CHURCHES BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS
A HISTORY OF THE
LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONS IN
PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by
REV. D. H. FOCHT, A.M.
CHAPTER VI
SECTION I
ST. SAMUEL'S CHURCH AT
MILLERSTOWN
Millerstown, laid out in 1800, is on the northwest bank of the Juniata, where an old Indian village stood in olden times. This is probably the oldest town in Perry County, and considerable business used to be done here, being located at the east end of a long range of mountain passes. At present it is in statu quo. Members of the Church resided here fifty years ago. They attended preaching at St. Michael's Church in Pfoutz's Valley, and so far as we know anything to the contrary, had no preaching by a minister of their own Church in town, till the beginning of 1847 when the
Rev. William Weaver
located here. Some of the members had
hitherto belonged to St. Michael's Church, and some, living in town, and its
vicinity, were as sheep without a shepherd. Rev. Weaver preached for them
in a school-house in the borough of Millerstown, and, perhaps, had also the use
of one of the churches for some time. His labors were successful, and the
prospects were truly promising. In March, 1850, a congregation was
organized, and it is said that "upwards of forty persons united themselves
in that organization." On Saturday the 4th of January, 1851, six
persons were admitted to membership by vote and certificate, and the following
ten persons were confirmed:
Lewis
Acker
Lydia Harman
Lewis
Grubb
Elizabeth Harman
------
Grubb
Ann Eliza Harman
John
Harman
Hannah Puntius
Mrs. Mary
Harman
Sarah Jane Puntius.
On Sunday, the 5th, the Lord's Supper was administered. In a few weeks
after this, Rev. Weaver resigned. He had accomplished a good work, and it
is to be regretted that he did not stay longer among this people. The
members labored under the disadvantage of not having a church-edifice of their
own; but at the very time they were agitating the subject of erecting a house of
worship, their pastor resigned and no church was built.
After Rev. Weaver had resigned, the Rev. J. Martin, then pastor of the
Bloomfield charge, preached an occasional sermon for the members at Millerstown
till the spring of 1852. After this, the members had no preaching till the
spring of 1854, when Rev. A. Height of Bloomfield visited them occasionally and
preached for them in a school-house. At this time the prospects of
building a church were flattering. A kind friend of the good cause offered
to donate a desirable lot of ground for the purpose. But, then, Rev.
Height ceased to preach in September of the same year, and thus the members were
again destitute, and the prospects of building a church vanished. On the
1st of October, 1856, the
Rev. Josiah Zimmerman
located at Millerstown, as a missionary for
the whole field extending from river to river. He preached at this place
regularly in a school-house, and had for some-time also the use of one of the
churches in town. On the 20th of February, 1857, he reorganized the
congregation with seven members, to which, soon after, fifteen more were added,
so that the congregation then consisted of twenty-two members. Rev.
Zimmerman says: "Soon after I came to Millerstown I organized a class
of catechumens. I instructed them in my study and on the 12th of April,
1857, the following persons were confirmed:
Ephraim
Acker
Elizabeth Hall
Peter
Hall
Sarah E. Hall
Samuel
Rice
Elizabeth Jones
David Richabaugh
Sarah R. Jones
John Slutterbach
Susan Marlatt
Mrs. Mary Ann
Lyons
Sarah A. Richabaugh
Mrs. Rambach
Mary A. Slutterbach
Sophia Rice
Rev. Zimmerman accomplished a good work. When he resigned, on the 1st of
April, 1859, the congregation numbered about forty members. In August,
1859, the
Rev. J. A. Hackenberger
commenced to preach here, also in a school-house. But finding his field of labor too large to accomplish much good, he resigned, in August, 1860, all the preaching-places on the Juniata, and thus opened the way for the formation of the Millerstown charge. For nearly a year the members here had no preaching. In May, 1861, Synod requested the pastor of the newly-formed Thompsontown charge to supply the congregation at Millerstown; but the pastor of that charge found himself unable to comply with this request. Synod's Committee on Home Missions then secured a missionary for this destitute field. On the 6th of July, 1861, the
Rev. William O. Wilson,
the present pastor, located at Millerstown
and commenced his pastoral labors. For the first year he received $150 of
the Synod's missionary funds. For some time he explored the field and
preached at a number of places, some of which he afterwards gave up and
concentrated his labors to fewer points. At Millerstown he has hitherto
been preaching in the new school-house or academy. A church was wanted
very much to insure success. Hence, efforts were soon made to build
one. For this purpose Mr. John Kinter very generously donated a lot of
ground near the borough of Millerstown, and preparation was made to erect a
church. On Wednesday evening the 25th of September, 1861, Rev. P. M.
Rightmeyer preached in the Methodist Episcopal Church from Eph. 6:10-12.
At the same place, on the 26th, Rev. D. H. Focht preached a sermon suitable to
the occasion from Eph. 2:19-22. The assembly proceeded then to the site of
the foundation of Samuel's Evangelical Lutheran Church, the documents were
deposited, and the corner-stone laid in the usual way*. The building is to
be frame, and thirty-five by forty feet in size.
*Excepting names and dates, the declaration with the documents
was the same as that deposited in the corner-stone of the Centre Evangelical
Lutheran Church (see next section), and need therefore not be inserted here.
On the 29th of December, 1861, the congregation was organized once more.
On this occasion the Rev. W. H. Diven assisted the pastor and the following
paper was approved and subscribed:
"We, the undersigned, now regular members of the neighboring Evangelical
Lutheran congregations, and in good standing in the same, living at Millerstown
and its vicinity, Perry County, Pa., deeply sensible of the necessity of having
the Gospel of Jesus Christ regularly preached in our midst, of having our
children instructed in the doctrines of the Christian religion, and of having
the sacraments administered according to the command of God's word, do, on this
Sunday the 29th of December, A.D. 1861, organize ourselves into an Evangelical
Lutheran congregation, by electing an Elder or Elders and Deacons, holding the
Bible as our only infallible and inspired rule of faith and practice, affirming
our assent to the doctrinal basis of the Synod of Central Pennsylvania, and of
the General Synod of the Lutheran Church in the United States, and adopting the
Formula of said General Synod, or a Constitution consistent therewith as our
rule of government and discipline. In doing this we subscribe our names as
members of Samuel's Evangelical Lutheran Church, looking to Almighty God for his
blessing upon this our humble undertaking, and praying that his word among us
may have free course, run and be glorified, sinners be converted, saints be
edified, and this congregation be perpetuated from generation to generation,
till time be no more, through Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and Holy
Spirit, be praise and glory, honor and thanksgiving, now and forever.
Amen. Signed by
Samuel S.
Taylor
Susan Marlatt
Ephraim
Acker
Caroline Freeburn
Samuel H. Kleffman
Elizabeth Kleffman
Jacob Slutterbach
Lydia Ann Acker
Mary A. Slutterbach
Henry Weiland
John Slutterbach
Mary Slutterbach
Hannah Taylor
From the above number, and on the same day, the following brethren were elected
and installed as the officers of the congregation, viz.,
Samuel S. Taylor, Elder.
Ephraim Acker, 1 year, Deacon
Samuel H. Kleffman, 2 years, Deacon
On the 27th of April, 1862, Mrs. Hannah Harman, Mrs. Elmira Jane Wright, and
Mrs. Mary Louder, were received as members by certificate.
In May, 1862, Mr. S. S. Taylor, as delegate, represented the charge in Synod at
Selinsgrove, Pa., and Synod promised to advance $200 from its missionary fund
towards the mission the coming year.
The new church it is expected will be ready for consecration in August of this
year, 1862. The congregation has suffered much for want of a house of
worship, and has struggled hard to build one. Now, however, the
long-desired and much-needed object is nearly reached. We trust a brighter
day will now dawn for this long-distracted and neglected congregation, and that
it will now enjoy the stated ministrations of the sanctuary, and be permanent in
its growth.
The present pastor has hitherto labored amid innumerable difficulties in the
charge, growing out of a want of church-edifice and of an adequate
support. He labored hard and endured much self-denial, besides suffering
severe affliction in his own person and family; but, as a good soldier, he
prosecuted his labors with patience and sowed with tears, and, under God, he has
accomplished a good work. The charge is now established permanently and
order is brought out of chaos. May the Lord of the harvest bless the
pastor and congregations.
"Mighty Savior, spread thy
Gospel,
Win and conquer, never cease;
May thy lasting, wide dominions
Multiply and still increase;
Sway thy sceptre,
Savior, all the world around."
