CHURCH: Christ Lutheran Church, Muhlenberg Charge, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

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http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of West Pennsylvania of the United 
Lutheran Church in America, 1825-1925

Edited by Adam Stump, D.D. and Henry Anstadt, D.D.

Published by the Action of the Synod in Celebration of Its Centennial,
Printed For The Synod By J. R. Kerr & Bro., Chambersburg, Penna.,1925 
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Pg 506-507

CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH, YORK COUNTY, PENNA.

(Muhlenberg Charge)

REV. F. S. GEESEY, PASTOR

Christ Church formerly belonged to the Paradise Charge of the York County 
Conference.  It was a part of the Union Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed, known 
as the Roth Church.  It is said that before Rev. John G. Schmucker, who was 
pastor of the Christ Lutheran Church, York, Pa., the Rev. John Casper Stoever 
visited this community and did ministerial work.  In 1809 Rev. John G. Schmucker 
became the pastor and served the people for some years.  In 1828 Rev. Andrew G. 
Deininger became the pastor of the Emanuel Lutheran Church, which is now the 
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Rev. Andrew G. Deininger continued as 
pastor a period of fifty-two years.  He was much beloved and honored by his 
people.  After Rev. A. G. Deininger died, the Rev. D. Sell became pastor and 
served the Emanuel congregation until 1888.  During the last years of Rev. D. 
Sell's administration, the Emanuel Lutheran and Reformed Congregations 
separated, each building its own house of worship.  The Emanuel Lutheran 
Congregation organized itself into a new cocngregation under the name of Christ 
Evangelical Lutheran Church.  This meeting for organization and building a new 
house of worship was held in Mummert's School House, of Jackson Township, on 
February 18, 1888.

Land was purchased and the church building erected at once and the first 
communion held in the new church took place November 11, 1888.  Rev. Peter 
Anstadt, D. D., of York, Pa., was the minister who preached and served the 
congregation at that time; until they had a regular pastor, the ministers 
supplying were:  Rev. A. G. Fastnacht, B. S. Dise, W. H. Ketterman, George W. 
Enders and E. Manges, until Rev. D. Stock was called as supply pastor on 
November 16, 1889.  The Rev. L. K. Sechrist was extended a call to become their 
pastor December 28, 1890.

The Rev. L. K. Sechrist served the Christ Church until October, 1892.  There 
being a vacancy, the present pastor, Rev. F. S. Geesey, who was then a senior in 
the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, was invited to supply the congregation, 
and on March 18, 1893, he was unanimously elected pastor and has served the 
congregation up to the present.

Preceeding the pastorate of Rev. F. S. Geesey, the Christ Church belonged to the 
Trinity Charge, composed also of St. Peter's and St. Paul's, Stoverstown, but 
when St. Jacobs's, York New Salem, formerly served by Rev. John Conoway, voted 
to unite with the Trinity Charge, the name Muhlenberg was substituted for 
Trinity.  This Christ Church has gone through a test which but few need to 
endure, but it has come out a revived and consecrated people.