Church History: Zion's Reformed Church, Marietta, Lancaster County, PA

Copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
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History of the Classis of Lancaster of the Eastern Synod of the
Reformed Church in the United States, 1852-1940;

Part II, Histories of the Congregations of the Classis of Lancaster, Pg. 223-225

Printed by The New Holland Clarion, New Holland, PA;
Editors Rev. Daniel G. Glass, Rev. C. George Bachman, Rev. Harry E. Shepardson,
Rev. John F. Frantz, Rev. J. N. Le Van, D.D.
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ZION'S REFORMED CHURCH, MARIETTA

Vacant, Student Supply, William H. Banks

Zion's Reformed Church of Marietta, was organized in 1817, and the corner stone 
laid on July 25, 1818.  But, for some reason those who undertook the erection of 
that church were unable to complete the task and the church became, in a manner, 
public property, where any denomination could hold services.  The old Zion's 
church disbanded in 1856.  Rev. Henry B. Schaffner had been the pastor.

At a special meeting of Lancaster Classis at the First Reformed church, 
Lancaster, an application for the organization of a Reformed church at Marietta 
was considered.  It was resolved that said petition be granted and a committee 
was appointed to meet the petitioners.  On Wednesday evening, November 1, 1878, 
this committee met with the signers of the petition at the home of S. L. 
Dellinger and the church was organized with 39 members, all of whom presented 
certificates of dismission; two from the Reformed church at Maytown, and the 
remainder from the Presbyterian church in Marietta.  The members of the 
committee from Classis served the church as far as Sacraments were concerned, 
but for the most part pastoral work was done by students from the Seminary at 
Lancaster.

In the spring of 1879 Marietta petitioned Classis to have Maytown and the former 
constitute a pastoral charge and that Classis appropriate $300.00 to its 
support.  However, Maytown was not of the same mind.  Marietta called Licentiate 
Simon P. Brown.  He began his work in 1879 and remained until June 11, 1881.  
The ministers that followed for short intervals were:  George B. Resser, David 
B. Schneder, Silas Laury, George Zacharias and Chas. H. Slingoff.

In December 1894, William Yenser was called and because the old church on the 
hill was not the absolute property of the Reformed denomination, he determined 
to erect a new church.  The old church was fast becoming too small for the 
rapidly growing congregation.  The property on which the handsome church, Sunday 
School and parsonage now stand, was a private park.  The corner stone was laid 
May 27, 1900.  The building is of brick, trimmed with Indiana limestone, and is 
erected in triangular form, 117 feet in length by 60 feet in width.  The Sunday 
School and church are so arranged that they can be thrown into one large 
auditorium with a combined seating capacity of 800.  The interior is finished in 
mahogany and walnut with quartered oak pews.  The stained-glass windows are all 
memorial windows, the large one to the east having been placed there by friends 
and admirers of Rev. Yenser outside of the congregation.  During Rev. Yenser's 
pastorate the membership was doubled.  The church was dedicated November 30, 
1902.  The parsonage was occupied for the first time on March 6, 1903.  The 
first pastor of the newly-organized congregation, Rev. S. P. Brown was the first 
one to break bread with Rev. Yenser and his family.

Rev. M. Loucks, then editor of the Christian World succeeded Rev. Yenser.  He 
was the first pastor to be installed in this new edifice.  During his pastorate 
an interesting event occurred.  Barr Spangler, the oldest merchant in town, in 
1849 purchased for the community two bells, one for the Town Hall, and one for 
the old Zion Reformed Church.  The price of the bell was $600.00.  When the 
congregation moved into the new edifice, the bell became the property of the 
Marietta Borough Council.  Mr. B. Frank Hiestand purchased the bell from Council 
and donated it to the Reformed congregation, and it was dedicated by Rev. Loucks 
on Palm Sunday, April 10, 1911.

Rev. Loucks was followed by Rev. E. Elmer Sensenig during whose pastorate the 
Moller pipe organ was installed and consecrated.  Successors to Rev. Sensenig 
were:  Wilbur Moyer, Noah H. Fravel, and Victor Steinberg.

Classis petitioned Maytown and Marietta in 1928 to constitute one charge.  Rev. 
James B. Musser became the first pastor of the charge, followed by Rev. Arthur 
D. Knoebel and Rev. Alfred L. Creager.  The work at present is being carried on 
by William H. Banks, a student in the Seminary at Lancaster.