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

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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 509-510

ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH, YORK COUNTY, PA.

(Muhlenberg Charge)

REV F. S. GEESEY, PASTOR

For many years previous to the time when St. Paul's Lutheran and Reformed 
Congregation was organized, the people living in the neighborhood of a small 
country town called Stoverstown, held a Sunday School in an old School House.  
The land upon which the School House was built was donated by a Lutheran, 
Christian Lau.  This land was given by Mr. Lau for the purpose of public school 
and religious instruction.  The churches nearest to Stoverstown were St. Paul's, 
Zeigler's, about three miles south, and St. Paul's Wolf's, about four miles 
north.  To the above name congregations the majority of families of this 
immediate community belonged.  The community also had a goodly number of 
Reformed people, and these together with the Lutherans finally formed a union 
organization in about 1879, and preaching was held at times by visiting 
ministers of the Lutheran and Reformed faiths.

It was in the early part of 1880, when this union organization resolved, at a 
regularly called meeting, to secure land and build a house of God.  A Building 
Committee consisting of Jonas Hassler and George Henry, Lutherans, and Peter 
Bentz and Michael Klinedinst, Reformed, was appointed.  During the summer of 
1880, the church building was erected, a wooden structure with a bell-tower.  
This building was remodeled in 1912, and a large vestibule and tower built.  The 
original church building was dedicated late in December, 1880.  The Rev. J. C. 
Deininger, Lutheran Pastor of the St. Paul's (Wolf's) Church, preached, and Rev. 
R. Smith, the Reformed Pastor, the Lutheran Congregation not having a pastor at 
that time.  The first pastor the St. Paul's Lutheran Congregation had was Dr. J. 
D. Hauer, who served this congregation with the old St. Peter's and for some 
years it was connected with the St. Paul's, Spring Grove, which congregation Dr. 
Hauer also served for some years.

Dr. J. D. Hauer became the pastor of St. Paul's in the year 1881, and served the 
congregation until December 28, 1890, when Rev. L. K. Sechrist was called to 
become pastor.

Rev. L. K. Sechrist continued his relation as pastor of St. Paul's until 
October, 1892, when he resigned to retire from the active ministry.

There was a vacancy from October, 1892, to March, 1893, in this congregation, 
which now belonged to the Trinity Charge of the West Pennsylvania Synod, 
composed of St. Paul's, the Christ Church and St. Peter's, - all within a few 
miles of Spring Grove, York County, Penna., - during which the congregation was 
supplied by neighboring pastors, or by students from the Lutheran Theological 
Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa.  The present pastor, Rev. F. S. Geesey, a senior at 
Gettysburg Seminary, was unanimously elected Pastor and moved to Spring Grove, 
June 13, 1893.

The Congregation has increased in membership from the small group of 65 members 
to the 260 confirmed members.  The oldest record of a Church Council meeting 
which the writer could find was held May 17, 1879.  The first interment recorded 
in the burial record was made February 10, 1881.  In 1907, land was bought 
adjacent to the old burial ground and a beautiful cemetery is now owned by this 
congregation and also a good church building, recently repaired and renovated.