CHURCH: St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Chanceford Twp., 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 
_______________________________________________

Pg 447-452

ST. LUKE'S LUTHERAN CHURCH, YORK CO., PA.
(Chanceford Charge)

REV. GLENN T. HAFER, PASTOR

St. Luke's congregation originally of Stehle's church, dates from A. D. 1772, 
when a meeting was held in the German settlement in Chanceford Township, York 
Co., Pa., to discuss church, school, and community affairs.  Mr. Stehle, a 
freeholder, and older member of the community, offered the land for a church, 
school, and graveyard, for which the community agreed to pay seven shillings and 
six pence per acre.  Michael Worm and Peter Schneider were appointed to arrange 
for the deed.  On this land, the community began the building of a church on 
August 15, 1772.  Stephen Stehle was appointed to arrange for the altar, pulpit, 
and chairs.  These furnishings were later made by Casper Seiler.  This church 
was a log structure one story in height.  The congregation was organized August 
22, 1773.

It may be of interest to quote the following from the translation of the German 
record:  "Alpha and Omega.  Church Book and Protocol of the United Evangelical 
Congregation in Chanceford Township, organized in the Year 1773.  In the year of 
our Lord, 1772, have we Lutheran and Reformed church members united with one 
another to build a joint church on the land of Jacob Stehle, which church shall 
remain a Lutheran and Reformed as long as the sun and moon shall stand.  If one 
party has a preacher, the other party shall help to support.  If they have two 
pastors, the one shall not interfere with the other's time, or be a hindrance to 
him."

The first officers elected by the congregation were Jacob Gerringer and George 
Illies.  Rev. Lucas Raus, the organizer and first pastor of the congregation, 
was born in Kromstadt, Hungary.  His father was a pastor in his native town.  
After attending the University of Jena, Rev. Raus sailed from Rotterdam in 1749.  
When he landed in Philadelphia on November 22, 1749, he became assistant to Rev. 
Muhlenburg at Germantown, Pa.  In 1758 he was called from Goschenhoppen, 
Montgomery Co., to Yorktown (now York) Pa., from which place he was called to 
organize and serve Stehle's church in connection with the congregations of 
Shuster's, Bermudian, Kreutzcreek, and Chockley's churches.  Upon leaving this 
charge in 1787, he returned to Goschenhoppen.

The officers during the first decade of the church's history were:  Jacob 
Geringer, George Illies, Nicholas Straher, Jacob Stehle, Peter Schneider, Jacob 
Grant, Michael Worm, and Michael Gohn.  The first baptism recorded was that of 
Andrew Stehle, son of Andrew and Anna Mary Stehle, born April 2, 1773, baptized 
August 22, 1773.  The first wedding was that of Jacob Kamer and Elizabeth Flamm.

After Pastor Raus left, no definite record can be found of the pastors until 
after 1800.  The following men are believed to have served during this time:  
Revs. Timotheus Kuhl; Bentz; A. Gernal; Heisley; August Rutz; and George Graber.  
Rev. Rutz was licensed as a catechist in 1792 for Shuster's, Blymire's, Frey's, 
Sadler's and Stehle's churches.  The name of the first mentioned Reformed pastor 
was Rev. Ernst who served at the same time as Rev. Bentz.

From 1804 to 1807, Conrad Rehman and Rev. Edinger were the Lutheran and Reformed 
pastors respectively.  Revs. John Herbst and J. A. Shaull were colleagues from 
1813 to 1819 when Rev. Herbst recorded his last communion.  From 1820 to 1830 
the Lutheran congregation was served by Rev. Henry George Stecher who was 
succeeded by Rev. John Graber until possibly, 1832.  Rev. Peter Harmon is next 
recorded as pastor from 1839 to 1852.  Revs. Kaempfer, father and son, served 
from 1852 to 1861.  About this time the church was rebuilt.  A brick structure 
was built to replace the old log one.

In 1862 the Rev. John Conoway accepted a call to four congregations of the old 
Windsor charge including Stehle's.  Rev. Conoway was of Irish and Roman Catholic 
parentage, but in early youth united with the Lutheran church at York, and 
studied theology under his pastor Dr. Schmucker, and was licensed to preach in 
1861 at Shippensburg, and was ordained at Mechanicsburg in 1862.  Stehle's 
church belonged to his first charge, and upon leaving here, he was called to the 
New Salem Charge.  In 1871 the Dallastown Charge was formed out of the old 
Windsor Charge of which this congregation was a part, and the Rev. Peter Warner 
became pastor.  Rev. Warner is remembered today by some of our older members as 
being a very faithful and devoted pastor.  During his pastorate of eleven years, 
97 persons were received into membership of the congregation.  His labors ended 
in this charge March 31st, 1892, two weeks after which he was called to his 
eternal reward.  His successor was the Rev. Edwin Lenhart who came to the 
Dallastown Charge, October 1, 1882.  In 1885 the Dallastown Charge was divided, 
and the Lebanon Charge was formed to include Stehle's church.  Rev. Lenhart 
continued to serve the Dallastown Charge, and therefor resigned as pastor of 
Stehle's Church, October 1, 1885.  During his pastorate at Stehle's, 20 members 
were received into the church and 20 children were baptized.  The newly-formed 
Lebanon Charge was supplied for some months by Rev. Peter Livingston, a student 
of the Gettysburg Theological Seminary.  After his graduation from the Seminary, 
he was called to become pastor of the charge, and began his labors as pastor in 
July, 1886.  During his pastorate the Lutheran congregation purchased the 
interest in the property held by the Reformed people, so that it ceased to be a 
union church.  In 1889, two acres were purchased adjoining the church, and 
ground was broken September 8, 1889, for a new church building.  On September 
13, the corner stone was laid, and the following April the new frame church was 
dedicated.  The name of the congregation was at this time changed from Stehle's 
to St. Luke's.  During Rev. Livingston's pastorate, which closed June 30, 1890, 
26 members were received into the congregation.

Rev. Daniel Stoner Kurtz became Rev. Livingston's successor, as pastor of the 
Lebanon Charge, December 1, 1890.  Rev. Kurtz labored in this charge for three 
years and one month.  During this time, German preaching was discontinued in the 
charge.  One month after Rev. Kurtz's resignation, Rev. E. Manges became pastor, 
February 1, 1894.  During his pastorate, the debt of the congregation was 
liquidated and several improvements were made, the most important of which were 
the erection of a neat iron fence in front of the church, and the planting of 
shade trees secured by the pastor.  The membership of the church was enlarged by 
the reception of 47 members and the baptism of 34 children.  On September 29, 
1898, the congregation celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding.  This 
service consisted of the reading of the 84th and 85th Psalms by Rev. Lenhart, 
the oldest living ex-pastor, followed by prayer by Rev. Peter Livingston.  At 
the evening service, Rev. George W. Enders, D.D., preached the anniversary 
sermon from Ecclesiastes 1:4.  Pastor Manges also read a congregational history 
at this service.  Rev. Manges resigned as pastor of St. Luke's congregation 
April 1, 1899, in accordance with the action of the Synod to divide the Lebanon 
Charge, making a new charge to include the congregations of St. James' and St. 
Luke's churches.  This became known as the Chanceford Lutheran Charge.  Rev. 
Manges continued to serve the Lebanon Charge.

The first pastor called to the newly-formed charge of St. James' and St. Luke's 
congregations was Rev. H. C. Salem, who assumed the responsibilities, December 
9, 1899, and continued to serve until December 19, 1903.  He was succeeded by 
Rev. C. W. Sechrist, April 1, 1904.  Pastor Sechrist was a very active man in 
spite of his advanced years.  The spiritual life of the congregation was deeply 
revived through his efforts.  His labors in this charge were concluded by his 
resignation, March 27, 1912.

Rev. C. H. Shull accepted a call to succeed Rev. Sechrist, and began his 
pastoral labors December 1, 1912.  Seven years of remarkable progress mark the 
pastorate of Rev. Shull.  Under his leadership, the Sunday School was completely 
organized; new interest was aroused so that the enrollment increased very 
appreciably.  The church property was likewise improved.  A cemetery 
organization was effected, the cemetery improved, and provision made for its 
perpetual care.  Pastor Shull resigned from this charge August 1, 1919, after 
accepting a call to the Lebanon Charge.

During the vacancy following Rev. Shull's pastorate, the location of the 
parsonage was changed to the village of Conrads, near St. Luke's church, where a 
house was purchased and comfortably equipped with modern conveniences.

Rev. W. H. Peters, Jr., succeeded Pastor Shull, taking active charge of the 
field May 28, 1920, upon his graduation from Seminary.  After serving the charge 
for over three years, Rev. Peters concluded his pastorate, resigning October 14, 
1923.

As successor to Rev. Peters, the Rev. Glenn T. Hafer, a recent graduate from the 
Gettysburg Seminary, assumed the responsibilities of the charge June 1, 1924, 
and is serving at the present time.

About the same time that plans were being made for the building of the first 
church, one young man from this community felt the call to the gospel ministry.  
Among the first of the native born American pastors was this young man, who 
became the Rev. Jacob Goering, whose home was almost within sight of the present 
church edifice.  Jacob Goering, the son of Jacob and Margaret Goering, was born 
in the year 1755, and was reared on the farm of his father.  Early in his 
boyhood, he showed an eagerness for learning, and when eighteen years of age, he 
became the teacher of an English school in his community.  Later his father took 
him to Lancaster, where he studied for two years under the tutelage of the Rev. 
Dr. Helmuth.  In 1776, he was ordained to become a pastor of the congregations 
in and about Carlisle, which he served for several years.  He was married to 
Miss Elizabeth Kurtz, daughter of Rev. N. Kurtz, pastor of the York church, and 
whose successor Rev. Goering later became.

About 1783, Rev. Goering became assistant to Rev. Kurtz in York, and at Rev. 
Kurtz's retirement in 1786, he became the sole pastor of the York charge, which 
he served until he was called to become pastor of the congregation of Hagerstown 
in 1791.  After three years there, he was induced to return to the York charge 
which he served until his death from tuberculosis in 1807.  The Rev. Goering was 
a man zealous in learning and profound in thought.  His studies embraced much of 
the literature of the oriental languages, particularly, of Hebrew and Arabic.  
He was known as a fine scholar, an eloquent preacher, and a warm-hearted 
Christian.

The second son of this old congregation to take up the active ministry was B. 
Clinton Ritz, son of Henry and Elizabeth Markel Ritz, who is at the present time 
pastor of St. James' Lutheran Church of York, Pa., in connection with the 
history of which church will be found a brief biographical sketch.