens, and, on the 5th of June, 1852, the following persons were
confirmed:
Christian Bohr; Martin Burkhart; Joseph
Weingartner; Hannah J. Robison (baptized); Priscilla Dunkelberger; Barbara
Weingartner; Mary Jane Comp; Elizabeth Comp; Sarah Nunemacher; Mary Magd.
Rhodes.
Rev. Ruthrauff served the congregation about two years and resigned in November,
1852. The congregation was then vacant about five months. Having
accepted a call from the Loysville charge, the
Rev. Reuben Weiser,
of Chambersburg, Pa., entered on the
discharge of his pastoral duties here on the 1st of April, 1853. During
the winter of '54, he catechized a small class, and on the 30th of April, 1854,
the following persons were admitted to communion by confirmation:
John Burkhart; Elizabeth Burkhart; Matilda Fleckenberger.
Having served the congregation as pastor for about two years and a half, Rev.
Weiser resigned in September, 1855, and accepted the Presidency of Central
College of Iowa. The congregation was then vacant about six months.
A call was extended by the Loysville charge to the
Rev. Philip Willard
which he accepted, and commenced his labors
as pastor on the 25th of May, 1856. He labored among the people of St.
Peter's Church with great diligence and consequent success. At the close
of the year '56 and the beginning of '57, in connection with catechizing, it
pleased the Lord to pour out his Spirit on the congregation, and whilst many
were revived and refreshed as with the dew of heaven, a number were hopefully
converted to God, and after being more fully instructed, on the 7th of February,
1857, the following persons were admitted to full communion by confirmation:
John Dunkelberger; David Dunkelberger; Elias Dunkelberger; Jacob Nunemacher;
Daniel Nunemacher; John McBride; John B. Swarner; Wm. H. Shoemaker; William
Duncan; Samuel Duncan; Henry B. Swarner; Robert C. Gibson*; Mrs. Mary Gibson;
Catharine Dunkelberger; Mary A. Dunkelberger; Mary McBride; Sarah E. Bower; Anna
Bella Schaeffer; Sarah J. Shoemaker; Margaret Comp; Mary Angeline Ziegler; Sarah
Ellen Rhodes; Mary Jane Stambach
*baptized
Under the efficient labors of Rev. Willard, the congregation was greatly
encouraged and built up, prayer-meetings were established, the Sunday-school
increased, and a new life and energy were manifested by the membership.
The Lutheran congregation became fully conscious that they were a Lutheran
congregation, and of this they gave full proof in the course they pursued in the
erection of a new house of worship.
MOUNT ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
The Lutheran congregation had for some time
felt the want of a new and more convenient church. The old Union (St. Peter's)
Church had not only become too small, but was also badly arranged and very
uncomfortable in cold weather. The first move towards building a new
church was made in 1855. It was then contemplated to erect another
so-called Union church. Subscriptions for this purpose were secured
to the amount of sixteen hundred dollars, and a contract was made to have the
brick furnished for this intended new Union (alias, disunion) church;
but, on account of sickness on the part of the contractor, the brick were not
made according to the contract, and thus the putting up of the building was
providentially deferred. After the enjoyment of an extensive revival of
religion, and the accession of a number of new members on the part of the
Lutheran congregation, the want of a new and more suitable house of worship was
not only felt ore deeply than ever before, but the necessity and advantage of
each denomination having its own house of worship, and of managing its own
affairs, were also more clearly seen. Hence the subject of building a new
Lutheran church was discussed, and after consultation it was mutually agreed by
some of the leading men of both denominations to divide the brick, for which
they had contracted, equally between the two denominations.
A meeting was then called at the house of Mr. Jeremiah Dunkelberger, on the 7th
of January, 1857, when and where "it was unanimously resolved to erect a
new church edifice for the use of the Evangelical Lutheran
congregation." A parcel of ground, offered by Mr. Jeremiah
Dunkelberger, was selected as the site of the new church and
burial-ground. Messrs. George Schaeffer, Jeremiah Dunkelberger, and
Joseph Dunkelberger were appointed the building committee.
Subscriptions were not taken for an entirely Lutheran church. As to the
old church property, the Lutheran congregation retained its right to all the
property held jointly by the two denominations, except the old Union
church edifice and a small lot of ground directly fronting said Union church,
which, for the sake of convenience, they sold to the German Reformed
congregation for one hundred dollars. As the to the old Union graveyard,
"it was resolved that the Lutherans reserve their right to all the
remaining Union property and burial-ground for free burial, as heretofore, to
any member of the Lutheran church who may prefer to bury in said ground to the
end of time." At the same meeting it was "resolved to build of
brick,
forty feet wide by fifty-five feet long, with an end gallery; and that as the
German Reformed retain the name of St. Peter's, the new edifice be called Mount
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church." Messrs. Benjamin Reiber,
Daniel Dunkelbeger, and Daniel Schaeffer were appointed a committee to draft a
constitution for the future government of the congregation. Though Rev.
Willard was not named as a member of the committee, we have personal knowledge
that he wrote this Constitution, which is in the main very good, and is at every
point a fair exhibition of Rev. Willard's views on church government and
discipline. Let credit be given to whom credit is due! The draft of
the Constitution was afterwards presented, duly considered and revised, and then
unanimously adopted as the rule of government for the congregation, and reads as
follows:
Constitution of Mount Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church.
As God is a God of order, and as it is indispensably necessary to have laws and regulations for the purpose of promoting order and harmony in society, enforce Christian discipline, extend the Redeemer's kingdom, and honor and glorify God; Therefore, we, the subscribers, hitherto members of the Evangelical Lutheran congregation at St. Peter's Church, Spring Township, Perry County, Pa., having made a profession of our faith according to the doctrines, government, and discipline of "the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States" of America, do, this 7th day of February, A.D. 1857, adopt for our future government the following Constitution:
ARTICLE I.
Name and Object of This Church.
SECTION 1. This association shall be known by the
name of Mount Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Spring Township, Perry
County, Pa.
SEC. 2. The object of this association shall be to have the Word of God
preached and the Sacraments administered in their purity, to promote vital
piety, peace and concord among the members, and to extend the Redeemer's kingdom
in general.
ARTICLE II.
Of the Church Property.
SEC. 1. The church edifice, graveyard,
and all property belonging to the congregation, shall be under the exclusive
control of Mount Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church.
SEC. 2. The burial-ground shall be free for interment to all individuals
and families, who annually contribute to the support of the pastor and the
defrayment of the necessary expenses of the congregation. And the old
graveyard and the property purchased and held by the two congregations
conjointly, excepting what has been sold for the accommodation of the brethren
of the Reformed Church, shall still, to the end of time, be free to any member
or members of both congregations wishing to bury there.
SEC. 3. Those who refuse to contribute to the objects specified in the
preceding section, unless they in indigent circumstances, shall pay $---- for a
grown person, and for the privilege of burying here.
SEC. 4. Ministers in good standing of other sister orthodox denominations
may have permission to preach an occasional sermon in this church edifice when
unoccupied by the Lutheran congregation, and by the concurrence of two-thirds of
he existing Council.
ARTICLE III.
Of the Pastor.
SEC. 1. No minister shall be permitted
to officiate to this congregation in the capacity of a pastor, who his not a
member in good standing of some Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and is unwilling to
teach the doctrines and conform strictly to the rules of government and
discipline prescribed by the General Synod of the Lutheran Church in the United
States.
SEC. 2. No minister, who is not considered orthodox by his own
denomination, shall be permitted to officiate or minister in this church on any
occasion.
SEC. 3. The pastor shall not administer the sacrament of the Lord's Supper
to any member or members of the congregation who are known wilfully to live in
open violation of the duties required of them in the Scriptures.
SEC. 4. As the Holy Scriptures enjoin upon those who are called to preach
the Gospel that they shall live of the Gospel, therefore no minister shall
officiate as pastor of this congregation who at the same time follows any other
secular employment for the alone sake of filthy lucre.
SEC. 5. Should the pastor, officiating to this congregation, in any way
disgrace his office by an unholy life, he shall be subject to the discipline of
the Church as laid down in the Formula of the General Synod, Chap. 3, Sec. 5.
ARTICLE IV.
Of the Officers of the Church.
SEC. 1. The officers of this
congregation shall consist of two Trustees, two Elders, and two Deacons,
one-half of whom shall be elected annually in turn on the -------, each of whom
shall, after the first year, serve two years; and should a vacancy occur by
death, removal, or any other cause, it shall as soon as convenient be filled by
an especial election.
SEC. 2. The duties of these officers shall be to manage the affairs of the
church or congregation. They shall exert themselves that the kingdom of
Christ, and peace and harmony, be promoted in the congregation, and they shall
attend to the various duties enjoined upon the officers in the above-named
Formula, Cap. 3, Sec. 6.
SEC. 3. These officers, in connection with the Pastor, shall constitute
the Church Council, of which the Pastor shall be exofficio
chairman. See Formula, Chap. 4, Sec. 3. The duties of the Church
Council are prescribed in the Formula, Chap. 4.
SEC. 4. No one shall be elected a member of the Church Council who is not
a regular communing member, exemplary in this conduct as a Christian, and does
not attend regularly to the ordinances of God's house.
SEC. 5. Should any member of the Council, whether he be a Trustee, Elder,
or Deacon, act unworthy of his office or neglect his duty in any respect, the
remaining members of the Council, or of the church, shall admonish him, and if
admonition fail, they shall then proceed against him according to the rules laid
down in the Formula of the Church, Chap. 4, Sec. 7.
SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of the Council to elect a Secretary and
Treasurer, either from their own number or from the members of the church,
who shall attend to the duties usually devolving on such officers and make a
report to the congregation when called for by the Council.
SEC. 7. The Council shall meet at least once every three months, or
oftener if necessary, to consult on the spiritual interests of the congregation.
SEC. 8. The Council shall examine the names of the communicants given in
on sacramental occasions, and if they discover the name of any member who would
be an unworthy communicant, it shall be their duty to inform such a member
privately, and to admonish him or her not to come to the table of the Lord until
he or she has given satisfactory evidence of true repentance.
SEC. 9. The Trustees shall always be the building committee when building
is going on, and it shall be their duty to take charge of the church property
and burial-ground, to keep them in repair, to solicit and collect money for the
purposes here indicated, and to attend to such other duties as naturally devolve
upon their office.
ARTICLE V.
Of the Church Members.
SEC. 1. No one shall be received as a
regular member of this congregation unless by certificate, or as specified in
Chap. 4, Sec. 5, of the Formula.
SEC. 2. It shall be obligatory on every member to attend faithfully to the
duties which the Bible enjoins, viz., to lead a holy and blameless life, attend
church and the prayer-meeting regularly, to be often at the holy communion, and,
in short, to perform all duties upon condition of which Christ offers life and
salvation; and should any member fail in the discharge of these duties, or
disgrace his profession by an unholy walk and conversation, he shall first be
privately admonished as the Word of God directs, Matt. 18: 15-17, 1 Cor. 5: 1-3;
and if this prove ineffectual, he shall then be cited to appear before the
Church Council for trial and be dealt with according to Chap. 4, Sec. 8, of the
Formula.
SEC. 3. Should any member refuse to appear before the Council when
properly cited, he shall, after other expedients fail, be publicly expelled, his
name with the charges shall be read from the pulpit, and the whole congregation
shall be summoned to kneel and pray that God may reclaim him from the error of
his ways.
SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of every communicant to attend the
preparatory exercises on the day preceding the communion, and to give in his or
her name; should, however, unavoidable circumstances prevent such attendance,
then he or she shall give the reasons for absence on the day following before
the hour of communion. A list of the names of communicants shall be
recorded in the archives of the church.
SEC. 5. Should differences arise between members of the church, they shall
use every means to settle them, and make peace among themselves as soon as
possible; but if this cannot be done, the matter shall then be brought before
the Council for adjustment at the proper time, and not be deferred to a
communion season; and when the matter is adjusted by the Council, each member
shall be under the most solemn obligation to submit to their decision, unless
the aggrieved party can show scriptural and satisfactory proof that their
decision was wrong, or he intends to appeal from their decision to the Synod or
Conference, in which latter case he shall give the notice specified and proceed
in all things according to the Formula, Chap. 4, Sec. 12.
SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of every member to contribute according to
his or her ability to the support of the Gospel; should any one be unable to
contribute anything, the name of such an individual shall then be recorded, and
he or she shall be entitled to all the privileges of a regular church member,
provided his or her walk and conversation in all other respects comport with the
Christian character.
ARTICLE VI.
Of Elections.
SEC. 1. All regular elections for
officers shall be held by ballot and shall take place on the first Saturday of
April, and the nominations shall be made according to Chap. 6 of the Formula.
SEC. 2. Special elections may be held at the option of those who hold
them, either by ballot, or by rising, or by taking the yeas and nays, as shall
be most convenient.
SEC. 3. The election for a Pastor shall be held according to Chap. 6, Sec.
5, of the Formula.
SEC. 4. In all elections the male communicants who are in regular
standing, and those females who are heads of families, shall have a vote, and
they shall have the indiscriminate right of expressing an opinion and of voting
on all subjects brought before them for decision.
ARTICLE VII.
Of Miscellaneous Matters.
SEC. 1. A regular record shall be made
by the Secretary of all the members received by baptism, infant and adult, by
confirmation or certificate, together with a list of the communicants, deaths,
removals, and marriages, an abstract of which shall be annually sent to Synod
for inspection.
SEC. 2. A regular record of the proceedings of the Council and
congregation, together with the amount of collections and expenses, shall be
kept by the Secretary, and shall be open for the inspection of every member.
SEC. 3. On communion occasions, members of sister denominations shall be
invited to and made cordially welcome at the table of the Lord; but those not in
good standing shall have no privileges in this church which are denied them in
their own church; in other words, this congregation shall not interfere with or
render void the discipline of sister denominations by granting their members
privileges which are denied them by the denomination to which they belong.
SEC. 4. This congregation shall have a Sabbath-school, of which the
Council shall always be a committee to act in concert with the Superintendent
and other officers in promoting its interests and extending its usefulness.
SEC. 5. The prayer-meeting shall be kept up regularly, and be conducted
according to Chap. 7 of the Formula.
SEC. 6: This Constitution shall be binding on us and our successors; it
may, however, be altered or amended at any meeting regularly called, by a
concurrence of two-thirds of the members present, provided such alteration or
amendment be proposed to the members for consideration one month before its
adoption.
Signed by the Pastor and officers in behalf of the congregation on the 7th day
of February, A.D. 1857.
Rev. Philip Willard, Pastor
Jere. Dunkelberger & Abraham Bower; Trustees
Saml. Dunkelberger & Benjamin Reiber; Elders
Daniel Schaeffer & William Duncan; Deacons
Mr. Stephen Losh contracted for the erecting of the new church, and the work was
prosecuted without delay.
The corner-stone was laid on Saturday, the 19th of September, 1857. The
ministers present on this occasion were Rev. P. Willard, the Pastor, Rev. P.M.
Rightmyer, Rev. D. H. Focht, Rev. l. J. Stine, and of the German Reformed
Church, Rev. C. H. Leinbach. On Friday evening previous, Re. Stine
preached in the school-house near St. Peter's Church. As it rained hard on
Saturday (the 19th), the exercises connected with the laying of the corner-stone
were held in a barn near the site of the new church. At 10 o'clock, a.m.,
Rev. Focht preached a discourse in the German language from Isa. 28:16, and Rev.
Rightmyer followed immediately with a sermon in the English language from
------. Rev. Willard attended then to the usual exercises on such
occasions, and deposited in the corner-stone the following documents: the
Holy Bible, the Lutheran Hymn-book and Liturgy, a copy of the proceedings of the
General Synod and of the Synod of Central Pennsylvania, one number of the Evangelical
Review, one of the Lutheran Observer, one of Der Jugend Greund,
one of Der Luth. Kirchenbote, one of the Missionary, Luther's
Smaller Catechism, a Catalogue of Pennsylvania College, a sketch of the history
of the congregation and a copy of its Constitution, a list of the ministers
present, a list of the names of subscribers and the amount each subscribed, a
copy of each of the county papers, the names of the church officers, and of the
contractors and architects, and some coins and relics!
Rev. Willard had for some time instructed a class of catechumens and on Saturday
the 29th of May, 1858, the day proceeding the consecration of the new church,
the following persons were admitted to full communion by the rite of
confirmation:
Jacob Shaeffer; Emanuel Heim; George W. Heim; Benjamin Ziegler; Margaret E.
Moore; Sarah R. Reiber; Elizabeth Sweger.
The new church was consecrated to the services of God on Sunday, the 30th of
May, 1858. The Rev. Joshua Evans, of Newville, who assisted Rev. Willard
on this occasion, gives the following account of the exercises connected with
the consecration in the Lutheran Observer, July 23, 1858:
"MESSRS. EDITORS: Your excellent paper being the chief medium of religious intelligence in our Church, I offer for the columns a brief notice of the consecration, on the 30th of May last, of a new Lutheran church in the Loysville pastorate, situate about five miles east of Loysville, Perry County, Pa. Religious exercises were commenced in a school-house near the church, on Thursday evening, May 27th, and conducted by the pastor, Rev. P. Willard, without assistance, until Saturday the 29th, when the church was opened, and a sermon was preached by Rev. Willard in the German language. On Saturday afternoon and evening, on Sabbath morning and evening, and on Monday morning, the writer (Rev. J. Evans) preached in the English language. On Sabbath morning after sermon, the pastor performing the liturgical service, the church was solemnly consecrated to the service of the Triune God. During the exercises on Saturday and Sunday, the Loysville choir conducted the singing and added much to the enjoyment of the congregation by their sweet and soul-stirring music. The congregation worshipping in this church, formerly worshipped in a Union church--Lutheran and German Reformed; but unwilling to spend more money in Union churches, and feeling the importance of having a house of worship of their own, they determined to build a Lutheran church, and they have completed the work in a manner which speaks well of their wisdom and liberality. The edifice stands on an elevated site, forty feet by fifty-five in size, built of brick and surmounted with a steeple and bell, and presents, externally, a very attractive and imposing appearance for a country church. The interior is finished and furnished in a manner at once neat and convenient. It has an end gallery. A debt of several hundred dollars rested on it when it was otherwise ready for consecration; but after the sermon on Sabbath morning an effort was made to free it from pecuniary embarrassment, and subscriptions and contributions were so liberal that no debt worth naming remained. On Monday, the 31st, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered to an attentive and devout congregation. The people of that vicinity are now summoned Sabbath, after Sabbath to their attractive and pleasant place of worship, and their faithful pastor is greatly cheered by seeing the work o the Lord prospering in his hands. Rev. Willard has been eminently successful during his two years' labors in the Loysville charge, having added already between two and three hundred members to the church."
The entire cost of Mount Zion Evangelical
Lutheran Church, was between twenty-three and twenty-four hundred
dollars. Rev. Willard had nine catechumens attending his
lectures on the Catechism during the summer of '58 and it is to be regretted
that they were not confirmed before he resigned. Finding the labor of the
large charge he served too great for his strength, he resigned in November,
1858.
This congregation is under lasting obligation to Rev. Willard for the service he
rendered it. Not only was a goodly number added tot he church and many
were revived and converted, but he saved the congregation from plunging into the
whirlpool of Union churchism, and secured it a house of its own. After a
vacancy of about five months, the
Rev. G. M. Settlemoyer,
having accepted a call from the Loysville
charge, commenced his pastoral labors in April, 1859. Soon after he had
taken charge, Rev. Settlemoyer commenced instructing a number of persons in the
Catechism, and on the 7th of April, 1860, the following were admitted to full
communion by confirmation:
John Bower; Lewis Sweger; Esther Bower; Mary Cath. Shaeffer.
At the same time John Billman was received by certificate. In the fall of
'60, Absalom Hull and Mrs. Kripper ,and afterwards, two or three others, were
received by certificate.
Having served the congregation two years, Rev. Settlemoyer resigned in April,
1861. About one-third of the preaching is at present needed in the German
language. Soon the congregation will require German no more.
The congregation was vacant about four months. On the 1st of September,
1861, the
Rev. Peter Sahm,
as Pastor of Loysville charge, entered on the
discharge of his ministerial labors in the charge, and, on the 22d of this month
he preached his introductory sermon here in German from Heb. 13:17, and two
weeks after in English from 2 Cor. 5:20.
In November, 1861, Miss Eliza Dewalt was received as a member of this
congregation by certificate.
Rev. Sahm preaches here once every two weeks, alternately in the German and
English languages.
"Oft in danger, oft in woe,
Onward, Christians, onward go:
Bear the toil, maintain the strife,
Strenghten'd with the bread of life.
"Let not sorrow dim your eye;
Soon shall ev'ry tear be dry;
Let not fear your course impede;
Great your strength, if great your need.
"Onward, then, to glory move;
More than conqu'rors ye shall prove;
Though oppos'd by many a foe,
Christian soldiers, onward go!"
