CHURCH: Bethlehem Church of the Evangelical Association, York, PA

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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Page 545-546

BOROUGH OF YORK

Bethlehem Church of the Evangelical Association.--This church was built 
in 1841, under the leadership of Benjamin Thomas.  It is 40 x 55 feet, 
and is located on North Queen Street.

In the year 1842 George Brickley, who is now a practicing physician of 
York, at the advanced age of seventy-nine years, had this charge 
assigned to him.  He labored until 1844.  During his administration he 
and the trustees of the church--B. Thomas, P. Shafer, C. Strigel, H. 
Burger, M. Hoke and J. Dunlap--had the church incorporated.  The names 
of the ministers who served this congregation, from the time the church 
was built until the year 1885, are as follows: George Brickley, from 
1842 to 1844; W. W. Orwig, 1844-46; J. Boas, 1846-47; L. Eberhart, 
1847-49; G. Weirick, 1849-50; C. Hammer, 1850-52; C. F. Deininger, 
1852-54; E. Kohr, 1854-56; H. Althouse, 1856-58; S. Wolf, 1858-59; D. 
Kreamer, 1859-60; A. L. Reeser, 1860-62; B. Hengst, 1862-64; J. Young, 
1864-66; S. Smith, 1866-68; A. Rairich, 1868-69; J. Bowersox, 1869-70, 
who was then sent to the State of Oregon as missionary; J. C. 
Farnsworth, 1870-72; G. Brickley, 1872-73; S. Aurand, 1873-75; C. F. 
Deininger, 1875-77; A. F. Leopold, 1877-79; C. Philibar, 1879-80; R. 
Deisher, 1880-82; J. Koehl, 1882-84; J. Shambach is the present pastor.

The services were altogether German when it was organized.  For some 
time they were German in the morning and English in the evening, until 
1871, when a part of the membership was organized into an English 
mission.

At the General Conference, held 1875, this church was added to the 
newly-organized Atlantic Conference, but in 1883 it was again placed in 
the Central Pennsylvania Conference.  While within the bounds of the 
Atlantic Conference, the services were altogether German, but now they 
are as before, half English.  The membership is 104.

In 1868, while Rev. A. Rairich was stationed here, a brick parsonage, 
was built at a cost of $2,700.  Rev. J. Young, Joshua Young and Jacob 
Sechrist constituted the building committee.