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Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society

Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society

Founded in 1863 as the Historical Society of the German Reformed Church, the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society was formed in 1934 when the Reformed Church in the United States merged with the Evangelical Synod of North America.

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Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society
5 days ago
Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society

While many of us have begun (or thought about beginning) to downsize the extraneous “stuff” in our lives, remember that there are some things that are pretty important to keep. Ridge Valley United Church of Christ must have understood this importance; their preservation of the original deed to their building preserved their very existence.

The beginnings of the Ridge Valley United UCC in Sellersville, PA can be traced back to 1792 when land was sold by Henry Guttleman for five pounds “in trust to and for the use of Lutheran and Reformed Calvinist societies and their successors to erect and build a church on the said premises with a graveyard, for the use of the said congregations and their ministers and elders, and to and for no other purpose.” It was that line taken from the original deed, along with testimony from individuals about the transition of the German Reformed church into the United Church of Christ (UCC), that the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, PA referred to when passing judgment over a dispute between the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the UCC and the Ridge Valley Evangelical and Reformed Brethren in 1984.

Since 1792 the land was used by the German Reformed, Lutheran, and Mennonite congregations as a union church. Over time the Mennonites left and the Lutherans built their own church across the street, allowing the Reformed congregation sole ownership of the property. Over that time the congregation and church building grew and changed; the denomination merged with the Evangelical Synod of the United States in 1934, and then again with the Congregational churches to form the United Church of Christ.

Around 1973, the church acquired the services of a temporary, licensed but not ordained, minister who began to turn the church toward a more “fire and brimstone cult,” according to many of the statements from former members collected for the court. The Sunday school and choir had been disbanded, women were no longer allowed to hold leadership positions in the church, and they no longer supported the United Church of Christ because of their acceptance of women and homosexuals into the ministry. Above all the services dropped the traditional liturgy of the Reformed church. Original members left and new faces began to attend worship but did not join the church. By 1979, the pastor left the church and was replaced by one of these new faces. This new layman had ties to the Brethren congregation of the Tylersport Chapel and invited them to use the church for two weeks while renovations were made to their building. The Brethren did not return to their church but instead merged with what was left of the Reformed congregation. The once 134 member congregation had dwindled to nine, seemingly exhausted by the power struggles, the new pastor’s negative attitudes toward other denominations, and being told that many of them would be going to hell.
In 1982 the church officially changed its name to Ridge Valley Evangelical and Reformed Brethren. Though the Brethren had claimed that they had no interest in the building, when the remaining members of the original congregation who remained faithful to the UCC attempted to reclaim the building for worship, they found that they were locked out and physically prevented from entering. Instead, at their invitation, they held services across the street in the parking lot of the Lutheran church and eventually moving inside the church as the weather cooled. For eleven months, 33 original members of the Reformed church gathered for services at they filed a legal complaint against the Brethren.

This particular property dispute issue, according to the court, was narrowly defined because of the existence of the original deed in that the land can only be used by the Lutheran and Reformed Calvinist Societies and their successors. During the three and half day trial, the Brethren argued that they were closer to what those successors “should be.” The court seemed to be relieved that they did not need to resolve the issue based on religious doctrine but that the property was deeded to a specific faith and not to be transferred to another. Because of major fundamental changes that the Brethren made to doctrine and rituals that were not in alignment with the UCC and the UCC had proven their direct lineage from the German Reformed church, on February 10th, 1984 the court ordered that the original Reformed congregation had sole ownership of the property, giving the Brethren 30 days to vacate. A Service of Renewal was held at the church on April 8, 1984 with over 100 people in attendance.

On Sunday, September 26, 2021, the Ridge Valley UCC will be holding a Heritage Day to celebrate their Deed Restoration, which is arguably one of the most important documents for the existence of their church. A remembrance and celebration service begins at 9:30 am and an open house will be held 11:00 am to 1:00 pm with refreshments and an opportunity to see the paper that was instrumental for the church’s survival as well as other historic memorabilia. If you attend, please bring a non-perishable food item for the local food bank. For more info, check out the Ridge Valley UCC Facebook page. www.facebook.com/events/2879342335654435?ref=newsfeed ... See MoreSee Less

While many of us have begun (or thought about beginning) to downsize the extraneous “stuff” in our lives, remember that there are some things that are pretty important to keep. Ridge Valley United Church of Christ must have understood this importance; their preservation of the original deed to their building preserved their very existence. The beginnings of the Ridge Valley United UCC in Sellersville, PA can be traced back to 1792 when land was sold by Henry Guttleman for five pounds “in trust to and for the use of Lutheran and Reformed Calvinist societies and their successors to erect and build a church on the said premises with a graveyard, for the use of the said congregations and their ministers and elders, and to and for no other purpose.” It was that line taken from the original deed, along with testimony from individuals about the transition of the German Reformed church into the United Church of Christ (UCC), that the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, PA referred to when passing judgment over a dispute between the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the UCC and the Ridge Valley Evangelical and Reformed Brethren in 1984. Since 1792 the land was used by the German Reformed, Lutheran, and Mennonite congregations as a union church. Over time the Mennonites left and the Lutherans built their own church across the street, allowing the Reformed congregation sole ownership of the property. Over that time the congregation and church building grew and changed; the denomination merged with the Evangelical Synod of the United States in 1934, and then again with the Congregational churches to form the United Church of Christ. Around 1973, the church acquired the services of a temporary, licensed but not ordained, minister who began to turn the church toward a more “fire and brimstone cult,” according to many of the statements from former members collected for the court. The Sunday school and choir had been disbanded, women were no longer allowed to hold leadership positions in the church, and they no longer supported the United Church of Christ because of their acceptance of women and homosexuals into the ministry. Above all the services dropped the traditional liturgy of the Reformed church. Original members left and new faces began to attend worship but did not join the church. By 1979, the pastor left the church and was replaced by one of these new faces. This new layman had ties to the Brethren congregation of the Tylersport Chapel and invited them to use the church for two weeks while renovations were made to their building. The Brethren did not return to their church but instead merged with what was left of the Reformed congregation. The once 134 member congregation had dwindled to nine, seemingly exhausted by the power struggles, the new pastor’s negative attitudes toward other denominations, and being told that many of them would be going to hell. In 1982 the church officially changed its name to Ridge Valley Evangelical and Reformed Brethren. Though the Brethren had claimed that they had no interest in the building, when the remaining members of the original congregation who remained faithful to the UCC attempted to reclaim the building for worship, they found that they were locked out and physically prevented from entering. Instead, at their invitation, they held services across the street in the parking lot of the Lutheran church and eventually moving inside the church as the weather cooled. For eleven months, 33 original members of the Reformed church gathered for services at they filed a legal complaint against the Brethren. This particular property dispute issue, according to the court, was narrowly defined because of the existence of the original deed in that the land can only be used by the Lutheran and Reformed Calvinist Societies and their successors. During the three and half day trial, the Brethren argued that they were closer to what those successors “should be.” The court seemed to be relieved that they did not need to resolve the issue based on religious doctrine but that the property was deeded to a specific faith and not to be transferred to another. Because of major fundamental changes that the Brethren made to doctrine and rituals that were not in alignment with the UCC and the UCC had proven their direct lineage from the German Reformed church, on February 10th, 1984 the court ordered that the original Reformed congregation had sole ownership of the property, giving the Brethren 30 days to vacate. A Service of Renewal was held at the church on April 8, 1984 with over 100 people in attendance. On Sunday, September 26, 2021, the Ridge Valley UCC will be holding a Heritage Day to celebrate their Deed Restoration, which is arguably one of the most important documents for the existence of their church. A remembrance and celebration service begins at 9:30 am and an open house will be held 11:00 am to 1:00 pm with refreshments and an opportunity to see the paper that was instrumental for the church’s survival as well as other historic memorabilia. If you attend, please bring a non-perishable food item for the local food bank. For more info, check out the Ridge Valley UCC Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/events/2879342335654435?ref=newsfeedImage attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment
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It is when I do research for articles such as this that the importance of retaining the history of organizations is obvious. Consider donating to your favorite historical society to help keep history alive.

Reading through the material for this post was fascinating, especially the letters from the congregants for the court. Like a soap opera.

Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society
5 days ago
Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society

Timeline PhotosEden Seminary Archives | #tbt in Eden History
Sept. 3 | Allen Ott Miller

Allen Ott Miller, Eden faculty member from 1946 to 1978, began teaching at Eden on September 18, 1946. He was born at Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania on June 9, 1912 (died Aug. 26, 1999 in Webster Groves). After graduating from Lafayette College in 1933, Miller received a Bachelor of Divinity cum laude from Yale Divinity School in 1936 and a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion in 1941. He was ordained at Christ Evangelical and Reformed Church, Stone Church, Pennsylvania, on April 3, 1938, and subsequently taught religion and philosophy at Heidelberg College until 1946.
Miller joined the faculty of Eden in 1946 as Associate Professor of Christian Theology and later became Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy. He officially retired in 1978 but continued to teach part-time until 1996—a total of 50 years. In addition to his work at Eden, he taught courses on comparative religions and ecumenism at Washington University, Kenrick Seminary, Christ Seminary—Seminex, and Webster University for many years.
Professor Miller was instrumental in forming the Interfaith Clergy Council of St. Louis and was President of Caroline Mission from 1950 to 1955 and again from 1958 to 1960. He served as a delegate to the World Council of Churches conference in 1954 and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches conference in 1954 and 1959.
Eden faculty member Dr. Damayanthi Niles was inaugurated as the Allen and Dottie Miller Professor of Mission and Peace on May 20, 2021. ... See MoreSee Less

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Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society
1 week ago
Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society

It is the twentieth anniversary of September 11th, a date that needs no year to understand its importance. We would like to share a piece that appears in ERHS's September newsletter. If you would like to sign up to receive monthly updates from our newsletter and delve deeper into the stories from E&R Church past, please subscribe at erhistoricalsociety.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/mailing-list-sign-up.

Twenty-Years Later... by Kristin Phillips
On August 31, 2021 the last United States service member departed Afghanistan, returning control of the country to the Taliban, almost twenty years after a day that altered the very DNA of the United States. Spiritual leaders were called upon to lead their flock through the dark but many had to first find a lantern.

One of the first manuscript collections that I processed at ERHS was the papers of Rev. William Youngkin, a deceased UCC pastor who ministered in Texas and Ohio. As the country disengaged from our longest war, I remembered a binder that I found in the many boxes of papers from his life that is more prescient today than it was two years ago.

It was a simple, three-ring binder with plastic into which one that can slip a cover page. In that plastic was an op-ed cartoon cut from the New York Times dated September 14, 2001. Like most Americans who are old enough to remember the fateful events three days prior, the image of the Twin Towers’ silhouette within a crumbling heart stopped me in my tracks. I sat and began to flip through the pages of material that Rev. Youngkin had deemed important enough to preserve; a time capsule from the days immediately following September 11 until the end of that year. That binder was a window into how a pastor whose work leaned heavily toward peace and social justice attempted to make sense of a world that had been violently turned upside down.

It is both fascinating and difficult to read today. There are calls for prayers for what the country is about to face. There are calls for a measured and deliberate response to the attacks that will not propel us down a dark road of war. There are reflections from former missionaries attempting to educate others on how US civilians became the target of so much hate in the world. There’s the story of Delta Flight 15 and their temporary, 9/11 grounding in the welcoming town of Gander, Canada that inspired a sense a community and goodwill. There is the story of a firefighter and his “work, mourning and silence in the city’s ruins.” There’s a New York Times piece titled “The Expression of Grief and the Power of Art” punctuated with a slice of Picasso’s “Guernica.” There are political cartoons and columns about the anthrax scare, enemy combatants in Guantanamo Prison, and John Walker, a name now more associated with Marvel Comics than the American Taliban. And finally, there are the opinion pieces, so many opinion pieces from Thomas Friedman, Paul Krugman, Leonard Pitts, Jr. and Ellen Goodman. Cut from the pages of newspapers during those frenetic months; their younger versions seeking answers, questioning policy, and imploring the leaders of the world to act toward peace but also to deliver justice. They foresee the dangers ahead in a world where security supersedes civil liberties. They foresee economic uncertainty. They foresee a new world for the oppressed women of Afghanistan. What they did not foresee was that it would be twenty years before that bloody chapter would end. It is with such a heavy heart that I read the words, “As the Afghan war enters into what may be its final days,” from an op-ed written by Karl E. Meyer dated December 7, 2001.

Reverend Youngkin did not live to see the end of this war and I wonder what a scrapbook from the last few months would look like. One of the recurring themes of the binder is a fear that the aftermath of 9/11 would lead the country down the same path of religious totalitarianism that created the terrorists from that fateful day. But there is also a small thread of optimism that cooler heads would prevail that comes across what he collected that I hope did not burn out. The last page was an article from December 11, 2001 about Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary General, and the speech he gave at the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize lecture. He spoke about the need to solve the problems that existed on September 10th and “the daunting task of helping get Afghanistan back on its feet.” The article ends with three words, “REMEMBER THE NEEDIEST.” It is in those words that Rev. Youngkin’s work exemplifies.

Just like most archives, ERHS has guidelines for the kind material that we keep in our collection. As I was copying each newspaper column, I questioned the reasoning to keep this binder. Looking back now it is hard to not see the importance of preserving it. Sometimes a trip through the past can give perspective on the events of the present. ... See MoreSee Less

It is the twentieth anniversary of September 11th, a date that needs no year to understand its importance. We would like to share a piece that appears in ERHSs September newsletter. If you would like to sign up to receive monthly updates from our newsletter and delve deeper into the stories from E&R Church past, please subscribe at https://erhistoricalsociety.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/mailing-list-sign-up. Twenty-Years Later... by Kristin Phillips On August 31, 2021 the last United States service member departed Afghanistan, returning control of the country to the Taliban, almost twenty years after a day that altered the very DNA of the United States. Spiritual leaders were called upon to lead their flock through the dark but many had to first find a lantern. One of the first manuscript collections that I processed at ERHS was the papers of Rev. William Youngkin, a deceased UCC pastor who ministered in Texas and Ohio. As the country disengaged from our longest war, I remembered a binder that I found in the many boxes of papers from his life that is more prescient today than it was two years ago. It was a simple, three-ring binder with plastic into which one that can slip a cover page. In that plastic was an op-ed cartoon cut from the New York Times dated September 14, 2001. Like most Americans who are old enough to remember the fateful events three days prior, the image of the Twin Towers’ silhouette within a crumbling heart stopped me in my tracks. I sat and began to flip through the pages of material that Rev. Youngkin had deemed important enough to preserve; a time capsule from the days immediately following September 11 until the end of that year. That binder was a window into how a pastor whose work leaned heavily toward peace and social justice attempted to make sense of a world that had been violently turned upside down. It is both fascinating and difficult to read today. There are calls for prayers for what the country is about to face. There are calls for a measured and deliberate response to the attacks that will not propel us down a dark road of war. There are reflections from former missionaries attempting to educate others on how US civilians became the target of so much hate in the world. There’s the story of Delta Flight 15 and their temporary, 9/11 grounding in the welcoming town of Gander, Canada that inspired a sense a community and goodwill. There is the story of a firefighter and his “work, mourning and silence in the city’s ruins.” There’s a New York Times piece titled “The Expression of Grief and the Power of Art” punctuated with a slice of Picasso’s “Guernica.” There are political cartoons and columns about the anthrax scare, enemy combatants in Guantanamo Prison, and John Walker, a name now more associated with Marvel Comics than the American Taliban. And finally, there are the opinion pieces, so many opinion pieces from Thomas Friedman, Paul Krugman, Leonard Pitts, Jr. and Ellen Goodman. Cut from the pages of newspapers during those frenetic months; their younger versions seeking answers, questioning policy, and imploring the leaders of the world to act toward peace but also to deliver justice. They foresee the dangers ahead in a world where security supersedes civil liberties. They foresee economic uncertainty. They foresee a new world for the oppressed women of Afghanistan. What they did not foresee was that it would be twenty years before that bloody chapter would end. It is with such a heavy heart that I read the words, “As the Afghan war enters into what may be its final days,” from an op-ed written by Karl E. Meyer dated December 7, 2001. Reverend Youngkin did not live to see the end of this war and I wonder what a scrapbook from the last few months would look like. One of the recurring themes of the binder is a fear that the aftermath of 9/11 would lead the country down the same path of religious totalitarianism that created the terrorists from that fateful day. But there is also a small thread of optimism that cooler heads would prevail that comes across what he collected that I hope did not burn out. The last page was an article from December 11, 2001 about Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary General, and the speech he gave at the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize lecture. He spoke about the need to solve the problems that existed on September 10th and “the daunting task of helping get Afghanistan back on its feet.” The article ends with three words, “REMEMBER THE NEEDIEST.” It is in those words that Rev. Youngkin’s work exemplifies. Just like most archives, ERHS has guidelines for the kind material that we keep in our collection. As I was copying each newspaper column, I questioned the reasoning to keep this binder. Looking back now it is hard to not see the importance of preserving it. Sometimes a trip through the past can give perspective on the events of the present.Image attachmentImage attachment+4Image attachment
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Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society
2 weeks ago
Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society

This Sunday, September 12, 2021 the Old Zion Reformed church will be holding its annual Homecoming Celebration at 187 Reifsnyder Rd, Lititz, PA. Here is the story of how one of the oldest churches in Lancaster County outlived its congregation.

In the collection of documents from the Zion Reformed church in Brickerville, PA is a six-page letter on the stationary of S.H. Imboden, M.D. of Reading, PA, written in what could be 1959, the date is hard to discern, to someone named Shotts. The letter writer spoke of visiting his boyhood home in Brickerville, PA and coming across what he describes as “a perfect gem of colonial church architecture of that period.” The letter writer was troubled that the building, where he remembered attending occasionally with his parents as a child, had begun to fall into disrepair. He recounts that though the building was locked he “made a very ‘easy entry’ thru a window”, something he admits to also doing seven years prior, and found that some items had begun to go missing. Worried about the “treasure trove” of items that remained, it seems as if he began a mission that has lasted over seventy years.

The roots of the Old Zion Reformed church can be traced to 1732 when an informal congregation of German farmers was served in their homes by traveling ministers until land was purchased to build a church. The official congregation was organized in 1747 as Reyer’s Reformed. In 1752 the 60 person congregation’s first officially ordained pastor, Rev. John (Johann) Waldschmidt, arrived from Germany with Michael Schlatter and five other ordained ministers to serve the congregations of the New World. The original building served as a refuge for wounded Revolutionary War soldiers, some of which were buried in unmarked graves in the church cemetery, where some of the oldest tombstones are dated to 1744.

In 1813 the existing Federal-style church building was built using a meetinghouse plan which was designed for a more practical use rather than religious pageantry. The building was renovated in 1890’s when the congregation had reached its maximum membership of over 300 but by 1906 the congregation had dwindled to 34 and was disbanded in 1947. It was the deterioration of this building that inspired the letter writer’s call to action.

The writer found many original documents such as receipts when the region was under control of the English Crown and church records containing old family names whose descendants were still counted among the surrounding community. What seems to have intrigued him most were the names, initials, and dates that had been etched into the pews and walls over a hundred years prior. This “vandalism” inspired the creation of a Board of Trustees in 1960 to ensure the preservation of this human history.

In the decades since, the Old Zion church has been restored and preserved for its classic architectural style and the American stories it holds with the help of grants, donations, fundraisers, and wedding rentals. An old-fashioned Strawberry Social every June and an annual Christmas Carol Sing ensures community involvement in this noble endeavor. An anniversary celebration takes place on the second Sunday of every September. A year’s worth of preparation takes place to decide a theme and plan for this annual showcase of both the church and the hard work that goes into its preservation. Anyone who has ever had the duty to maintain a building of this age understands the immense time, money, and energy that is required. From the roof’s replacement in the 1970’s and the restoration of the rare wine-glass pulpit in the 1980’s, to the seemingly unending upkeep of the cemetery, a dedicated group of people come together to continue this mission for over 60 years.

Though the official congregation of the Old Zion Reformed church has not existed since 1947 it seems as though the church has an unofficial congregation that has lasted much longer, expanding past denominational lines to include a much larger community. It is that community’s passion for the history and stories of a simple building and its original worshippers that keeps it alive. The trespasser who penned that letter so long ago should be proud of the legacy that simple missive began. ... See MoreSee Less

This Sunday, September 12, 2021 the Old Zion Reformed church will be holding its annual Homecoming Celebration at 187 Reifsnyder Rd, Lititz, PA. Here is the story of how one of the oldest churches in Lancaster County outlived its congregation. In the collection of documents from the Zion Reformed church in Brickerville, PA is a six-page letter on the stationary of S.H. Imboden, M.D. of Reading, PA, written in what could be 1959, the date is hard to discern, to someone named Shotts. The letter writer spoke of visiting his boyhood home in Brickerville, PA and coming across what he describes as “a perfect gem of colonial church architecture of that period.” The letter writer was troubled that the building, where he remembered attending occasionally with his parents as a child, had begun to fall into disrepair. He recounts that though the building was locked he “made a very ‘easy entry’ thru a window”, something he admits to also doing seven years prior, and found that some items had begun to go missing. Worried about the “treasure trove” of items that remained, it seems as if he began a mission that has lasted over seventy years. The roots of the Old Zion Reformed church can be traced to 1732 when an informal congregation of German farmers was served in their homes by traveling ministers until land was purchased to build a church. The official congregation was organized in 1747 as Reyer’s Reformed. In 1752 the 60 person congregation’s first officially ordained pastor, Rev. John (Johann) Waldschmidt, arrived from Germany with Michael Schlatter and five other ordained ministers to serve the congregations of the New World. The original building served as a refuge for wounded Revolutionary War soldiers, some of which were buried in unmarked graves in the church cemetery, where some of the oldest tombstones are dated to 1744. In 1813 the existing Federal-style church building was built using a meetinghouse plan which was designed for a more practical use rather than religious pageantry. The building was renovated in 1890’s when the congregation had reached its maximum membership of over 300 but by 1906 the congregation had dwindled to 34 and was disbanded in 1947. It was the deterioration of this building that inspired the letter writer’s call to action. The writer found many original documents such as receipts when the region was under control of the English Crown and church records containing old family names whose descendants were still counted among the surrounding community. What seems to have intrigued him most were the names, initials, and dates that had been etched into the pews and walls over a hundred years prior. This “vandalism” inspired the creation of a Board of Trustees in 1960 to ensure the preservation of this human history. In the decades since, the Old Zion church has been restored and preserved for its classic architectural style and the American stories it holds with the help of grants, donations, fundraisers, and wedding rentals. An old-fashioned Strawberry Social every June and an annual Christmas Carol Sing ensures community involvement in this noble endeavor. An anniversary celebration takes place on the second Sunday of every September. A year’s worth of preparation takes place to decide a theme and plan for this annual showcase of both the church and the hard work that goes into its preservation. Anyone who has ever had the duty to maintain a building of this age understands the immense time, money, and energy that is required. From the roof’s replacement in the 1970’s and the restoration of the rare wine-glass pulpit in the 1980’s, to the seemingly unending upkeep of the cemetery, a dedicated group of people come together to continue this mission for over 60 years. Though the official congregation of the Old Zion Reformed church has not existed since 1947 it seems as though the church has an unofficial congregation that has lasted much longer, expanding past denominational lines to include a much larger community. It is that community’s passion for the history and stories of a simple building and its original worshippers that keeps it alive. The trespasser who penned that letter so long ago should be proud of the legacy that simple missive began.Image attachmentImage attachment+7Image attachment
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Thank you!

Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society
3 weeks ago
Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society

“Don’t Join the Cloister”
“Don’t Join the Cloister” is the theme for the 2021 Old Zion German Reformed Church (Brickerville) Anniversary Service to be held on Sunday, September 12th at 4:00 p.m.

The theme is taken from the religious controversy in the 1730’s with the establishment of the Cloister in Ephrata. Peter Miller (John Peter Mueller) was a German Reformed minister who emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1730. After briefly serving congregations in southeastern Pennsylvania, Miller moved to the Conestoga Valley in Lancaster County. He served the churches of White Oak (later known as Reyers, then Zion), Seltenreich (East Earl) and Muddy Creek (where several baptisms by him are recorded in the Lutheran record).

Miller showed an inclination to the Seventh Day Dunkers (Baptists) and soon was recruited by their leader, Conrad Beisel, to join their movement. John Phillip Boehm, the founder and leader of the German Reformed church, warned the German Reformed folk about this “false spirit.” Boehm would write, “but the misguided and simple-minded people clung to him, until finally the deception… came to light and this Miller went over publically to the evil sect of the Seventh Day Tumplers and was baptized in Tumpler fashion (by triune immersion) at Conestoga in the month of April, 1735.”

When Miller left the Reformed Church he took with him about ten families, Lutheran and Reformed, who followed his example. Adding insult to injury, to make his exit from the Reformed Church as dramatic as possible, Peter Miller, Conrad Weiser and two other men had a book burning. They burnt the Reformed Catechism, the Lutheran Catechism, in all thirty six books, in derision and disparagement.

The Old Zion Anniversary Service will reenact how the churches might have responded to this controversy. Our guest preacher will be Rev. Bruce Farrell, pastor of Zion Goshert’s Reformed Church, United Church of Christ, in Mt. Zion, PA. Rev. Farrell will play the part of John Phillip Boehm, founder of the Reformed Church. His sermon title will be “Don’t Join the Cloister.”

Rev. William LaSalle, retired pastor of Bethany UCC, Ephrata and a member of Old Zion’s Board of Directors, will play the part of John Conrad Tempelman, who took over the pastoral leadership at White Oak (Old Zion) after Miller’s departure. The premise for this historical presentation will be that Tempelman has invited Boehm to come and speak to the Reformed folk and members of other churches who were concerned about what was happening in their churches.

The worship service will include music and hymns from the time period with soloist Amanda Mrenna and J. P. Welliver on Old Zion’s pump organ.

All are welcome to attend this meaningful mid-September service to learn more about the church’s history and worship customs, and to socialize informally over lemonade and cookies following the service. Please join us!

The Anniversary Service this year will be the first event held at Old Zion since closing down because of Covid-19. . Following CDC recommendations, guests are required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

[Old Zion German Reformed Church is located near Brickerville at 187 Reifsnyder Rd, Lititz, PA.] ... See MoreSee Less

“Don’t Join the Cloister” “Don’t Join the Cloister” is the theme for the 2021 Old Zion German Reformed Church (Brickerville) Anniversary Service to be held on Sunday, September 12th at 4:00 p.m. The theme is taken from the religious controversy in the 1730’s with the establishment of the Cloister in Ephrata. Peter Miller (John Peter Mueller) was a German Reformed minister who emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1730. After briefly serving congregations in southeastern Pennsylvania, Miller moved to the Conestoga Valley in Lancaster County. He served the churches of White Oak (later known as Reyers, then Zion), Seltenreich (East Earl) and Muddy Creek (where several baptisms by him are recorded in the Lutheran record). Miller showed an inclination to the Seventh Day Dunkers (Baptists) and soon was recruited by their leader, Conrad Beisel, to join their movement. John Phillip Boehm, the founder and leader of the German Reformed church, warned the German Reformed folk about this “false spirit.” Boehm would write, “but the misguided and simple-minded people clung to him, until finally the deception… came to light and this Miller went over publically to the evil sect of the Seventh Day Tumplers and was baptized in Tumpler fashion (by triune immersion) at Conestoga in the month of April, 1735.” When Miller left the Reformed Church he took with him about ten families, Lutheran and Reformed, who followed his example. Adding insult to injury, to make his exit from the Reformed Church as dramatic as possible, Peter Miller, Conrad Weiser and two other men had a book burning. They burnt the Reformed Catechism, the Lutheran Catechism, in all thirty six books, in derision and disparagement. The Old Zion Anniversary Service will reenact how the churches might have responded to this controversy. Our guest preacher will be Rev. Bruce Farrell, pastor of Zion Goshert’s Reformed Church, United Church of Christ, in Mt. Zion, PA. Rev. Farrell will play the part of John Phillip Boehm, founder of the Reformed Church. His sermon title will be “Don’t Join the Cloister.” Rev. William LaSalle, retired pastor of Bethany UCC, Ephrata and a member of Old Zion’s Board of Directors, will play the part of John Conrad Tempelman, who took over the pastoral leadership at White Oak (Old Zion) after Miller’s departure. The premise for this historical presentation will be that Tempelman has invited Boehm to come and speak to the Reformed folk and members of other churches who were concerned about what was happening in their churches. The worship service will include music and hymns from the time period with soloist Amanda Mrenna and J. P. Welliver on Old Zion’s pump organ. All are welcome to attend this meaningful mid-September service to learn more about the church’s history and worship customs, and to socialize informally over lemonade and cookies following the service. Please join us! The Anniversary Service this year will be the first event held at Old Zion since closing down because of Covid-19. . Following CDC recommendations, guests are required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. [Old Zion German Reformed Church is located near Brickerville at 187 Reifsnyder Rd, Lititz, PA.]Image attachment
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