USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Shippensburg > History of the Reformed Church, Shippensburg, Pa. : a historical discourse > Part 1
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01829 7827
GC 974.802 SH64LR
HISTORY
OF THE.
eformed
hurch
gensburg,
A HISTORICAL DISCOURSE,
PREACHED BY THE PASTOR,
REV. D. W. EBBERT,
SuxDar, JANUARY 14, 1877.
PUBLISHED BY THE CONGREGATION.
SHIPPENSBURG, PA. ! GOODYEAR & MURRAY, PRINTERS. 1877.
Allen County Public Library
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Рек. С. Р. Пад
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my ; right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth."-Psalm 137 : 5-6.
The Jewish people had been taken captive, and were held in bondage in Babylon. Here, amidst the taunts and jeers of their conquerors, they were required to sing a song even as they sang while they were free from bondage. In the midst of these jeers they sang the words of the text, thus showing the Babylonians that though in a strange land they would never forget the church of their fathers.
The long Past is continually borne along by the pious mind, because it seeks to sanctify and appropriate to its high and lasting purposes, those things with which it associates. The Pagans held in high esteem their an- tiquities. That which concerned their religion was the most securely treasured and preserved in their tra- ditions; "these glimmer farthest back in the morning twilight of their annals." Their temples and sacred altars are traditionally treasured, whilst the capitols and nageantry of state have passed away.
Amongst the Jews there was a great reverance for the past. They refer us to the days of old, the say- ings of old, the works of old, and the years of ancient times. The places where God revealed himself to them in dreams or visions were sacred spots to them afterwards. The nation builds its magnificent temple where the patriarchs erected their altars and where the tribes located the taber-
nacle. "Their altars are known to them as the altars of their fathers, their.worship as the covenant of their fat'ters, their laws as the statutes of their fathers, and their God as the God of their fathers."
If it be pleasant for the Jewish peo- ple to revere the past and hold it in sacred remembrance; so also, my friends, it is congenial to us to cher- ish old associations, and we shall at- tempt, this day, to call to mind the trials which your fathers sustained in establishing the Reformed Church in our midst. Shall we not remember those loved ones, whose church prop- erty we inherit, and which was gath- ered by their pains ? Shail we wor- ship in this church which they founded, surrounded by their solemr. and silent graves, where their ashes rest, without recounting their strug- gles, doing honor to their memory, and awakening our hearts to be grate- ful to God, who has caused us to be- come the happy heirs of such an in- heritance ? Yea,
. Let children hear the mighty deeds, Which God performed of old,
Which in our younger years we saw, And whicn our fathers told."
It is, indeed, befitting us to note briefly the causes which impelled those who first came to America as the founders of the Reformed Church, to leave the land of their birth and to immigrate to the wilderness of the New World.
Our Reformed faith is not one that is founded on the shifting present, but rests in the past, and possesses for us peculiar charms. But it is not in pride, but in gratitude that we state we are decended from a holy
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company of martyrs, each of whom firmly believed "That I with body and soul both in life and death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins."
The Reformed Church was estab- listed in the New World by citizens from Switzerland, the Palatinate, and France, who, because of their relig- ious belief, were banished from their homes by their enemies. When the Edict of Nantes passed in 1598, which granted full religious toleration to the Reformed Church for near a cen- tury, was revoked by Louis XIV., in 1685, a series of persecutions were commenced in France too horrible to recount. The Reformed, called Hu- gnenots, were the only Protestants in France at this time, hence the Re- formed Church became the bush in which the adherents of the. Pope kindled the fires of persecution, be- cause the believers .in her glorious faith . would not bow down and ac- knowledge the supremacy of the Pope. Hence Bartholomew's eve tells a sad story. "There is a relig- ion which. can chant the Te Deum after it has washed its hands in the blood of a hundred thousand Hugue- nots, as at the 'Bloody Marriage' of Bartholomew's night; but that re- ligiou is not the Reformed religion."
The Palatinate along the Rhine pre- sents similar scenes of horror. After the death of Charles, the last of the Reformed princes, in 1685, the Re- formed were hunted down by their enemies, and by them compelled to seek a covert from the storms of per- secution. Because the Heidelberg Catechism in answer to the 80th Question, declares that the Romish mass was "an accursed idolatry," it, too, was harassed on every hand.
Switzerland, "the land of mountains
and solid souls," fared no better than France and the Palatinate. Here dread armies stood opposed in deadly combat, the one shouting "God is with ns," the other answering, "Je- sns-Mary."
From such scenes of horror, no wonder the Reformed turned away and exclaimed with the Psalmist, "O that I had wings like a dove, for then would Ifly away and be at rest." But God has witnessed their trials and he- roic faith. . He will lead them as he did the children of Israel, into a Ca- naan. As He directed Joseph's flight from Bethlehem to avoid Herod, so He will by His providence lead the Reformed from persecution into a goodly land where no hierarchy can stand as mediator between God and their consciences. Our fathers came to America, not to seek gold or silver. houses or lands, (for they left all these) but to seek a peaceful home where they conld enjoy freedom of conscience and religious liberty.
Previous to 1700, the first Reform- ed, abont six thousand in number, came to America and settled at Scho- harie, in the Province of New York; but in 1722 many of them came to Pennsylvania by crossing over through the wilderness to the head waters of the Susquehanna. They floated down this stream in rude ca- poes and arrived at the mouth of the Swatara, whence they sought the beautiful valley along the Tulpehock- en creek. Here they sang their grand old soul-stirring German songs giving glory to God, even in a strange land. And I can imagine that the In- dian. stood in his wigwam door, charmed by their sweet, glad notes of thanksgiving to God, and wondered if these notes were not the sweet echoes of the songs sang in his long desired celestial hunting grounds.
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Those songs spread their influence in quick succession, until soon an echo was given back as an evidence that our fathers in this beautiful valley of the Cumberland, who now lie in the old church yard, had caught the sound and were joyfully assisting to swell the grand chorus to the skies.
Thus we sce that those who came to America as ministers and members of the Reformed Church, were tried per- sons, and persons, too, whose veins were full of patriotic blood, and the pulsations of whose hearts were lightened when they could freely sing their hymns and devoutly offer their prayers in a land free from the pollu- ting hands of the Romanists.
It is very probable that those who were the founders of the Reformed Church in Shippensburg, immigrated thither for the sake of principle.
In tracing the History of the Re- formed Church here, we have had many obstacles to surmount, how well we have accomplished the task, the sequel will show. The Record which we have, and which was used by the Reformed and Lutheran congrega- tions jointly for a number of years- till about 1800-has on the first page the following written in German :
"Baptism Book for the church in,
Shippenstown. This Book. was bought for 5£, 12s. 6d,-$27.2212, on 13th of June, 1775.'' But no mention of a minister is given till the name of Rev. John Christopher Faber appears in the year 1786. For tlie informa- tion which I obtained concerning the different pastors previous to 1786, I am indebted to a valuable work enti- tled "Fathers of the Reformed Church,"' by Rev. H. Harbaugh, D. D.
In as much as the joint agreement between the Reformed and Lutheran congregations, adopted Sep. 9, 1778, implies the separate existence of both
these congregations before the period when the agreement was adopted, we began the search. convinced that the Reformed Church of Shippensburg must have been organized previous to 1775, when the Baptistnal Record was purchased.
REV. THEO. FRAKENFELD, 1753-1755.
The first minister that preached here was Rev. Theodore Franken- feld, whose pastorate began in 1753 and closed 1755, at which time the church was a mission, supplied by the church at Frederick, Md.
About the period when this con- munity was considerably agitated over the massacre of a teacher and his pupils not many miles distant from this place by hostile Indians, Mr. Frankenfeld traveled through the val- ley preaching the good news of the Gospel, which, no doubt, served to soothe the minds of those who were horror stricken in the neighborhood, because of the atrocity of the Indians.
Rev. Frankenfeld was born in West- ern Germany, and educated in his na- tive land. .. He was one of the six young men who responded to the ap- peal made by Rev. Michael Schlatter, in 1781-2, in person, to the churches of the Palatinate, for laborers to sup- ply the many vacancies in the New World." These six, Frankenkfeld, Ot- terbein, Stoy, Waldschmid, Rubel and Wissler, were examined and ordained at the Hague, by the deputies of the Synod of Holland. After which they sailed for America, arriving at New York July 27, 1752. Mr. Frankenfeld became the first regular pastor of the Reformed Church at Frederick, Md.
When Mr. Schlatter came with him to this place for the purpose of install- ing him pastor, on the 4th of May, 1753, he wrote: "It was proposed by Mr. Schlatter, that it would be neces- sary for me, with this congregation,
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to take charge of the congregations of Conowago and Conogocheague, under the promise that should another min- ister come into the country, he shall be located on this side of the Susque- hanna, and that the Conowago con- gregation shall then be taken off my hands." Now inasmuch as the region described as Conogocheague answers to the region in which Shippensburg and Chambersburg are now located, we infer, then, that Mr. Frankenfeld was the first pastor of the church here. And that Mr. Frankenfeld preached here is also probable in as much as Shippenstown, as it was call- ed then, was the earliest settlement in the valley, and he would hardly pass this prominent settlement, in his travels. He did not live very long after having taken charge of this ex- tensive field of labor. His name does not appear on the Cotal minutes af- ter 1772. It is probable that he died between 1756-7. He was a very ear- nest and active worker in the Lord's vineyard.
It was Michael Schlatter who sug- gested as early as 1747, the propriety of establishing a branch Synod, called Cœtus, for the transaction of business and the transmission of reports to the Synods of Holland. In obedience to a call issued by Schlatter, 31 per -. sons, ministers and elders, assembled in the Reformed Church of Philadel- phia, Sept. 29th, 1747, when Rev. J. Rieger opened the Coetus with a dis- course based on the 133d Psalm. In 1792 the term Synod was applied to the body formerly known as Cotus.
REV. JNO. CONRAD BUCHER, 1764-1768. -
Rev. Bucher was a Swiss by birth. His father, Jacob Bucher, was Sheriff of the district Neukirch, in the Can- ton of Schauffhausen, and resided in tlie town of Neukirch. His father was a man of means and influence, and accordingly his son received a good education. Rev. Bucher had an
active mind and was given to appli- cation, so that he took the highest honors in the schools which he at- tended. In his youth it was intended that he should prepare for the minis- try, but when he grew to manhood he was more inclined towards mili- tary life. At the opening of the Indian war, the English concluded that it was policy to secure German officers for the German troops. In re- sponse to a call for German officers, Mr. Bucher came to America about 1755, and located at or near Carlisle, Pa., which was then a frontier settle- ment where Fort Louther had been erected. He was first a Lieutenant, afterwards promoted Adjutant of Sec- ond Batallion of the Pennsylvania Regiment. Afterwards he was Cap- tain. He turned his attention to the ministry again, about 1762. Though he was still a military officer, yet he was not in the active service. From the year 1764 to 1768 his field of labor included the following: Carlisle, Shippenstown, (Shippensburg) Bed- ford, Fort Pitt, Sharpsboro', Coxtown Big Crossings of the Yoghogeny, Redstone, Lebanon, Quitopahilla, Hummelstown, Middletown, Buffalo, Jonestown, Klopp's, Chamberlain's, Falling Springs, Dr. Schebley's, Con- ococheague, Hagerstown, Peter Spangs, Sharpsburg, Heidelberg, Schaefferstown, Weischenland, May- town, Manhiem, Rapho Blassers. He moved to Lebanon in 1768. He was certainly very active, as the above conclusively shows. He was greatly respected by all his people. On the morning of August 15th, 1780, ne went from Lebanon to Millers- town, (Annville now), to solemnize a marriage. In the midst of this joy- ous occasion, he suddenly died. At first some proposed to haul him home to Lebanon, but out of respect for him,
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"devout men," bore him on a bier his earthly course, and entered into upon their shoulders a distance of five his blessed rest." He was buried at Hager-town, Md., but no one knows where. "Sic transit gloria mundi!" miles to his home. In the graveyard of the First Reformed Church, his re- mains were interrod.
REV. JACOB WEYMER, 1770-76.
Mr. Weymer was a native of Germa- ny, and came to America at an early day. In 1770 he was a regular mem- ber of Cœtus, and pastor of several congregations in East Pennsylvania. In the Cætal minutes of 1770, it is stated he was called to Conogo- cheague, "which is described as lying in Maryland. about eighty miles from Baltimore. " His residence was at Hag- erstown, then called Elizabethtown. "There seems to have been difficulties in the churches of the valley, as Co- etns appointed Revs. Gross and Ge- bracht, to restore order and peace. They succeeded and Mr. Weymer accepted the call and became pastor in 1770. In the old Church Record re- ferred to before, I find that John Kaufman was baptised Oct. 13th, 1770, and that on March 25th, 1771, John Henry, son of John Benj. Kuhn and his wife Maria Barbara, was bap- tised. The sponsors were Henry Decker and Anna M. Erambauch. Perhaps these entries were made as the labors of Mr. Woymer; but it is not conclusively known. Mr. Wey- aner organized the congregation at Chambersburg in 1774 or 1775, at which time the corner stone of the stone church at Hagerstown was laid. ".He was a good man, an excellent preacher, plain and practical, beloved by every person withia and withont the congregation. He would require his catechumens to commit the an- swer and would then pace the aisle in front of the pulpit while explaining it." The Cœtal minutes of 1790, make mention of the death of Mr. Weyiner, "a short time previous, had finished
REV. JOHN WM. RUNKLE, 1776-1781.
Mr. Runkle was born i: Oberengel- heim, in the Palatinate, April 28, 1749. His early youth was spent in the mother country. When he was about fifteen years of age his father came to America. They arrived in Philadelphia, Oct. 1, 1764. Being pi- ously disposed, and as he was well instructed by his parents he turned his attention to the study of Theology about 1774. He is said to have been endowed with good talents, "and com- bining zeal with great industry, he Was soon prepared as a religious reach- er, and his services were anxiously sought." From the Cœtal minutes of 1777, the following is taken, by Dr. Harbaugh, which we here quote :
"The congregations in Shippens- burg, Carlisle, Lower Settlement, Hummelstown, made application for the examination and ordination of one named Runkle, in order that he might become their pastor;
WHEREAS, Mr. Runkle has already received instruction for several vears from different ministers, has also manifested his zeal in the Holy service, and has. moreover, a good testimony, as well from ministers as from the congregations wbo desire him as their pastor, and since these congregations are located very far from us, so that they can be but sel- dom visited, it was
Resolved, That Mr. Runkle be ex- amined, and, if he renders satisfac- tion, in this respect, he shall be sent to these congregations as catechist."
His examination proved satisfac- tory, and he was sent to this charge for a year. But we learn from his journal that he preached in Shippens- burg while yet a Theological stu- dent. He was ordained July 30th, 1778, in Carlisle, by Revs. Dr. Hen- del and Daniel Wagner. His life
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was a very active one. Very fer ac- complish as much as he did. "Dur- ing the year 1777 his field of labor ex- tended over Cumberland, and part of York counties, the lower part of Dau- phin, the greater part of Lebanon, and all of Lancaster. north of the city." He visited . egularly once each month, the vacant churches in this extensive territory. During the year 1777 alone, he preached two hundred sermons and traveled fifteen hundred miles. In addition, he visited the sick and attended to the religions in- strnetion of the young. During his pastorate the Log church was erected, and the following Articles of Agree- ment were drawn up and signed by members of the Lutheran and Re- formed congregations. You will note that your fathers knew how to prepare church agreements I have with me the original document with the origi- nal signatures of the signers. The doenmient is in German, but I will read you a translation. which will be . interesting to all of you.
"An Agreement between the Evan- gelical Lutheran, and (-ince 1869 the term German has been dropped. The church is now known as the ' Re- formed Church in the United States;") German Reformed congregations of Shippensburg, Pa., Sept. 9, 1778.
The conditions between both are as follows :
First -- Both congregations shall take care to have a suitable minister, and he shall be chosen from the Rev- erend Ministerium, or shall, at least, be recommended by one or more members of the church. And no · other minister shall preach besides the one elected. The majority shall elect the pastor.
Second-From both congregations three elders and three deacons shall be elected for two years, and these six shall constitute a church council. And this council shall keep in repair the church building, have a care for
it and the grave-yard, and rerder a Statement annually to the congrega- tions. Both ministers may vote with the church conneil, if they desire. In case one minister is absent and the other present. the officers of the con- gregation whose pastor is absent mav · hoose one of their number to vote in his stead. In case of a tie then lots shall be east to determine the result. If a member of the council is not present, those present shall select some one to act in his place for that time, and proceed with the elecrio ... And the absent member shall give an account of his absence to the council. And if this member's exense is that he does not care for the church, then he shall lose all his rights as a men- ber of the congregation.
The spiritual welfare of the people shall be watched over by the pastor and consistory of each congregation.
Third -- Both congregations chall contribute equally towards the church incidentals. When the church build- ing needs repairing, the matter shall be acted upon by the conneil, and die- cided by vote of the council present. After the repairs have been completed and one of the congregations does not pay its half of the expense within a year. if called for, then shall the amount be collected by law. But if not called for within a year after the completion of the repairs, before de- termined by the council, then the claim is forfeited forever. If either of the congregations is brought before the courts of law five times, it shall lose its right to the church property.
If any members from stinginess. stubbornness or enmity, leave the council in a dilemma, such members shall be excluded from the common- ion of each congregation. If this condition of affairs become common to both congregations, then the conn- cil may sell the church property, if they wish, to pay the indebtedness. If any one is excluded from the church, or leaves of his own free- will, such a one cannot receive any- thing he formerly contributed.
Fourth-If at any time one of the congregations wishes to build a church of their own, the standing church shall be valned by uninterested car- penters, and the half of this shall be
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paid to the congregation desiring to build.
Fifth-If any one scolds or quarrels in or near the church, that one shall pay six pounds-about $30.00-cur- reney to the contribution money of hi respective congregation.
Sixth -These articles shall remain unchanged until they are amended by a majority of votes. Each one shall accept the above by voice and affix his signature, and also the church and presented lot -- the lot to which we refer lies on Queen Street, Shippensburg."
SIG JED :
Peter Stambach, Conrad Boehmer,
Conrad Fishborn.
George Steigledler. Lawrence Stambach, Rudolph Frey, Lu Twig Long. Benjamin Cong.
Chiiser Muelheisen,
Leonard Bubinger,
Jacob Holm.
Michael Trexler,
John Kenauer.
Jacob Witmer.
Christain Erdinger. Frederick Dellinger,
John Schneider. Jno. Nicholas Ebert, John Jacob Helm, John Kuchuer, George Spiehlman, Conrad Keinadt, Christian Mueller, Michael Mueller, Michael Minck. John Adamhton, Casper Lay,
Christian Borinner, Jacob Mueller."
It is indeed true that the church in which your fathers worshiped was not fitted up with conveniences like those of modern times. But when they had even a log church with its quaint pulpit, they were happy, as this was far more pr ferable than the forest or barn. Neither was it custo- marv in those early days to heat churches, still, their prayers were as acceptable to God as those offered up in the most elegant churches of to- day.
In the year 1781, Mr. Runkel re- ceived and accepted a call to Lebanon. Ile kept a regular journal of his lab- ors for each year. He died in Gettys- burg, November 1832, having attained to the ripe age of 83 years. Ilis remains lie interred by the side of his wife, in the grave-yard in Emmitts- burg, where a tombstone marks his grave.
REV. JOHN CHRISTOPHER FABER, 1781- 1780.
Of Mr. Faber's life we know but lit-
tle. He came to this country previ- ous to 1773, and preached first at Bal- timore, Md. Application was made to Cetus in 1771 for his reception as a member of that body. Ile was re- ceived by Coetns. He has made no note of his labors in Shippensburg ; bur hissuccessor, Spangenberg, men- tions him as his (S's) predecessor. After 1786, he continued to preach at Chambersburg until 1789. "As a preacher he was respectable, but not above mediocrity." When and where he died I know not. The facts of his decease I could not ascertain. But God knows, and we shall be content.
REV. CYRIACUS SPANGENBERG, VON BEIDEMEISTER, 1786-1788.
Before the life and character of Spangenberg are described, we will give an account of his labors here which we glein from the Record. He came to Shippensburg Nov.1786. The consistory that sent him the call con- sisted of Elders John Lohr and John Hohu; deacons John Peeck and Jc.o.
Seyler. The Lutheran minister contemporary with Him was the Rev. John George Butler.
There seems to have been serions divisions amidst this flock at this time. Because of this trouble the united consistories of the Lutheran and Reformed congregations assem- bled Jan. 1st, 1788, to adjust the diffi- culty. They drew up the following preamble and resolutions :
"WHEREAS, The consistory of each congregation, beholding the many vulgar sins and gross offences with abhorrence, deem it their duty that such may be removed and that an or- derly congregation be formed out of the fold, to adopt the following :
'In the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
"As the undersigned called by God as preachers, elders, and deacons of the united christian denominations - Lutheran and German Reformed-in
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Shippensburg, have me: as God has | at his first communion held May 27, commanded in Ist Cor 14:40. and as 1787. At his second communion there were present 43, and at his third and last, 38. He received a call to the Re- formed Church at Bedford, he states, and preached his farewell sermon June 22, 178S, from I John, 2-24. we will place ourselves under severe reproof before God if we keep silent to the current offences; therefore, we have, of this date according to the power we have of God and the con- gregations, unanimously resolved as follows :
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