USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Maytown > The history of the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Maytown, Lancaster Co., Pa., 1765-1904 > Part 5
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REV. GEO. P. WEAVER, M. D. 1873-1875.
On May 2, 1873, Rev. George P. Weaver, M. D., began his ministerial labors in the Maytown con- gregation. For many years the only musical in- strument in the church was a melodeon which was loaned by Mr. Nicholas Peck, who with his sisters were active members in the choir. In 1863 the congregation decided to purchase their own instru- ment, and collectors were appointed to secure the amount necessary, which was $45.00. Thaddeus Stevens was among the first subscribers, giving $10.00, and a four-octave melodeon was purchased. The new organ thus bought by subscriptions was the first organ ever owned by the church, and rendered excellent service for 30 years. About the
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same time there was also some remodelling done in the church building, though what the changes were is not stated. The following action of the Church Council held in Maytown, June 13, 1874, gives us the only reference in regard to these changes:
"Council met according to notice, Rev. G. P. Weaver in the chair. Rev. Weaver was appointed a committee to write to Rev. M. J. Alleman requesting him to assist in the reopening of the Church on the 28th of June. An organ bought by sub- scription was presented to the Council and accepted as Church property. Bro. A. Buller offered his report ; on motion, it was accepted. John Brown was elected Treasurer, H. H. Johnstin Secretary, and N. L. Peck Organist. On motion, Dr. Ziegler was given the privilege of fencing his father's and brother's graves on condition of him giving as a donation to the Church one dollar per foot of ground used.
" H. H. JOHNSTIN, Sect'y."
Rev. Weaver was an active and earnest worker, and his records were carefully kept. At his first communion held in 1873 there were 48 members present. In the next year he held two, the first on January 4, and the second on August 30, when 45 members communed. On May 9, 1875, he held his last recorded communion in Maytown when 51 members were present.
At the time that Rev. Weaver entered upon his work in Maytown, he was also a student at Jeffer-
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son Medical College, from which he graduated in 1874, and in the last year of his pastorate 1875, he began the practice of medicine in Marietta where he lived while serving this charge. He also con- ducted a singing class consisting of about thirty members.
Rev. Weaver closed his labors in this field in the year 1875.
REV. I. C. BURKE.
1876
While the congregation in Maytown was con- sidering the calling of their next pastor, Rev. I. C. Burke, who was located at Columbia at this time, preached for them, and held a communion service on June 4, 1876, at which there were fifty-two mnem- bers present. He is now and has been for many years the honored pastor of the Third Lutheran Church of Baltimore, Md.
In this year on May 10, 1876, the great Centen- nial Exhibition was opened in celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the independence of the United States, in which nearly all the nations of the world took part. It was kept open until November 10, 1876, and was visited by more than 10,000,000 people.
In the same month that Rev. Burke held his
REV. MILTON H. STINE, PH.D. 1880-1882.
REV. C. M. AURAND. 1884-1986.
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communion, Gen. Custer and his entire command of 250 men were brutally massacred by an over- whelming force of Sioux Indians who had refused to go upon the reservation as they had agreed in a previously made treaty.
REV. J. V. ECKERD.
1876-1880.
On October 1, 1876, Rev. J. V. Eckerd entered upon his regular ministerial labors in the Maytown congregation. He had been a minister in the Reformed church, which for some reason left and had affiliated with the Lutheran church, and had been serving a church at Eden when he accepted the call to the Evangelical Lutheran church at Maytown. Not wishing to leave the church at Eden, he still continued to minister to its needs, and as he also served the Bainbridge congregation, he could only preach in Maytown every third week.
Of his activity and earnestness there is ample proof ; for during his nearly four years' ministry he succeeded in increasing the communicant mem- bership considerably, and he also had the church remodelled in June, 1879. The officers of the church at this time were : John Hays and Henry Johnstin, Elders; H. S. Book and Jesse Klugh,
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Deacons; M. S. More and Jesse Myers, Trustees. The carpenter work was done by John L. Hays, Jr. and Benjamin Raumbaugh. The painting was done by C. M. Brown and Abram Buller. The Sunday-school room was also remodelled at this time. (For fuller account see Sunday-school history.)
The New Communion Set.
Until this time the old communion set, which had been given as a free-will offering by the found- ers of the Lutheran church in 1770, though it had been in service for four years previously, was used. In 1879, after more than a hundred and thirteen years of constant use, it was set aside, and a new communion set (a picture of which is here- with given) was purchased with money realized at a church fair and turkey supper which were held for that special purpose. Since then it has been in use until January 3, 1904.
In the second year of his ministry in Maytown, the Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Soci- ety of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa, was organized in Iowa City, Iowa, in 1877, which was practically the beginning of this noble and self-sacrificing organization that has produced such magnificent results in the home and foreign field.
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In 1879 the first general convention was held in Canton, Ohio. Rev. Eckerd held his last com- miunion on March 28, 1880, when he left this charge.
REV. MILTON H. STINE, PH. D.
1880-1882.
On April 1, 1880, Rev. Stine entered upon his duties in the Maytown charge, having but recently graduated from the Lutheran Theological Se111- inary at Gettysburg, Pa. During his two years' ministry several important things were brought about which were of considerable moment to the church. After a lapse of thirteen years we find Rev. Stine the first minister to adopt a method similar to that of Rev. Early, in keeping his com- munion records, by arranging the names of his members in alphabetical order. Another notice- able feature of Rev. Stine's records is the increased number of communicants, his list being the first to pass the hundred mark, his first communion list numbering 101, the second 104, the third 107. The following notes are taken from his records on the several communions:
" April 2, 1882. The communion was the largest held since I am here. Was assisted by Rev. Shrader. Simon Cameron communed, who is not a member of this church."
"May 28, 1882. The communion held to-day was not as
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spiritual nor as large as the others. It having been but seven weeks since our last, many were indifferent. Many removals have taken place. Many were not aware that there was com- munion, the weather having been inclement at our last ser- vice. I was assisted by Rev. Reimensnyder. The whole num- ber in attendance at communion was about 95.
"M. H. STINE, pastor."
The Parsonage.
About 300 feet from the Square in Maytown, on West High street, there stands a two-story brick dwelling-house with a large side yard. In this yard stood the log house in which General Simon Cameron, one of Pennsylvania's most famous statesmen and politicians, was born on March 8, 1799.
About the year 1811 Mr. John Kamp bought the Cameron property, and in 1812 he erected the present brick building, the west wall being built against the old log house. Mr. Kamp was a weaver by trade, and had his loom in the cellar. The old log house he used for a tavern, and the upper front room of the brick house was used for a ball-room. In 1873 the log house was torn down a short time after the last owner, Daniel K. Heisey, purchased the property.
General Cameron had a great love for the home of his childhood, and in his conversations with
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some of the old residents of Maytown, often spoke of the old log house in which he was born.
In the second year of Rev. Stine's pastorate, General Cameron purchased the Heisey property, and on his eighty-second birthday, March 8, 1881, he presented the deed for this property to the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, to be used as a parsonage. This noble gift was given "In testi- mony of the love and affection borne by him for the memory of his deceased wife, Margaretta Brua Cameron, who was an exemplary member of the Lutheran church."
Rev. John A. Hay, Professor at Gettysburg Theological Seminary, Mrs. Cameron's old pastor in the Zion's Lutheran church at Harrisburg, preached the sermon and made the presentation speech on behalf of Mr. Cameron, and Mr. John Hays responded in behalf of the congregation.
The crayon portraits of General Cameron and his wife (also his gift) hang in a conspicuous place in the parlor of the parsonage. After the house was thoroughly repaired, Rev. Stine was the first minister to occupy the new parsonage.
On April 4, 1881, the church council passed the following resolution relative to the officers of the church :
" Resolved, That 3 deacons, 3 elders, and 3 trustees shall con-
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stitute the council of said church, including the pastor as presi- dent of said body, a majority of the same to constitute a quorum for transacting business."
At this meeting H. S. Book and M. S. Moore were appointed " a committee to procure suitable furniture for furnishing one room in the building as a parlor."
It was the custom at this time for the congrega- tion to elect their pastor to serve them for the per- iod of only one year at a time. Some light is thrown on this subject by the following action of the church council held March 5, 1882:
" On motion of Bro. M. S. Moore it was ordered to dispense with election of pastor by congregation this year, but hereafter an election for pastor shall take place on the first Sunday in January that there is preaching."
During the winter of 1881-1882, through Mr. Stine's efforts, a successful lecture course was given, which resulted in a "profit over all expenses of $33.68 " for the treasury of the church.
One other noteworthy event occurred during the first year of Rev. Stine's ministry: with the able assistance of Mrs. Stine he organized the first Wo- man's Home and Foreign Missionary Society, which has been a great power for good in the church. (For account of this Society, see histori- cal sketchi appended.)
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Rev. M. H. Stine, Ph. D., is the author of sev- eral interesting volumes, the latest from his pen being "Baron Stiegel."
Rev. Stine left the field July 1, 1882. He is at present located at Harrisburg, Pa., as the pastor of the Memorial Lutheran Church in that city.
REV. J. H. HOUSEMAN.
1882-1884.
At a joint council meeting held at Maytown, October 22, 1882, Rev. J. H. Houseman was elected pastor of the Maytown and Bainbridge congrega- tions. At this meeting it was agreed that May- town pay $250.00 a year and Bainbridge $225.00. However, on motion of Bro. Hackenberger, the salary was increased $25.00 a year, each congrega- tion paying $12.50 additional. Maytown, there- fore, paid $262.50 and Bainbridge $237.50.
Rev. Houseman accepted the call, and entered upon his ministerial labors December 1, 1882. He followed his predecessor's plan of recording the communicant members, and of the three services thus recorded by him, the second one held May 12, 1883, which numbered 77, was the largest. Rev. Houseman served these congregations but little more than a year when he resigned and left the field in the beginning of 1884.
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REV. C. M. AURAND.
1884-1886.
On March 29, 1884, Rev. C. M. Aurand preached his introductory sermon at Maytown. He served this charge acceptably for two years, though the communion records do not show any large increase of members, the average attendance for his four recorded communion services numbering 57. In his "Notes on the November communion," he gives an explanation of the causes for this condi- tion. He writes: "This communion was rich in spirituality, but not in members. Some were sick, some away from home, and others indiffer- The presidential election devil had so thor- ough control of some that our Heavenly Father could not attract their attention. Some were ad- mitted into full communion, for which we praise God."
Rev. Aurand as an author has produced several books on religious topics. The principal one is entitled " Rays of Light."
Though the Council on April 5, 1886, voted to increase Rev. Aurand's salary to $300.00, as an in- ducement to serve another year, he did not accept, and on April 12 he handed his resignation to the Council, to take effect on April 25, 1886, when he left the field.
REV. A. H. SHERTZ. J886-1890.
REV. W. H HARDING. 1391-1397.
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At present Rev. Aurand is located at Martins- burg, Blair Co., Pa., and is serving a charge belonging to the Allegheny Synod.
REV. A. H. SHERTZ.
1886-1890.
Rev. A. H. Shertz began his labors in this charge on November 7, 1886, and his ministry extends over a period of three years and nine months. Rev. Shertz did not follow his predecessor's - method of recording the communicant members, but he used the old style of writing out the names of those who communed. The only record of this kind that can be found is dated October 23, 1887, when 64 were present. His observations on this service are self-explanatory. He writes:
"This was a large congregation, but not as many communed as should. The day was pleasant. The Lord seemed to be in the midst of all. A. H. S."
The neatness and clearness of this record is a decided improvement upon those of his two pre- decessors, and the great regret is that he neglected to make a record of his other services and other official acts, such as baptisms and marriages, there being only one funeral recorded in the regular church book.
At a council meeting held at this time, Nov. 16,
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1887, Mr. H. S. Book urged the adoption of the envelope system for collecting the pastor's salary, which after some discussion, on motion of Mr. Jesse Klugh, was adopted by that body.
At the close of the year 1887, Mr. Nickolas Peck, who for the past thirteen years had served as organ- ist, resigned, and Miss Viola Shetter was appointed to serve in that capacity from the beginning of 1888. In this year the beautiful Mary J. Drexell Deaconess Home of the Lutheran Church was established in Philadelphia, Pa.
Rev. Shertz was a very active pastor, and was also a noted skater, besides being a great lover of horses. His ministry, on the whole, was unevent- ful, and he resigned the charge July 27, 1890. At present Rev. Shertz is serving the Hooversville charge, Somerset Co., Pa., belonging to the Alle- gheny Synod.
In the last year of Rev. Shertz's pastorate (1890), a notable event occurred in the manufacture of Liquid Air for practical purposes by Mr. Chas. E. Tripler in New York.
REV. WILLIAM H. HARDING. 1891-1895.
A lapse of six months now occurred, during which the church was without a regular pastor, and the
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congregations were served by various supplies, the last one on February 15, 1891, being Rev. W. H. Harding, who was a student in the senior class of the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa. On March 1, 1891, he was unanimously elected to be- . come the pastor of this charge, which he accepted on April 10, and continued as regular supply until after his graduation. On July I he took permanent charge, and on July 12 was regularly installed as the pastor of the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. The presiding officers at this service were the venerable President of the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa., Rev. M. Valentine, D. D., LL. D., and Rev. F. W. Staley, of Middle- town, Pa.
Shortly after Rev. Harding began his regular pastoral work, the council, on June 21, 1891, ordered the purchase of a new church record, which was accordingly done. At their next meeting, held November II, the pastor suggested a revision of "the list of church inembers, and it was agreed that the new record should constitute such mem- bers as commune regularly, pay to support of pas- tor's salary, and desire to lead a true Christian life. On motion of Bro. Jno. A. Dehoff, the regular time of meeting was fixed on the first Monday evening following the first Sunday of every month."
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The revising of the old list of members in accord- ance with the newly adopted plan, no doubt largely accounts for the small number of com- municants recorded at his first service, held November 15, 1891, when but 62 members par- took of the holy sacrament.
The new record book selected by Rev. Harding is modern, and the pastor's work in keeping records is so well systematized that much less clerical labor is necessary than would have been required under the old method. From these records it is seen that there was a continual in- crease in the membership of the church, and from them the following facts have been gleaned: Dur- ing his pastorate, covering a period of almost six years, Rev. Harding held fifteen communion ser- vices, at which the total number of communicants was 1,628. The highest attendance numbered 137, and the lowest 62, as mentioned above, while the average attendance for the entire period was 108.
At this time the Lutheran and Reformed con- gregations in Bainbridge worshipped in the same building, but at a joint council meeting of tliese churches held there Ang. 11, 1891, the committee representing the Lutheran church, consisting of "three trustees, John Finlay, Jonas Rutherford
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and Christian Hoover, with Bros. William Swan, Henry Schroll and Henry Linton," decided to pur- chase the half interest of the Reformed church. The sum agreed upon was $165.00.
It is very gratifying to note the increased care taken in recording in detail the minutes of the proceedings of the church council, and we are greatly indebted to them for the various following items of interest which are gleaned from this par- ticularly interesting period :
On February 8, 1892, Dr. G. A. Harter was elected choir leader by a unanimous vote, in which capacity he faithfully served for a period of more than five years.
At the close of 1890, upon the resignation of Miss Viola Shetter, Miss Miranda Peck was elected organist and served for about one year, resigning in May, 1892. At the meeting held June 13, 1892, the church council, in appreciation of her faithful- ness, passed resolutions of regret, and Miss Mabel Houseal was elected, where she rendered faithful service until 1894.
A new innovation was introduced March 8, 1892, when the church council appointed Mr. Henry Tome, Jr., and Mr. John A. Dehoff, as ushers. Previous to this time any member of the council or congregation who happened to be present acted
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in that capacity if he felt so inclined, and the ser- vice thus rendered was very irregular.
Under date September 5, 1892, the council de- cided " that $3.00 be charged for all funerals held in the church of persons who are not members or supporters of the same."
It is pleasant to note the unity and fellowship existing between the various congregations in Maytown, an indication of which is seen in the suspension of the evening service on November 15, 1892, to "join in the Union Thanksgiving Service in the Bethel Church." This is the first mention of such union services being held among the churches, a custom which has been followed with but few exceptions. That the Lutheran church has ever been ready to extend and promote this spirit of fellowship is also shown by the fact that on May 14, 1893, they dispensed with their regular morning service to accept an invitation from the Reformed church to attend their dedicatory ser- vices. Nor was this spirit of fellowship limited to the churches of this town, for when, in 1894, the Maytown Choral Union was organized, the use of the Lutheran church was granted them for their meeting.
About this time permission was granted the Aid Society to repair the parsonage in general, and
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the whole house was remodelled. (For fuller account, see history of Aid Society appended.)
At a congregational meeting held Feb. 5, 1893, on motion of Bro. Eph. Williams, the pastor's sal- ary was increased twenty per cent.
Hitherto it had been the custom to ring the church bell three times before each regular service, there being an hour's intermission between each ringing of the bell. On March 8, 1893, the council decided to have it rung but twice for regular service.
An event of general importance occurred to all the inembers of the Lutheran Church of the Gen- eral Synod in the founding of " The National Lu- theran Home for the Aged " at Washington, D. C., on Easter Monday, 1893. To this home all per- sons aged sixty years or inore are admitted upon the payment of an admission fee of $150 for those over seventy, and $200 for those under seventy years of age.
An interesting event occurred at the parsonage on Dec. 14, 1895, when Reed Minich Harding was born, this being the first birth at the parsonage.
In the suminer of 1895 the work of remodelling the St. Luke's Church at Bainbridge (which had been unanimously decided upon as the result of a motion to that effect made by Bro. David Brubaker and seconded by Bro. Frank Kinsey at a meeting
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held July 16, 1893) was begun "in good earnest, and the old church structure was almost entirely torn away. After a summer of exceedingly hard work and self-denial on part of pastor and people, the church was rebuilt and furnished at an actual cost of $2,700." By the close of the year the rebuilding (practically speaking) of the old church was completed, and out of the ruins of the old was erected the fine and commodious structure of St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bain- bridge, Pa. It was dedicaled on December 29, 1895, when "the balance of debt ($600.00) was obligated, and the church was dedicated free of debt."
The names of the Building Committee were as follows: Rev. W. H. Harding, Chairman; Mr. G. W. Hackenberger, Treasurer; Harry Linton, Abra- ham Bachman, Jr., Harry Hawthorn, Thadius Groff. (Extracts from Bainbridge Church Record.)
The close of the year 1895 found the congrega- tion putting forth efforts along various lines to replenish the church treasury, the auxiliary societ- ies heartily assisting in this work. It has truly been said that "coming events cast their shadows before," and this activity to increase the finances of the church was the shadow cast over the close of the Third Epoch by the new one whose bright day was about to dawn.
EPOCH THE FOURTH
FRUITION, 1896-1904
THE MODERN CHURCH AND THE
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY
THE great and important changes which occurred in 1891 and the succeeding years very natur- ally mark this as a distinct epoch. Occurring, as it did, during the latter part of Rev. W. H. Hard- ing's pastorate, it has necessitated the dividing of his ministry into two parts, and without further elaboration we will let the work accomplished speak for itself, and for the man to whose untiring and consecrated efforts these results are largely due.
REV. WM. H. HARDING.
1896-1897.
In the beginning of the year 1896, and in fact for some time previous, the desirability of remodel- ing the church was a much-discussed topic, which culminated in definite measures towards that end on April 13, when, on motion of Deacon William A. Bontz, "it was unanimously agreed by roll-call of the council to recommend to the congregation the repairing or general remodeling of our church this year."
On April 26, 1896, "after the morning service, a congregational meeting was held to consider the recommendation of council relating to the repair- ing or remodeling of the church. On motion of
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brother James F. Johnstin the congregation unani- mously voted to REMODEL the church this year."
Upon this action of the congregation the church council resolved itself into a Building Committee, with the addition of Dr. G. A. Harter, the members of which were as follows :
BUILDING COMMITTEE.
Rev. W. H. Harding, Chairman.
Abram S. Rhoads, Treasurer of Building Fund.
Henry S. Book,
Abram S. Rhoads,
John A. Dehoff,
Win. A. Bontz,
William Frysinger,
Albert B. Clepper, *
Jolın Wolfe, George Hall,
John Nieman, Dr. G. A. Harter.
At a special meeting of council, hield a few days later, on April 28, the plans submitted by Mr. J. A. Dempwolf, of York, Pa., were adopted, with some modifications, among which was Mr. Jeffries Shireman's suggestion concerning the large win- dow saslies by which the infant room and church parlor could be thrown open to the main Sunday- school room. The plans thus adopted involved the following changes in the old building:
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