Remembering Our Heritage

Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

July – 100 years ago

     Groundbreaking for York’s new Second United Brethren Church at 401 South Queen Street was held July 12, 1925.  The congregation began in 1873 when Rev. William B. Raber, pastor of York First Church, acting on his own, purchased the plot of ground at the southeast corner of Duke and South Streets.  Before the end of the year, the quarterly conference of First church elected trustees for the property, 26 members of First Church became the charter members of Second Church, and a frame church building had been erected at the site.

     In 1892 a brick structure replaced the original chapel, and in 1906 an addition doubled the size of the building.  In 1926 the congregation relocated to its new building a few blocks east to the southeast corner of Queen and South Streets.  Following the 1968 union to create the United Methodist Church, the congregation was renamed Faith, and in 1969 they joined with Wesley Memorial [the former Duke Street Methodist Episcopal Church which had relocated to Tyler Run Road in 1964] to form Aldersgate UMC.  The building at 401 South Queen now houses the Small Memorial AME Zion Church, and the York Aldersgate congregation disaffiliated from the UMC in 2023.

August – 50 years ago

     The Central Pennsylvania Conference’s annual Schools of Christian Mission took place at Lycoming College in August 1975, with the week-end school August 1-3 and the week-day school August 4-8.  Fees for registration, rooms, board and insurance were $24 for the week-end portion and $42 for the week-day event.  Presentation on the theme “One World Under God” featured conference pastors, conference UMW leaders, missionaries and General Church staff members.  In addition to the presenters and organizers, a total of 97 persons registered for the schools.

     On August 18, 1975, Rev. John Dromazas of the five-point Whitneyville Parish in Tioga County helped bring Christian Missions to life in the Wellsboro area when he and other pastors and lay persons worked together to provide the eleven-member Dong Nhieu immigrant family from Vietnam with clothing, jobs, English lessons and a nine-room house completely furnished “from light bulbs to beds.”  Within six weeks the family was self-sufficient.

Remembering Our Heritage

Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

May – 100 years ago 

     The new social room at the Mont Alto United Brethren United Brethren Church was dedicated May 31, 1925.  The congregation had grown out of prayer meetings held in private homes 1843-44.  They erected their first building in 1847 on “Back Street” – a one-room brick structure that was enlarged and improved in 1881.  In 1874 a number of members withdrew to organize a Methodist Episcopal congregation.  The existing sanctuary at the present site, to which the social hall was added, was erected in 1905.  

     In 1971 the Otterbein UMC (formerly United Brethren) and Wesley UMC (formerly Methodist Episcopal) congregations became a two-point charge and in 2009 they united to form the present Mont Alto United Methodist Church, worshiping in the former Methodist building.

June – 50 years ago 

     The trustees of the Central Pennsylvania Conference met June 4, 1925, at the Lewisburg United Methodist Home in a meeting dominated by discussions of closed churches.  “Because of lack of value to the Conference” insurance was dropped for two buildings: Colley (Sullivan County) and Egg Hill (Centre County).  The former was sold to the Cemetery Association in 1982 and has since been razed.  The latter was transferred to a Conservancy Association in 1980 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

     Approval was given to sell two buildings: Needmore (Fulton County) and Fairview (Perry County).  The former was sold to the Needmore Bible Church, which subsequently relocated and sold the building to the Southern Fulton School District.  The latter was sold to the Historical Society of Perry County.

    Report was made that two previously approved sales had now been completed: St. John’s [Sheeps] (Montour County) and Akersville (Fulton County).  The former was sold to St. John’s Bible Church.  The latter was sale involved only a schoolhouse on the property, and the remainder of the property was sold to the Cemetery Association in 1992. 

Remembering Our Heritage

Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

March – 100 years ago

     The 1925 annual session of the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical Church was held March 5-9 at First Church in Milton, Northumberland County.  Among the resolutions passed was the following: “Whereas, Governor Pinchot has taken such a fearless stand in favor of law enforcement and proposed legislation to make the 18th Amendment effective; Resolved, That we instruct the Secretary of Conference to write to Governor Pinchot commending him for his fearless attitude.”  The 18th Amendment prohibited the production, sale or transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States.  It was passed in 1919 and repealed in 1933.

     The 1897 building in which the 1925 annual session was held was sold in 1929 when the congregation erected its present sanctuary on Lower Market Street and Garfield Avenue.  The gymnasium and social hall were added in 1991.

April – 50 years ago

     Friday evening April 4, 1975, was a special day for the men and boys of the Central Pennsylvania Conference.  In Lewistown, at First UMC, at the annual rally of the Conference United Methodist Men, guest speaker Jimmy Carter – the young, reform-minded Governor of Georgia who pledged that no Georgian should “ever again be deprived of the opportunity for a job, an education, or simple justice because he is poor, rural, black, or not influential” – challenged those in attendance to Christian statesmanship.

     On that same evening in Altoona, at Otterbein UMC, the Sixth Annual Pennsylvania United Methodist Church Basketball Tournament began its 22-team, two-weekend event.  These highly competitive games, hosted this year by the Central Pennsylvania Conference, began as the State EUB Tournament and continued as such for 17 years before becoming an annual UMC event following the denominational merger. 

Remembering Our Heritage

Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

September – 100 years ago. 

As reported in the 1924 Christian Advocate: “The Rev. Clarence R. Hickock, Dorranceton, reports an average attendance of 160 at prayer meetings. No spectacular methods are used. A committee is canvasing the parish for money to purchase ground for a new church on Wyoming Avenue.” The original 1897 building stood at West Dorrance Street and Schuyler Avenue. Properties were bought and sold, and building plans were drawn and redrawn, but it wasn’t until April 1963 that ground was broken at the present site on Wyoming Avenue. Dorranceton was once a separate borough. In 1921 it merged into Kingston, and in 1922 Dorranceton High School graduated its last class of 27 seniors.

October – 50 years ago

The Wyoming Conference United Methodist publication highlighted two very different October 1974 accomplishments. 

October 3, 1974, marked the conclusion of a five day celebration at the Ashley UMC building, which had been destroyed by fire in February, 1972, and was now rebuilt, equipped with new stained glass windows and other memorials, and rededicated by Bishop James Ault. In the face of declining membership in a changing neighborhood, the church closed December 31, 2018, and was sold to Mision Cristiana Juan 3:16. 

On October 7, 1974, Rev. Robert Harris, later the long-time conference historian, was a returning 3-day champion on the TV show Jeopardy — only to be defeated when he missed the final jeopardy question. In those days the host was Art Fleming and the highest dollar values were $100 and $200 in the single and double portions of the show.

Remembering Our Heritage

July – 100 years ago

The July 24-31, 1924, program at Central Oak Heights in West Milton, Union County, included an impressive array of presenters. This was in the pre-children/youth camp era, when the facilities were used by the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical Church for adult/family conventions and Bible Conferences.  Noted blind composer Dr. Adam Geibel (1855-1933) directed the music, gave workshops and led the children’s time.  Future EUB Bishops John S. Stamm (1878-1956) and Elmer W. Praetorius (1882-1966) gave multiple presentations, as did college presidents Aaron E. Gobble (1856-1929) formerly of Union Seminary in New Berlin and Clellan A. Bowman (1861-1937) of Albright College then in Myerstown.  Two of the rules were “Groceries and provisions will not be sold on the Lord’s day” and “Horses shall not be hitched to trees.”  In 1990, Central Oak Heights ceased being a Conference camp, was sold to an Association of cottages holders, and maintains a program of summer events.

August – 50 years ago

The Central Oak Heights Singers enthusiastically shared the folk musical LIFE by Otis Skillings as they presented four concerts during the week of Music Camp, August 4-10, 1974.  Concerts were given at the Lewisburg Benevolent Home [now RiverWoods], St. Andrews Church in Milton, and in the tabernacle at C.O.H.  The 50+ campers had memorized all 96 pages of the musical between Monday and Thursday.  Miss Beth Coughenour of Huntingdon served as the choral director, and Rev. Guy Bear of the conference program staff served as the camp director.

Central Oak Heights was not yet finished for the summer.  The week of Music Camp was followed August 11-17 by a junior high camp and August 18-24 by an elementary camp – the fourth one of the summer at that location.

Remembering Our Heritage

Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

May – 100 years ago 

On May 4, 1924, the Wyoming Conference dedicated the Scranton’s new West Park Methodist Episcopal Church at Oram Street and Bromley Avenue. This was a relocation of the Tripp Park congregation on Elizabeth Street, which sold their building in 1914 and worshiped in a temporary tabernacle at the site until the new building was finally ready. In 1976 the congregation became a two-point charge with Simpson, and in 1982 the congregations merged to become Simpson-West Park UMC worshiping in the Simpson building on North Main Avenue. In 2003, that congregation merged into Court Street. The Tripp Park Elizabeth Street building was purchased by the Polish National Church, and the West Park Oram Street building was sold to the Salvation Apostolic Temple – which later outgrew the facility and purchased the Simpson North Main Street building. The building that was dedicated May 4, 1924, was later razed and a modern house facing Bromley Avenue has been erected on the site.

June – 50 years ago 

The 1974 sessions of the Wyoming Annual Conference met June 4-7 at the University of Scranton. At least two of the reports indicate the Conference was still dealing with issues from the Hurricane Agnes flood of 1972.

Archives and History: “Plans are progressing to provide a suitable memorial in Forty Fort for those pastors whose bodies were washed away in the Agnes Flood of 1972.” [Included in that group were four former presidents of Wyoming Seminary whose remains were never recovered.]

Flood Relief Committee: “Our Committee has been providing financial help to people in the black community since the summer of 1972. Now, through cooperation with our Commission on Religion and Race, we are providing a parish worker. This is the first time Wyoming Conference has had a major program in a black community within the Conference boundaries.”

Remembering Our Heritage

Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

January – 100 years ago 

United Brethren pastor Rev. Zephaniah Colestock died January 19, 1924, just 2 months shy of his 100th birthday. Born in Littlestown PA in 1824, he served the Church for 66 years (including 4 terms as district superintendent) before retiring in 1912. He is most remembered for giving his house in Mechanicsburg to the Pennsylvania Conference in 1893 to become the Colestock Old People’s Home – the first such benevolent institution in the entire United Brethren denomination. Now a private residence, that Marble Street building, immediately east of the town cemetery, is an official historic site of the Conference and the United Methodist Church. It was used until 1915 when the guests (including Colestock himself) were transferred to the newly acquired facilities at Quincy. Colestock is remembered today as the namesake of the Colestock Health Center at Quincy Village and by a stained glass window in the sanctuary at First UMC in Mechanicsburg. His grave in the Mechanicsburg cemetery is marked by a tall obelisk within sight of his former home.

February – 50 years ago

The February 1974 edition of THE LINK announced a new technological breakthrough for the Central Pennsylvania Conference: “Due to the installation of a telephone-answering machine, you are able to call the Conference Program Office at any time and get your message through. Regular office hours Monday through Friday are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you desire to call at any other time, no matter what the hour of the night – or weekend – please do so. Leave any message you wish and your request will be heard and answered at the beginning of the next working day. Please do not hesitate to use this newly added convenience. It is with you in mind that this service has been created and made possible.”

That same issue encouraged participation in the Harrisburg Audio-Visual Institute featuring such state-of-the-art sessions as “How to use projected audio-visuals with Youth.”

Remembering Our Heritage

Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

November – 100 years ago

The November 24, 1923, issue of The Evangelical Messenger, weekly newspaper of the Evangelical Church, reported on two revivals within our present conference. 

Rev. B.L. Moore reported from Mt. Rock, Cumberland County: “We have just closed a two and a half week’s evangelistic campaign. Rev. H.R. Wilkes of Baltimore was with us and rendered valuable service. As a real evangelist he has few peers. There was a revival in the church and the conversion of seven souls – five of these are heads of families. We now have our second meeting in progress at McAllister’s appointment [now Good Shepherd Community UMC].”

Rev. A.E. Miller reported from Wiconisco Calvary, Dauphin County: “We held a three weeks’ evangelistic campaign. An effort was made in the Sunday School the last Sunday of the campaign and twenty-four scholars bowed at the mercy seat for pardon. All told, there were twenty-six conversions, and two were reclaimed.”

December – 50 years ago 

December 2, 1973, marked the end of a week-long celebration for the dedication of the new Woodycrest church building. The congregation had been organized in the growing greater State College area by the Allegheny Conference of the United Brethren Church in 1936 with 18 charter members. The new building also marked the end of worshiping in a recycled building with many recycled items.

Their first building had been an abandoned Presbyterian structure from the Warrior’s Mark area that was dismantled and rebuilt in Woodycrest. The bell and gas lamps came from the Paradise United Brethren Church, near Waddle, which had been vacated in 1933. The hymnals came from the Methodist Church in State College. Even in the new building, however, the pews were recycled (and carefully refinished) from the old Methodist Church in Lemont that had recently located to their facility on Branch Road. Woodycrest UMC reported a membership last year of 71. 

Remembering Our Heritage

Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

September – 100 years ago

At the annual session of the Central New York Conference beginning September 26, 1923, the superintendent of the Elmira District, which included much of Tioga and Bradford Counties, discussed the dire situation of Pennsylvania’s rural churches by saying his district “extends into a state in which 300,000 acres of land lie idle” with “9000 vacant farms.” He added that “Rutland asks to be united with Mainesburg and Elk Run” and “what is left of the Terrytown charge asks to become a part of New Albany and Overton.”

In addition to sometime appointments in school houses and halls, the Rutland charge (Tioga County) included 4 church buildings [Austinville, Lawrence Corners, Roseville, South Rutland] and a parsonage, while the Terrytown charge (Bradford County) included 3 church buildings [Hollenback, New Era, Terrytown] and a parsonage. Details about each of these appointments, whether discontinued or still active, is available at the conference archives and on archives portion of the conference website.

October – 50 years ago

Sunday, October 28, 1973, was the date for two unique music-oriented celebrations in the southern part of the conference.

The Sunday morning service at York Aldersgate was an Interaction Worship Service planned and presented by the youth of the church. A capacity congregation actively involved themselves in the gathering that featured the Aldersgate Youth Singers and the Lycoming College Concert Band. The service began with the youth of the church and the band participating in the opening processional “The March for Peace”. The youth shared various messages and the vocal and instrumental selections were “distinctly musical messages of depth and feeling.”

Sunday evening almost 1,000 persons attended a 90 minute program of singing and celebration at Faust Junior High School in Chambersburg. The event was organized by five area United Methodist pastors and featured several local groups: “The Joyful Noise” and “The Faith and Hope Singers” of Chambersburg, “The New Life Singers” from Walnut Bottom, and a group of ministers’ wives known as “Peace, Love and Joy Singers.” Inspiration for the event came from an evening of musical celebration at that year’s annual conference featuring some of those groups.

Remembering Our Heritage

By Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

July – 100 years ago

The cornerstone for the present West Decatur Calvary UMC was laid July 23, 1923. This congregation’s first church was called Otterbein and erected in 1858 about 1.5 miles southeast of the present location in the Decaturville – Mock Hill area. A Sunday School was established in 1877. In 1904 that church building was moved to the present West Decatur site and in 1905 a parsonage was built. Being the site of the parsonage, West Decatur became the home for a five-church United Brethren circuit that once included West Decatur, Sandy Ridge, New Castle, Ohio and Sanborn.

In 1920, both the church and the parsonage were destroyed by fire. A new parsonage was purchased, and the present concrete block building was erected in 1923. New Castle was discontinued in 2001, and Sanborn in 2022. West Decatur Calvary UMC now has about 150 members.

August – 50 years ago

August 19-26, 1973, Pastor Jack Landis led Salem Church along PA route 104 in Snyder County in celebrating its 100th anniversary in fine style with a week of guest speakers, special music, old-time preaching and enthusiastic signing – with many attendees and speakers dressing in period attire. Services were held in a tent seating over 300 people and equipped with two mourner’s benches. Unfortunately there will be no such 150th anniversary celebration, as the congregation voted to discontinue as of September 25, 2011.

The 1973 services were brought to a close on Sunday, August 26, with memorial and homecoming services. Bishop Hermann W. Kaebnick delivered the message at the 2 pm service, and THE LINK reported the following: “As Bishop Kaebnick stood at the old original pulpit, it was as though one traveled back in time. He spoke in Pennsylvania Dutch from time to time. His remarks on Albright’s view of sanctification made all present search their soul with deep conviction. As his hands pointed toward the old mourner’s bench, one was certain some soul [would] come and once again wet the old bench with tears of repentance.”

Remembering Our Heritage

Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

March – 100 years ago

On March 18, 1923, the Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church in Waymart, Wayne County, dedicated its enlarged facility. This society began at Canaan Four Corners and worshiped in a log school house until erecting a building in that community in 1834. When the population shifted to Waymart, the congregation arranged to share use of the Presbyterian building there – but a dispute with the Presbyterians led the Methodists to erect their own building in 1856, and a Sunday School room was added later to the rear of the building. In 1923 the Sunday School room was moved back thirty feet, and a new two-story building with a full basement was erected between the church and the old Sunday School room.

For many years a congregation in nearby Steene was part of the Waymart charge. That congregation worshiped in a school house for a number of years before purchasing the old church building at Canaan Four Corners and moving it to Steene in 1859. After the Steene appointment was discontinued, that building was sold in 1924 and is now a private home.

April – 50 years ago

In 1968 when the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) denomination joined to form the United Methodist Church, the congregations in the EUB’s New York Conference, which covered all New York state outside metropolitan NYC, were placed in the five corresponding Methodist Conferences: Central New York, Northern New York, Troy, Western New York and Wyoming. On April 12, 1973, the final meeting of the Joint Distributing Committee met to divide the assets of that conference five ways – prorated according to membership. The Wyoming Conference had inherited 117 former New York EUB members and was entitled to 1.70% of those assets. In 1986 the Northern New York and Central New York Conferences united to form the North Central New York Conference. 

In 2010 when the Wyoming Conference was dissolved, its assets were similarly prorated according to membership – 45% to the newly created Upper New York (merger of North Central New York, Western New York and the New York portions of Troy and Wyoming) Conference and 55% to the expanded Central Pennsylvania (renamed Susquehanna) Conference.

Remembering Our Heritage

November – 100 years ago

The November 1922 “Forward Campaign” of the Binghamton District of the Wyoming proved to be one of the most successful endeavors ever.  Two of the top three congregations involved in the Storehouse/Tithing stewardship program that was the climax of the campaign were Athens and Sayre, with 700 and 600 congregants participating respectively. 

During the month-long campaign, congregations had one intensive week of events which included guest speakers and two special programs that traveled around the district and attracted large audiences: the pageant “The Pariah” from India, and the play “Unshackling the Church” written and produced by two pastors of the Conference.  Speakers during the intensive week came from denominational ministries across the U.S. and various mission fields.

December – 50 years ago

A new two-story Christian Education building, 64x36 feet, was dedicated at First UMC in Marion, Franklin County, on December 10, 1972.  This congregation was originally United Brethren and has been a regular appointment since 1835.  The first building was erected by the cemetery in 1843 and replaced by a larger structure in 1886.  The sanctuary at the present location was dedicated in 1925, using much of the material from the structure at the old site.  

The congregation has continued to grow, and a large 2017 addition to the building included a covered drop-off entry, a spacious foyer, a new nursery, 100% handicap-friendly main-level bathrooms, a large multi-purpose room, and a commercial-grade kitchen.  Marion First UMC now has over 250 members.