The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-05-15
Ieaf Of the past.
From ne Gettysburg, Pa, Compiler.
Historical skstohOf Christ Reformed Church.

Historical skstohOf Christ Reformed Church.
Christ Church, 10 Union township, Ad-
ANS county, is one Of the old land marks
connecting the past with the present. It
was organized May 4th, 17l7, by Rev.
Michael Schlatler, who had arrived 10
this country from Holland, during the
previous year. He was sent here to act
as missionary among the German and
Dutch Reformed, to organize them into
congregations in the various localities
where they resided, and to bring them
into proper ecclesiastical connection and
order. IL is a well authenticated fact,
however, that prior to the period of organ.
lEation there was worship held, for mum
Der OF years, 10 n school house, almost on
the identical spot where Christ Church
now stands.
Andrew Schreiber was, in all probabii-
ty, the first permanent settler who estab-
lished himself in this region. He came
hitber in the year 1874 and located on
lands 10 the immediate neighborhood of
the Christ Church property. Within sew.
eral years thereafter a number OF other
families arrived, aud, as was the custom
among the Germans, they soon established
for themselves a school and place Of wor
ship. There are records on hand to show
that as early as l74O school was already
started here, and it is reasonable to sup
pose that building for this purpose was
then already in existence.
The congregation was organized By Mr..
Schlatter on the 10th day of Nav, 1747.
with eighty members. Forty.fye heads
of families bound themselves together, by
signing their names, that they would raise
in money and grain, for the support of a
minister, as much as would amount to 1873
Dutch guilders (about 500 These eighty
commitment members, who now cons,itu.
ted the organization, had been in the habit
Of holding religious worship here, more or
less, for number of years. They were
visited occasionally by ministers from a
far distance. The sehool-h house was built
by them aud the school teacher was EN-.
ployed aud supported by them. And, as
was very frequently the case in those early
times, the schoOl-master, in the absence Of
a regular pastor, conducted ,he religious
services. Rev. Schlatter, afterwards, in
his report to the Synod Of Holland, saws Of
these people, that when ho tod them hi,
mission, to give them communion, to or
ganize them properly into a congregation
and TO help them to a regular pastor, "they
received the news amid tears Of ioy and
with tenderest emotion" On the day fol
lowing the organization, in connection
with communion, he baptised 2l children
and so many people came together
no doubt coming ten and fifteen miles
that not all could Gnd access into the
school-house and so they held the service,
in the woods and under the open heavens
There is deed in existence from whicl
We learn that in pursuance of a warrant
dated the 10th day of September, 1850
there was surveyed on the 22d day Of
March, l749, for Michael Will, in trus
for the German Reformed Church Of Lit
tie Conewago, tract Of land situated il
Heidelberg township, York county, con
tanning ~ acres, with allowance Of ST,
acres for roads and highways. This deco
IS given by "John Penn and Thoma
Penn, Esqs., true aud absolute Proprieta
ries and Governors 10 Chief Of the Prov
ince Of Pennsylvania" From this docu
ment We learn that the amount Of ) pounds
Ia shillings aud 8 pence was to be PAID
for the land. But among some old paper
We find receipt dated at Philadelphia
May llth, IVA, from which we ascertain
that 10 pounds, 13 shillings and 8 penc,
was paid for it, The deed states that
the congregation appointed Adam Sher
man, Michael Dotterer, John viii, anC
Ludwig Miller to succeed Michael Will
in trust Of this land for tho congregation
The first house Of worship, as near as h
Is possible to ASCERTAIN, was built in the
year 1850 or 81. IL was built Of rough
unhewn logs, and there was at first nc
plastering between the logs or anywhere
else. Tho seats were mere slab.stool,
without any support for the back. All
We think those were days that tried the
christians faith and powers Of endurance
far more than in these times of cushioned
pews, frescoed walls, soft carpets and well
heated rooms. At first this log churcl
was built comparatively small, but NOT
many years thereafter tho building wa.
considerably enlarged aud improved. The,
then built it in somewhat the shape of !
cross and it received the name Of Kreut,
Kirche--Church Of the Cross. Rev
Schlatter, at the time Of organization
called il die Hoch- -Deutsch Rsformiertet
Gemeinda in Concwago," and so reported
il to the Synod of Holland, In l747, and
for some years previous, the teacher Of the
school was a man by the name Of John
Henry kreutz School teachers, in those
colonial times were considered prominent
and important personages in the districts
where they taught, and there is even .
probability to suppose thatthis church was
at first named after hini--Kreats Kirche.
It's present name Christ Church was given
1t at the rebuilding Of the church ia i798,
and by this name il was subsequently, in
corporated, IL was 10 this year (I79S)
that the log church was torn down and 4
substantial brick building erected upon the
same site, which remained there during q
period Of 10 years. The elders Of The
church at this tine were Andrew ShriyeI
aud Jacob Par, and these two meu, ia
connection with Ludwig Mause, Jacob
Win and Conrad Duttera, constituted the
building committee The school teacher
at this time was Jacob Dysert He filed
this position here during many years and
was also 'elerk" Of the church. In fact
all the teachers served the congregation
10 this capacity as long as the school was
kept up, during almost one hundred con
secutiye years.
The church was not Incorporated be.
fore the year 1928. The incorporation
paper bears date March 9th, 1928, aud is
signed BY Gov Shuttle. Il calls for nine
trustees The int trustees under the char.
ter were the following-John Wintrode.
Michael Grouse, George Win, John Young
Samuel Shriver, John Snyder, George
Duttera, Christian Heller and John Study.
Il appears that q graveyard was laid
out on the east side Of the church, imme.
diately after the purchasing Of the ground
in 1850. Subsequently the ground was
oxtanded nm al as.las nroan1 = - I......-