Church History: Zion's Reformed Church, Millersville, 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. 291-296

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, MILLERSVILLE

Rev. Charles E. Robb, Pastor

The first authentic record of the origin of Zion's Reformed Church, 
Millersville, is the statement that "in 1842, Mr. C. F. Hoffmeier, a student for 
the ministry under the care of Rev. George W. Glessner, pastor of the First 
Reformed Church, of Lancaster, was sent out by the Lancaster County Bible 
Society to preach the Gospel in this section, which resulted in the organization 
of the Conestoga Charge".  However, tradition has it that about the year 1822 or 
1823, a Sunday School was "kept up" at intervals in Millerstown (now 
Millersville) in an old schoolhouse which stood near the site of the present 
Reformed Church.

The Conestoga Charge consisted of three congregations-–Conestoga, Millerstown 
and Rohrerstown.  Later the name of the Charge became "Millersville".  The 
reason the original name of the Charge was Conestoga, was because the Conestoga 
(now Conestoga Center) congregation was older than the MIllerstown congregation 
(now Millersville).

During this early period when there were often few members of the several 
denominations in a community, it was a common custom for two or more congenial 
denominations to have a place of worship together.  This was the situation in 
Millerstown, and as a result the first church at Millersville was named "The 
Union Church of Millerstown."  The Church was located where the Millersville 
bank building now stands.  The cemetery adjoined the Church lot.

The old charter (called Constitution) of the Union Church is well preserved and 
a rare document.  It is in the possession of Mrs. A. B. Bausman.  The preamble 
begins as follows:

   Whereas the several and respective societies or denominations
   of German Reformed, Lutherans, and Moravians at Millerstown,
   and in the neighborhood and vicinity thereof, have by the
   blessings of Almighty God been enabled to erect a church at
   Millerstown which was dedicated or consecrated to the Triune
   God on the twenty-fourth day of November in the year of our
   Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-four.

The following is an instrument of writing, the original of which was deposited 
in the corner stone of the Union Church:

   This corner stone laid on Friday, the second day of August,
   in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and forty-four, when
   John Tyler was President of the United States, Willie P. Maugum
   President of the Senate and acting Vice-President.  (The exact
   date of the dedication of the Union Church is not given, but it
   was shortly before January 1, 1845.)

The above corner stone and its contents were built in the southeast corner of 
the present Zion's Reformed building, when the old building was torn down and 
the new one built in 1871.

The following items are taken from the Church Records:

At a meeting held January 1, 1845, at the Millerstown church the following names 
persons were duly elected officers of the German Reformed congregation:  Elders, 
Abraham Peters and George Dunkle; Deacons, Abraham Bausman and Christian Snyder.

On June 11, 1845, Licentiate Peter Sweigart recently licensed by the Classis of 
Lebanon was duly and solemnly ordained to the ministry of the gospel at 
Conestoga and at the same time and place, regularly installed as pastor of the 
Conestoga, Millerstown and Rohrerstown congregations.

In 1870 the Reformed congregation purchased the Lutheran and Moravian interests 
in the Union Church property for $900.  In 1872 the Reformed congregation sold 
the Reformed interest in the Union cemetery to the Lutheran congregation for the 
consideration of $50.

The old church building was torn down and the materials used in building the 
present church building.  The pulpit of the Union church is still in use in the 
Prayer Meeting Room.  The tract of land on which the old church stood was sold 
to Charles Denues for $200.

The following extract from a copy of a report made by Rev. A. B. Shenkle during 
1871, the last year during which services were held in the old Union church 
building gives us a view of the pastor's services and other items of interest at 
that period:

   The Millersville charge still consists as heretofore, of the
   congregations of Conestoga Center, Rohrerstown and Millersville.

   The Millersville congregation during the past winter and summer,
   is showing the effect of prosperity in the direction of building
   a new church.  On last October, 1870, the congregation agreed to
   purchase the Lutheran interests of the old Union church property
   in which the Reformed and Lutherans worshipped.  They resolve that
   the old building should be torn down and a new one built in its
   stead.  The size of the new church was to be 68 feet long by 43
   feet wide with four and a-half foot recess, with basement audience
   chamber and a gallery and a steeple of 95 feet from the ground to
   its top.

   On the Sabbath, the 7th of May (1871) the corner stone of the
   church was laid, and it was dedicated on February 25, 1872.  The
   Dedication sermon was preached by Rev. J. H. A. Bomberger, D.D.,
   President of Ursinus College.  The sermon was an able one and made
   a deep impression.  The church was crowded to overflowing.  A
   short German discourse was delivered by the Rev. F. W. Kremer.

The building cost about $12,800.  With labor and materials which were 
contributed, the cost would have exceeded the above amount a few hundred 
dollars.

Originally the auditorium had two rear entrances and two aisles.  About 1910, 
this arrangement was improved by having one rear entrance and one aisle as at 
present.  The contract price to make the change was $250, which became the 
liberal contribution of George M. Whitmore (now Rev. George M. Whitmore), who 
did the work under the direction of Elder Christian Eiseman.

In 1878, the Parsonage was built, at a cost of about $4,000.

Rev. A. B. Shenkel in his Parochial Report to Classis of May, 1877, states:  "I 
reported at the last annual meeting of Classis (1876) that after doing some 
missionary work, I had organized a congregation at Willow Street in Dr. Frick's 
Hall".

The Willow Street congregation was united with the Conestoga Center congregation 
in a charge in 1888; Millersville severed its connection with Conestoga Center 
in 1889; after that time the Millersville and Rohrerstown congregations were 
constituted the Millersville Charge.

It was soon after the separation of the Millersville and Conestoga Center 
congregations that German services were discontinued at Millersville.

Zion's Reformed congregation became a separate charge as the result of a 
petition which the consistory sent to Classis, May 1, 1900, requesting 
separation from the Rohrerstown congregation.

From the time Millersville became a separate charge to the present time, the 
congregation has had a steady growth.  At present the membership is 165.

The following have been the pastors of Zion's Church:

Rev. Peter Sweigart . . . . . . . 1845-1846
Rev. E. W. Reinecke, D.D. . . . . 1848-1850
Rev. Herman Rust, D.D.  . . . . . 1850-1851
Rev. Joel L. Reber. . . . . . . . 1851-1855
Rev. John W. Hoffmeier. . . . . . 1856-1862
Rev. Isaac E. Graeff, D.D.  . . . 1862-1867
Rev. Lewis D. Steckel . . . . . . 1867-1868
Rev. Alfred B. Shenkle. . . . . . 1869-1878
Rev. J. P. Moore, D.D.  . . . . . 1878-1883
Rev. John Philip Stein, D.D.  . . 1883-1892
Rev. B. Howard Roth . . . . . . . 1892-1900
Rev. Thomas S. Land, D.D. . . . . 1901-1905
Rev. George A. Whitmore . . . . . 1906-1918
Rev. Valentine G. Hartman . . . . 1918-1920
Rev. W. D. Marburger, Ph.D. . . . 1921-1924
Rev. Arthur W. Barley . . . . . . 1924-1928
Rev. W. T. Brundick . . . . . . . 1928-1936
Rev. Jerome A. Wenner . . . . . . 1936-1940
Rev. Charles E. Robb. . . . . . . 1940-