HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES OF GOD IN PERRY COUNTY
(Taken from a packet compiled for the 100-year anniversary of the Kennedy Valley Church of God, which was based largely on Forney’s History of the Churched of God.)
Considerable work was done in Perry County in 1830 – 1831. A few Church of God families moved into the county. In 1831, a Camp Meeting was held in Shafer’s Valley (Sheaffer’s Valley) and some of the converts who were baptized by John Walborn united together in church fellowship.
But the years 1833 – 1834 were the seasons of the greatest revival in that county. Meetings in Landisburg were first held in the house of Henry Wingert, a local minister of the church, a pioneer emigrant of the Church of God to Perry County.
John Winebrenner, founder of the Churches of God, General Conference, had visited Landisburg and preached in the Reformed Church April 10, 1821, while collecting funds to build Salem Reformed Church in Harrisburg, PA.[1]
Henry Wingert began preaching in Landisburg in 1828 and organized the church in Landisburg in 1832, in an old log school house in the village. This was used by the little church until 1836 when Henry Wingert was instrumental in building a small bethel on the lot which he owned.[2]
Revivals were reported during 1835 – 1840 at Landisburg, Sheaffer’s Valley, and other points in Perry County. A regular circuit had been established in 1832 with E. West and John Walborn as pastors.[3]
Perry County yielded good results to the early labors of the ministry of the Churches of God. In 1840, quite a revival was experienced at Sheaffer’s Valley, where thirty-seven were converted. A good foundation was laid in this area near Landisburg for a permanent church work.
In 1812, under the labors of C. Price and S. Conrad, they began the building of a meeting house. Winebrenner preached the dedication sermon in 1843. This was a brick building much larger than the original built by Wingert and about six miles eastward from Landisburg is the old Soule neighborhood.
John Soule and family moved to this locality around 1830. He bought a farm and began improving it. He opened his house for religious worship and for some years services were held there. Soule, his wife and two sons, Henry L. and Jacob B., were converted in 1840. It was shortly after his conversion that a church was organized in his house. M. F. Snavely was pastor at this time. Snavely also preached at Pisgah, Oak Grove, Montabella Furnace, Deardorf’s, Newport, Kumler’s School House, Wild Cat Valley, Turkey Valley, Kennedy Valley, and Buffalo Valley.[4]
In a school house near the present Red Hill Bethel, a protracted meeting was held in 1843, Jesse Oran and his wife being among those converted, and a church was organized.[5]
At Soule’s, Perry County, the church erected a log bethel in 1846, which was dedicated by Winebrenner. The ground was donated by John Soule, in whose home the church held services for nearly six years.
In Perry County, the new bethel near Brother Kumler’s (Red Hill) was dedicated on December 18, 1849.[6] Plans were made in January 1849 to build a meeting house for the worship of God in Newport, Perry County.[7] During the summer of 1849, Benjamin Howard preached and organized a church in Pfoutz’s Valley, Perry County.[8]
In the early years and way past 1850, the ministers were self-sacrificing, devoted, and resolute. Some circuits extended through two or three counties, a distance of sixty to one hundred miles between extreme points, with as high as twenty-eight preaching places. Four weeks were required to make a round, during which the minister was absent from home. Ministers rode horseback with saddle bags for an outfit. They served their fields in heat, cold, rain, or sunshine with small remuneration. One has to admire such love and devotion for the gospel.[9]
On November 28, 1852, the bethel built by John Soule and his two sons at John Soule’s was dedicated by John Winebrenner. At Liberty Hall, Wild Cat Valley, Perry County, the church dedicated a new bethel on November 12, 1854. John Winebrenner and J. F. Weisampel officiated, the latter preaching the German in the afternoon service.[10]
The Juniata and Maramoras circuit was steadily enlarged from two to fifteen points, among them Matamoras, Millerstown, Red Hill, Perry County, Thompsontown, Lykens Valley, Clark’s Valley, Turkey Valley, and Wild Cat Valley. In the winter of 1850 – 1851, a Snyder of the Matamoras and Juniata Circuit, organized church at Millerstown, Perry County, consisting of seven members. The Perry County circuit by 1854 would have ten appointments. In 1850, J. H. Hurley succeeded in organizing a church in New Bloomfield, Perry County, the county seat.[11]
The Perry County circuit had numerous camp meetings in which many accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. The record shows camp meetings in 1831, 1835, 1836, 1840, 1842, 1850, 1853, 1854, and extending on to 1875.
The church at Oak Grove, Perry County, built a new bethel in 1858 which was dedicated by Colder on October 24, 1858.[12]
In Sheaffer’s Valley, Perry County, PA, the bretheren of the Churches of God completed their new house of worship and had it ready for dedication on December 30, 1860. Saturday evening William Johnson preached an appropriate discourse. Sabbath morning and evening E. H. Thomas preached. J. C. Seabrooks was the pastor.[13]
The dedication of the Pine Grove, Perry County, house of worship took place on June 17, 1866. T. Hill, pastor, assisted by J. M. Carvell. John Hunter did the preaching.
Under the labors of C. L. Amy, a house of worship was built at Marysville, Perry County, PA. the church was dedicated on January 16, 1870, by C. H. Forney. George Sigler preached the evening service. The church had helped build a union church some years before while became a house of strife.[14]
In Germany Valley, Perry County, under the labors of S. S. Richmond, a bethel was built and was dedicated on November 27, 1870 by W. L. Jones, assisted by the pastor.[15]
Under J. Cooper, as pastor in the lower end of Perry County, the church at Duncannon worshipped in a school house until the summer of 1873, when they began to build a bethel which was dedicated on January 25, 1874. Shoemaker, M. Hunter, and G. W. Seilhammer did the preaching.[16]
The most remarkable of spiritual revivals was in the winter of 1875 – 1876. However, the whole period from 1874 to 1880 was one of the great spiritual eras in the history of American Christianity. Under the leadership of Dwight L. Moody and his singer Ira D. Sankey, vast concourses of people in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago were powerfully swayed by his sermons.
Moody had come to Philadelphia by invitation. The old freight station of the Pennsylvania Railroad was secured for the meetings. Ten thousand, nine hundred and sixty (10,960) chairs were placed in the building and all were occupied every night of the services. The services stated on November 21, 1875 and went on each night until January 16, 1876! The numbers preached to were 869,000 people; the number of converts are not definitely known.
This revival was carried into the homes and churches of Eastern PA, MD, NJ, and DE. A revival was held in Newville, PA, which was never equaled. The number of converts in the town and country for miles around was estimated at over five hundred. This also spread to Perry County.[17]
Near the home of John Soule, father of the Soule brothers, both pastors in east PA, the Sandy Hollow Bethel stands. It was dedicated on December 22, 1878, by W. L. Jones and J. B. Soule, F. L. Nicodemus being the pastor.[18]
Through the labors of J. F. Meixel, pastor of the Upper Perry County Circuit, PA, the project of building a bethel at Center Square. Was started in 1882 or 1883. But the work was delayed and not finished until 1885 under the pastorate of W. J. Grissinger. It was dedicated on June 7, when S. D. C. Jackson preached the dedicatory sermon. The cost of the building was $715.00.[19]
In Kennedy Valley, Perry County, PA, the cornerstone of a new bethel was laid on June 27, 1886, when on account of the failure of the preacher for the occasion to be present, J. J. Grissinger, pastor, officiated. The building was completed and dedicated on March 6, 1887, when G. W. Seilhammer did the preaching.[20]
[1] Forney’s History of the Churches of God, page 37
[2] Ibid, 38.
[3] Ibid, 48.
[4] Ibid, 62 – 63.
[5] Ibid, 63.
[6] Ibid, 74.
[7] Ibid, 75.
[8] Ibid, 77.
[9] Ibid, 76.
[10] Ibid, 93.
[11] Ibid, 94.
[12] Ibid, 116.
[13] Ibid, 123.
[14] Ibid, 152.
[15] Ibid, 161.
[16] Ibid, 162.
[17] Ibid, 175 – 176.
[18] Ibid, 183.
[19] Ibid, 211.
[20] Ibid, 211.
