Church History: St. Paul Reformed Church, Manheim, Lancaster County, PA

Copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
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History of the Classis of Lancaster of the Eastern Synod of the
Reformed Church in the United States, 1852-1940;

Part II, Histories of the Congregations of the Classis of Lancaster, Pg. 234-239

Printed by The New Holland Clarion, New Holland, PA;
Editors Rev. Daniel G. Glass, Rev. C. George Bachman, Rev. Harry E. Shepardson,
Rev. John F. Frantz, Rev. J. N. Le Van, D.D.
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ST. PAUL REFORMED CHURCH, MANHEIM, PA

Rev. Harvey M. Leidy, Pastor

The Reformed Church in Manheim was founded by German Reformed people who fled 
from the Palatinate and France and came to America in order that they might 
worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience.  Landing at New 
York they traveled across the state of New York and entered Pennsylvania through 
the Wyoming Valley and settled in the Garden Spot of this state.  The first 
thought of these early settlers and fugitives after they had provided a shelter 
for themselves was to build a church where they might assemble to worship God.

When the town of Manheim was less than eight years old, plans were formulated to 
erect a church which was dedicated in the year 1769, three or four years after 
the congregation had been organized.  The building was a weather-boarded log 
structure built on a piece of ground bought for five shillings or about $1.20.  
The pulpit was fastened to the side wall, supported by a pedestal and was 
reached by a stairway.  Sometimes the gate which opened into the pulpit was too 
small for the preacher to enter, and we are told that on one occasion in one of 
these early churches it was necessary to use a saw to make the opening wider 
before he could get into the pulpit and proceed with the services.  The church 
in which the congregation worships at present was erected in the year 1852, 
during the pastorate of Rev. Isaac Gerhart.

The Rev. John Conrad Bucher, born in Switzerland, June 10, 1739, was the first 
minister called to serve the Manheim congregation.  The exact date of his coming 
is not known, but on July 28, 1771, he confirmed eleven persons and administered 
Communion to fifty-seven members.  Sometime during his pastorate between 1775 
and 1779, the church was used as a soldiers' hospital.

From the year 1779 until Rev. G. W. Welsh was called to be the pastor of the 
church, November 1, 1899, twenty-one ministers served the congregation 
faithfully.  Shortly after Rev. Welsh began his ministry, his mother, Mrs. S. H. 
Welsh, of York, Pa., presented 200 individual cups to the congregation, to be 
used instead of the single Communion Cup.  Services were held August 8, 9, 10, 
1902 to commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the laying of the corner stone 
of the present church building.  At the close of his pastorate, April 1, 1903, 
the congregation numbered 180 members in good and regular standing.

The congregation extended a call to the Rev. A. O. Bartholomew, who was duly 
installed, Sunday evening, October 25, 1903, as pastor of the Manheim charge, 
consisting of St. Paul's, Manheim and Trinity, East Petersburg, Pa.  In the year 
1905 a new roof was put on the church, the outside walls were given several 
coats of red paint and the woodwork was painted white.  The walls and ceiling of 
the church auditorium were redecorated and a two-manual pipe organ, consisting 
of 11 stops and 640 pipes was installed.

The church was re-opened for services and the pipe organ dedicated Sunday, 
January 7, 1906.  The dedicatory sermon was delivered by the Rev. George W. 
Richards, D.D., professor of Church History in the Theological Seminary, at 
Lancaster, Pa.  A beautiful baptismal font was presented to the congregation by 
Elder H. C. Boyd, September 8, 1912, as a memorial to his wife.  Rev. 
Bartholomew added 215 members to the church during his ministry of 11 years, 
which was brought to a close September 30, 1914.

At the request of the joint consistory a supply committee was appointed by 
Lancaster Classis to secure a pastor agreeable to both congregations, but after 
a futile effort of six months, the joint consistory petitioned Classis to 
dissolve the relationship of St. Paul's, Manheim and Trinity, Easter Petersburg, 
which was granted by Classis in a regular session convened in Harrisburg, April 
26-29, 1915.

The Rev. E. H. Zechman received a call from the Manheim congregation and 
preached his first sermon, June 2, 1915.  During his six years of successful 
ministry, the church was freed of debt, the heating plant improved, and 126 new 
members were brought into the church.  Rev. Zechman ended his ministry, May 31, 
1921.

The Rev. A. Theodore Wright served the congregation from October 1921 to October 
1926.  At a meeting of the consistory March 20, 1922, an action was taken to 
purchase a property on South Grant Street, to be used as a parsonage.  In 
September 1922, a new boiler house was built and a new heating plant installed.  
During Rev. Wright's ministry, forty-nine new members affiliated themselves with 
the church.

The present pastor, Rev. Harvey M. Leidy began his ministry in Manheim, Sunday, 
February 6, 1927, and was installed Thursday evening, March 17, 1927.  The 
congregation at a special meeting held Sunday, October 9, 1927, decided to sell 
the parsonage on South Grant Street, and buy a property on North Grant Street, 
to be used for the same purpose.  During the summer of 1928, the walls and 
ceiling of the church auditorium were redecorated, the memorial windows were 
replaced with new art glass windows, a new lighting system installed and the 
floor recarpeted.

At a special congregational meeting held April 18, 1930, it was decided to 
purchase the three-manual Bates and Culley pipe organ from Emmanual Reformed 
Church, Hanover, Pa., and also to make extensive improvements in the Church 
School room.  In the summer and fall of 1930, the new organ, consisting of 36 
stops and 2500 pipes was installed in two organ chambers; a Church School 
building, two-story brick addition to the church, was erected; the old Church 
School room remodeled and renovated and a Motor-Stoker installed.  The Church 
School building and organ were dedicated Sunday, January 11, 1931.  The 
dedicatory sermon was delivered by the Rev. A. O. Bartholomew, of Littlestown, 
Pa.

On April 18, 1936, Mr. George Pinkerton presented a cross to the congregation in 
memory of his father, Dr. Neilson W. Pinkerton.  Mr. and Mrs. Robison F. Walter 
presented two candelabra in memory of Mr. Walter's mother, Mrs. Mary Fox Walter 
and Mrs. Walter's mother, Mrs. Amanda Rebecca Walter.  Two memorial vases were 
presented by Mrs. Norman Haines in memory of her mother, Mrs. Lillian Boyer 
Walter.

The fiftieth anniversary of the Women's Missionary Society was observed April 
21, 1938.

Mrs. Frederic A. Van Dyke presented an Alms Basin to the congregation June 5, 
1938, in memory of her sister, Mrs. Blanche D. Obetz.

The Ladies' Building Fund Circle and Church School have been instrumental in 
greatly reducing the church debt.

Two hundred and sixty-eight members affiliated themselves with the church during 
the present pastorate and the congregation now numbers three hundred and twenty-
eight.

The register of ministers follows:

Rev. John C. Bucher . . . . . . . . 1769-1779
Rev. John William Runkle. . . . . . 1779-1782
Rev. John Waldschmidt and
Rev. William Hendel, D.D. . . . . . 1782-1785
Rev. Ludwig Lupp. . . . . . . . . . 1785-1798
Rev. William Hiester. . . . . . . . 1799-1808
Rev. Henry B. Schaffner . . . . . . 1808-1839
Rev. Christian Weiler . . . . . . . 1840-1846
Rev. Henry B. Habliston . . . . . . 1846-1847
Vacant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1848-1849
Rev. Isaac Gerhart. . . . . . . . . 1849-1855
Rev. John Hoffmyer. . . . . . . . . 1856-1858
Rev. I. E. Graeff, D.D. . . . . . . 1858-1867
Rev. T. O. Stem . . . . . . . . . . 1867-1870
Rev. Prof. J. H. Dubbs, D.D. and
Rev. Prof. J. S. Stahr, Ph.D., D.D. 1870-1877
Rev. Louis F. Zinkham . . . . . . . 1877-1882
Rev. S. B. Schafer. . . . . . . . . 1882-1884
Rev. W. J. Johnson. . . . . . . . . 1885-1890
Rev. D. W. Albright . . . . . . . . 1890-1893
Rev. Chas. E. Wehler. . . . . . . . 1893-1899
Rev. G. W. Welsh. . . . . . . . . . 1899-1904
Rev. A. O. Bartholomew. . . . . . . 1904-1914
Rev. E. H. Zechman. . . . . . . . . 1914-1919
Rev. A. Theodore Wright, S.T.D. . . 1920-1926
Rev. Harvey M. Leidy. . . . . . . . 1927-