Church: History: Christ Reformed, Annville Charge: Annville, Lebanon Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Linnea T Miller ltmiller@geocities.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ Centennial History of Lebanon Classes of the Reformed Church in the U.S., 1820 - 1920, Compiled by Prof. Thos. S. Stein, Lebanon PA: Sowers Printing Company. Excerpts from Chapter VI: "Sketches of Congregations" Christ Reformed, Annville, Annville Charge. Rev. W.F. DeLong, Pastor. There are many cases where a church can trace its beginning to a company of earnest, pious men and women gathering for worship in private houses, even sometimes forming an organization before they build a church. Whether such was the case in Annville or Millerstown, as it was called in the early days, we have no knowledge. There were Reformed people living here, but they may have gone to Hill Church of to Lebanon to worship, and quite likely did so. An affecting instance of devotion to and regard for their pastor is seen in the following occurrence in this section, in the year 1780, twenty-four years before a Reformed church was erected. In that year Rev. Conrad BUCHER was pastor of Tabor Church, Lebanon. On the 15th of August he was called to Annville to officiate at a wedding in a KILLINGER family. While in the midst of the ceremony, he fell over dead. But, though a hearse would have been procured, his friends, no doubt members of his church, bore him on their shoulders to Lebanon. They thus showed their high regard to him. One cannot but recall a similar service which Dr. Livingstone's native servants rendered, when they bore his body one thousand miles from the interior of Africa to the coast. The predecessor of the present Reformed Church in Annville was the Jerusalem Church, a union church (Lutheran and Reformed), built in 1804. It stood on the same site, - not exactly on the same spot, however. The full name of it was "The Jerusalem Church of the Evangelical Lutheran and German Reformed Congregations of Annville and its Vicinity." Messrs. Abraham RAIGUEL and Martin ULRICH were the donors of the land, the former donating the Old Graveyard plot, and the latter the plot on which the church stood. There are no early records of the church, whereby we might gain more information. An old protocol has been found, giving a list of baptisms from 1807 to 1852, a few death records, and a few communicant lists of the early fifties. But it contains nothing as to early organizatio n. The Jerusalem Church was built of limestone and was a substantial structure. It had a tower and a bell, but no vestibule at first. The pulpit on the east side was of the wine-glass order, and there were galleries on three sides, one of which contained the organ, which was made in Lititz. A parochial school house was built opposite the church, on White Oak street (the house now occupied by Samuel SEABOLD.) Some of the teachers' names were GERMAN, MOHLER, FISHER, BACHMAN, STREIN and TODD. In 1848 Jerusalem Church was remodeled after resounding with the praises of God for forty-four years. A vestibule was added on the south side and the pulpit removed to the north end. Above the pulpit on the wall was the motto: Ehre sei Gott in der HF6h e. There were two stories, the first being divided into Sunday School and Prayer-Meeting rooms. The furniture was renewed, the long open pews giving way to more substantial ones, with small doors. The church was chartered April 1, 1849. The school-house was sold by the trustees, John KILLINGER (Reformed) and Henry FISHER (Lutheran), they being authorized to do so by a Special Act of the Legislature, approved March 20, 1849, the proceeds to be applied to the payment of the debts of the congregations. In 1869 the union Sunday School divided into two branches, Reformed and Lut heran. In 1872 the congregations agreed to separate. The Reformed paid the Lutherans $3,000 for their interest in the property. Now another renovation took place. Painting, frescoing, better light and a fine painting as an alter piece - the Ascension - greeted the eye. In 1903 the Jerusalem Church building was torn down and replaced by the present Christ Reformed Church of Annville, a fine limestone building, Gothic in design, with a square tower. The new structure seats about 750. The Sunday School room can be made a part of the auditorium by means of folding doors. The church is now equipped with fine furniture, electric lights, remodeled organ, frescoed walls, stained glass windows, efficient choir, Missionary Society, Young Ladies' Guild, Mission Band, and prosperous Sunday School. Two pastors are doing what the can to make matters move forward, Rev. W.F. DeLONG, who at present is Eastern Regional Secretary of the Forward Movement, and Rev. J.G. DENGLER, who is acting as Supply Pastor for the for mer. On June 14, 1914, the 110th anniversary of the church was observed. Dr. Theo. F. HERMAN, Professor of Systematic Theology in the Reformed Theological Seminary at Lancaster, Pa., gave the principal addresses at the morning and evening services. Other speakers were Rev. A.V. HIESTER, Ph.D., Professor of Economics and Sociology in Franklin and Marshall College, Revs. J. Rauch STEIN, T.L. BICKEL, and S.H. STEIN. The Sunday School of the church dates from the early years. Our knowledge goes back no farther than the 40's. The first superintendent we have heard of was John SHERTZER, who was a merchant of Annville. Of course, it was a union school and held its sessions in the parochial school house. After school closed, the superintendent, teachers and scholars marched over into the church. There are still among us two (perhaps more) who took part in those processions, George W. STINE and John H. ULRICH. In 1869 the school was divided, each congregation organizing its own. F.W. VANDERSLOOT was the first superintendent of the Reformed school. George W. STINE, the present superintendent, has occupied the position for the past 50 years. His semi-centennial as superintendent was celebrated a few weeks ago. (February 15, 1920.) Christ Reformed Church always pays its apportionment in full. A spirit of liberality has been cultivated in Church and Sunday School. In the latter the weekly contributions generally average from seven to ten cents for every member, - man woman and child. Among the "sons of the congregation" who have gone forth from us to enter the ministry are: Rev. Jno. AULT, deceased, Rev. John P. STEIN, deceased, Rev. J. Rauch STEIN, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Rev. S.H. STEIN, York, Pa., Rev. A.V. HIESTER, Professor in Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa. The most memorable fact in the history of this church, at least to many of the present generation, is the long pastorate of Dr. J.E. HIESTER, who served this congregation for almost 50 years. As a memorial to him the congregation has established a $500 Church Building Fund. The pastors of this congregation have been the following: - Rev. William HIESTER, 1804 - 1828. Rev. Henry KROH, 1828 - 1835. Rev. Henry WAGNER, 1835 - 1851. Rev. F.W. KREMER, D.D., 1851 - 1852. Rev. J.E. HIESTER, D.D., 1852 - 1900. Rev. W.F. DeLONG, 1901 - . Rev. J.G. DENGLER, supply, 1919 - . The consistory is constituted as follows: - Elders - John L. SAYLOR, Geo. W. STINE. Deacons - Adam BIXLER, Paul J. FORRY, H.M. BOWMAN, Wm. S. BERRY. The membership of the church is 301; that of the Sunday School 340.