CHURCH: St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Hametown, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

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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 466-468

ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH, HAMETOWN, PA.

(Glen Rock Charge)

REV. L. F. M. MYERS, PASTOR

St. Paul's church dates its beginning in July, 1874, when a meeting was held in 
the Hametown school house "and the following officers were elected:  Jacob 
Strievig and John Stark, Elders; Adam Hain, Adam Lentz, Jacob Hoke and John 
Stermer, Deacons."

It happened on this wise:  Christ church at Shrewsbury was facing the necessity 
of a new church building, and the members in the vicinity of Hametown, having 
several miles to travel to church, decided that the money they might contribute 
towards the new building at Shrewsbury could be used to a better advantage by 
building a little church of their own and forming a new congregation.  The 
building process must have been pushed very rapidly for on January 11th, 1875, 
the "Church Council met in St. Paul's Lutheran church and elected Jacob 
Strievig, Treasurer, and A. M. Anstine, Secretary."  The earliest record of 
church members is May 15, 1875.  On this date 41 members were received by letter 
and 20 by confirmation, and the Lord's Supper was celebrated.

The church was built of red bricks, which were made on an adjoining farm by Mr. 
Isaac Diehl, the father of Rev. W. K. Diehl.  It seats comfortably about 250 
people.  The Building Committee consisted of Frederick B. Anstine, John Stermer, 
Reuben Frey, Levi Seitz, Isaac Diehl and Jacob S. Seitz.  All of these are still 
very familiar family names in the congregation.  The ground on which the church 
stands was purchased of Reuben Frey and wife for a nominal price, the deed for 
which was dated December 27th, 1875, and is of record April 4th, 1876, at a cost 
of $240.00.

The congregation was admitted into the West Pennsylvania Synod on September 19, 
1874, and a minute of February 5, 1875, shows that "By-Laws were drawn up for 
the benefit of the congregation." "pursuant to the action of the Synod and the 
congregation."  The synodical committee having charge of St. Paul's application 
consisted of John A. Heberling, J. C. Koller and B. F. Alleman.

Rev. J. C. Koller, who was pastor at Glen Rock, was elected the first pastor of 
St. Paul's and served the congregation as part of the Glen Rock Charge for two 
years.  He was succeeded by Rev. J. B. Wolf, fresh from Gettysburg Seminary, in 
July, 1877, whose pastorate continued a little more than forty years, and he was 
succeeded by the present incumbent, Rev. L. F. M. Myers, in 1918.

According to the best information, this church had no Sunday School for a number 
of years.  There is a record of August 9, 1890, that the Church Council met a 
committee of the Hametown "Union Sunday School," which at that time was meeting 
in the school house, and arrangements were made to change the place of meeting 
to the church.  This plan prevailed for many years until there remained but one 
family other than Lutheran, namely that of Mr. Benjamin Seitz, who suggested to 
Pastor Wolf that there was "no use continuing a Union school for one family.  
Let it be Lutheran," - and so it became.

In 1913 the church was thoroughly renovated, including a new gasoline lighting 
system and a fence in front of the church, which has since been removed.  
Messrs. B. A. Stermer, J. M. Saubel and A. T. Diehl supervised the work and 
raised the funds to pay the bills.

At the time of its organization St. Paul's was fortunate in having a number of 
large families.  But as the young folks married and set out for themselves many 
of them moved away from the neighborhood causing a falling off in the attendance 
and membership of the church.  But new families are now coming into the vicinity 
and St. Paul's is being rejuvinated by a new and younger element.  The church 
now enrolls 155 communicants and the Sunday School 137 members.  A very 
encouraging young people's organization holds interesting weekly meetings and 
the women of the church have formed themselves into a very promising Missionary 
Society.  The synodical apportionment is met in full.  A class in Religious 
Education is conducted regularly every summer by the pastor.  The transformation 
of the old Baltimore Pike into an eighteen feet wide concrete highway is a big 
factor in bringing new life to the church.

The congregation has given four of her sons to the Gospel Ministry, namely:  
Rev. John Nicholas, deceased, who gave his active service as a missionary in 
India; Rev. Andrew S. Hain, deceased; Rev. Wm. K. Diehl, Clear Springs, Md.; and 
Rev. H. C. Brillhart, Leetonia, Ohio.