East Vincent German Reformed Church (1881); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson . Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* from Futhey and Cope's THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY (1881); The early records of this church, which style it the 'Reformed Congregation of Vincent Twp", show that the old log church was built and consecrated in May of 1758, by the Rev. Philip Leidick and vestry, Sebastian Wagner, Sr, Simon Shunk, John Shoenholz, Thomas Schnider, and Lorentz Hipple. There is also a baptismal record, kept by this church from 1758 to 1833. Between these dates 735 people were baptized and from 1799 to 1833 the confirmation of 290 persons are given. In 1784, Rev Frederick Dalliker became the pastor; Frederick Harman officiated from 1799 till 1831; John C Guldin, 1821-40; pastors between 1840 and 1848, Revs. Young, honger, John R Hooken and Hoffman, all short pastorates; Albert Shenkel, 21 years 1848-69; S Maxwell Roland, 1869-1881; Rev Mr. Epert,the present pastor, since the first Sunday in May, 1881. In 1812, the congregation met in their school-house, and elected as a building committee John Laubach, Casper Schneider, and Henry Hipple, for the proposed new church edifice. 3 Years after the laying of the corner-stone a burglary and sacrilege was committed; the corner where the box was deposited was cut out and robbed of its contents. The stones of this edifice were red, yellow and white freestone. In the old graveyard attached to this church are buried nearly all the early members of the church, several generations of the settlers of that vicinity. Of the many hundred of interments, that of Benjamin Boyer - born 1727, died 1780 - is said to be the first. Other early burials are indicated, by the dates on the headstones. Thomas Snider 1716-1782 Geo Yeager 1718-1790 John Olwine 1734-1791 Peter Yeager 1765-1811 Peter Shunk (uncle of the Governor) 1756-1814 Henry Hipple 1759-1843 John Hoffman 1745-1815 Michael Saiffer 1724-1802 John Labach 1728-1808 Peter Defrahn 1733-1782 In 1828 there was a division in this congregation on doctrinal points of church discipline, which breadh widened in the ensuing years, and about 1847-8 one party withdrew and organized a new congregation and built the St Vincent Church. Members of the congregation copied from the church archives of the church, in 1846; John Shaenholz Michale Deny Simon Schunk Sebastian Wagner Thomas Schnider John Schnider Peter Steger Jacob Callmun John Hippel Sebastian Wagner Jacob Hellwig Michael Sifert Lorence Kyle John Labach Simon Schunk Geo Yeager Paul Benner Adam Gondel John Imhoff Jacob Miller John Hoffman Philip Stine Geo Hargs John Kline Christian Stahl Jacob Conrad Henery Caro John Keeley Henry Brenholz Valentine Schmit Jacob Guender Geo Christman Casper Beerhauer Nicholas Grund John John John Marsh Anthony Acker Henry Bluit Frederic Barnholz Leonard Daenbil John Heek John Lkine Philip Wiant John Gross Jacob Hellwing Jacob Stickel Wm Claus Wm Thomas John Margz Jacob Ellis Peter Defrehn Frederic Henken Jacob Hell Jacob Hauenstine John Geitling Philip Sellers James Marry Henry Schmid Christian Ehmig Jacob Nailer Philip Seeler John Brahlman Sebastian Mauaer John Deetz