AREA HISTORY:  Trinity Church of the Evangelical Association, York County, 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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TRINITY CHURCH OF THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION – Page 546

This church was established by the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical Association, in March, 1871, Rev. U. F. Swengel 
became its first pastor, who organized the church in the court house August 5, 1871, with fifty-seven members, most of whom had withdrawn 
from Bethlehem Evangelical Church, on account of the services being conducted entirely in German, in that church, and they preferred English.  
A Sabbath-school was organized the same year.  The church services and the Sunday-school were held in the court house until the 1st of 
October, 1871, when the congregation took possession of the chapel on East King Street, which was dedicated on the 1st of October.  The lot 
and chapel cost $3,400.  Rev. H. B. Hartzler preached the dedicatory sermon, and Rev. Jacob Young, P. E., dedicated the church as “Trinity 
Chapel of the Evangelical Association.”  Jacob A. Sechrist, Rev. U. F. Swengel, Adam Sechrist, J. M. Ettinger and John Sechrist, composed the 
building committee.  Jacob Sechrist, J. M. Ettinger, J. M. Young, Jacob C. Shultz and John Sechrist, the board of trustees, and soon afterward 
John F. Thomas was added to the board, and at present is its president.  Jacob A. Sechrist has held the position of treasurer in the church since 
its organization.  Rev. Swengel served the congregation three years, during which time the membership increased to 120, and the Sunday-
school to 150.  In March, 1874, Rev. H. B. Hartzler succeeded.  During the second year of his ministry, there was a great revival.  Rev. A. W. 
Bower, a student of Union Seminary, was appointed by the presiding elder to fill the unexpired term.  In March, 1877, Rev. E. Swengel was 
appointed.  Rev. S. Aurand succeeded in March, 1878, and remained two years, during which time a parsonage was built.  The membership and 
Sunday-school were considerably increased during his pastorate.  In March, 1880, Rev. P. W. Raidabaugh began a pastorate of three years, 
during which time the remaining indebtedness on the church property was paid off.  In 1883 Rev. A. H. Irvine, the present pastor was 
appointed.  In July, 1884, John F. Thomas, P. W. Keller and John Sechrist were appointed as a building committee, and the church was 
enlarged and remodeled; fifteen feet were added to the audience room, and an additional building, whose dimensions were 18 X 30 feet, added 
to the rear of the church, to be used by the primary department of the Sunday-school, and for prayer and class meetings.  The main audience 
room was frescoed and the entire floor carpeted.  New furniture was placed in the pulpit and altar.  The present pastor, to May, 1885, received 
102 members into the church, which now numbers 203 members.  The Sunday-school has 300 pupils.