Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/397

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

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I$aiah W. Salmon, Andrew F. Russell, George A pril. tSOz. and labored until October, 1875. M. Gearhart, W. L. McClure, M. G rier Young­ During this period there were two years— man. Thomas Rogers, Geoige W. Vandine, 1869 and 1870— when M r. Steinmetz was fmancial agent for the Theological Seminary* A. H. Grone, H. G. Salmon. D. M. Boyd. at I^ncaster, Pa., and during that time Rev. W'. A. Gring and Rev. George W. Snyder Shiloh R eform ed Church were supplies. Mr. Steinmetz found one o f his first duties The congregation o f Shiloh Reformed Church was originally part of the Danville was to push the building through to comple­ charge, which consisted o f four congr<»tions, tion. H ierc w*erc formidable difficulties in the Catawissa, St. Jam es (M ahoning), uanvillc w*ay. The congregation w as largely in debt and Mausdale. In M ay. 1893. the consistory and business conditions were unsettled. But o f Shiloh Reformed Church made overtures in such emergencies God alw ays has a servant to the Wyoming Classis, Eastern Synod, lo on hand to do his bidding; and here Elder divide the c h a ^ e. constituting Shiloh a sepa­ Peter Foust advanced the money necessary* to rate charge, 'rhis request w as granted and the completion o f this House o f God. On Dec. this article will deal with the one c o n g r ^ lio n. 2 1, t86z, the church w as dedicated to the w*orThe original organization w as effected dur­ ship of Almighty God, the sermon being in g 1856 by Rev. Gcofgc W olff and Rev. A. G- preached by Rev. II. Harbattgh, D. D. A t the Dole. These men, tc^ethei with Rev. end o f 1863 the congregation numbered sixty(foodrich, were a committee appointed to work two. In 1869 the parsonage w as built at a up the interest of the Keform ed Church at cost o f $2,675. I'he building committee con­ Danville and Mausdaic. F o r a time previous sisted of R ev. J . W . Steinmetz, Charles Fento organization the scr%*ices were held in the stcrmachcr, H iram Antrim and Thom as Cole. courthouse. H ow many of the early churches At the close o f Mr. Steinmctz's pastorate, the worshipped in the courthouse! The first membership was 189. M r. Steinmetz had a ciders elected were Ulrich Houser and Samuel pleasing personality; a delightful (jcrman ac­ Antrim. T he deacons were Cyrus Heller and cent; possc.sscd a gifted mind and executive Peter Mowrcr. The congregation at that time ability that did much to build up this church numbered fourteen, only one o f whom. in temporal a ffa irs: and a spirituality that did Thom as Cote, survives in 1914. much to develop it in love and devotion to Rev. D. W. W olff was the first pastor, serv­ the M aster he so earnestly served. ing the church from Sept. r, 1856, to the late In the spring of 1876 Rev. G. C. Hall be­ fa ll o f i8 6 t. I hiring his pastorate the Maus­ came pastor and continued to serve the church dale church was built and the Shiloh church as such until the fall o f 1878. In 1S84 Mr. commenced. T his is the present comfortable Hall returned to Danville as rector of Christ quarters of the congregation on Bloom street. Memorial Church. ]SIr. W olff had practical rcitgion. H e helped Rev. W. C. Schaeffer succeeded M r. Hall to build the church with his own hands, going, in December, 1878, and remained until M ay, it is said, with the n>en to the North Mountain 1884. IXtring his pastorate the church was to pick out the timbers used in the structure. remodeled for the first time. Mr. Schaeffer, H e spent |>art of the week in building the after leaving Danville, liccame a professor in church and the other part in building the Su n­ the 'ITicological Seminary at lan caster, Penn­ d ay sermons, and neither suffered because of sylvania. the other. Like Paul, this brother could have In November, 1884, Rc*. J. A. Peters, D. D., sa id : “ For laboring night and day. because became pastor and continued as such until w c would not be chargeable unto any o f you. March, i8t>i, when he resigned to accept the w e preached unto vou the gospel of presidency of Heidelberg University, Tiffin, M r. W olff left before the house w as com­ Ohio. pleted. Kev. D. S. Dieffcnhachcr followed as (lastor T h e building committee who superintended in June, 18111, and .scr>*cd until Jan uary, 1893. the erection of the church w as composed of when he died. In Septemlier, 1893, Rev. C. the twtstor. Rev. D. W. W olff, Jacob Sechlcr. R. .Vlspach liecame jwislor, serving until Jan u ­ Ir., Peter Foust. C ynis Heller and D . P. ary. ikc/>. From Ju ly, 1896. until November, Diehl. W'hcn Mr. W^olff left the congregation 18 ^ 1, Rev. W K. Bushong labored as ixistor. nttnilicrcd twenty-seven. Rev. tieorgc K. IJm hert liecame pastor in R ev. J . W. Stcinmciz became pastor in March, i, and tailored with much accept-