Church History: Trinity Reformed Church, Mountville, Lancaster County, PA

Copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/lancaster/
________________________________________________

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. 302-303

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.
________________________________________________

TRINITY REFORMED CHURCH, MOUNTVILLE

Rev. Paul Nagy, Jr., Pastor

A service in the Mystic Chain Hall, on Sunday, June 12, 1898, marked the 
beginning of Trinity Church of Mountville.  On November 11 of that same year 
Lancaster Classis granted the right to organize this congregation to Dr. J. H. 
Pannebecker, then pastor of Trinity, Columbia.  Dr. Pannebecker continued as 
pastor until 1905.  On November 12, 1905, the corner stone of the present 
building was laid.

In 1905, Trinity, Mountville, was separated from the former Charge.  While the 
congregation was without a regular pastor, the pulpit was filled by many 
distinguished men of our denomination.  Then on May 1, 1905, Classis voted to 
organize the missionary churches at Mountville and Lititz into one charge to be 
known as Trinity-St. James Charge.  Mr. Charles E. Roth was appointed missionary 
pastor.  Later this charge dissolved and in January, 1907, Trinity extended to 
St. Peter's Reformed Church of Lancaster an invitation to form a new Charge.  
The invitation accepted, Rev. Mr. Roth became pastor.  Three years later, after 
the resignation of Rev. Mr. Roth, Rev. Robert L. Bair served the two 
congregations.  However, as both congregations grew, it became apparent that in 
the best interests of both, the Charge should be dissolved.  Accordingly, this 
move was made.

Rev. J. W. Zehring became pastor of Trinity Congregation in October of 1917, and 
served faithfully until his resignation in 1936, at which time the present 
pastor, a recent graduate of the Theological Seminary in Lancaster, was elected.

Due to difficult situations in both congregations, action was taken in 1940 to 
unite the Trinity Reformed Church of East Petersburg with Trinity, Mountville.  
In this new relationship two small congregations are enabled to carry on their 
programs in the Kingdom enterprise.