Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-09
A cHEvALlER OF THE CROSS
A circuit Rider Within Forty M'iss OF
City Hail-rhe Record Of Rev. Mr..
Lutz-rwo Services Missed
In Nineteen Years u
BY GEORGE NOx MCCAIN

CHue OI COWT0UeS OF Jne huNc ueeh
imInortalized In poetry and prose.
Zane Grey's Orders Of the Purple Sage
is the latest contribution to this literature
in book and movie.
There is one class of riders, however. to
whom scant attention has been paid by fic-
tionists and dabbiers in verse.
:, few years ago a seria! in the Saturday
Evening Post worthiy and appealngly told
Of one of these unsung heroes.
refer to circuit riders.
ago referred to them as "Christ's couriers
along the byways of civilization
I still recall stories told me in boyhood
OF the strange adventures OF circuit riding
great. grandfather. whose congregations
vania gathered in log schoolhouses or in
some mountain home.
A RCHDEACON STUCK occasionally
"A comes down from Alaska to tell about
congregations hundreds Of miles apart that
are reached by boat In summer and dog sled
In winter.
DR.. Grenfell breezes In from Labrador
every few years with thrilling stories Of
church gatherings that are reached only by
fishing smacks or missionary LAUNCHES. :,
All along the frontiers Of the West-.and
9s ssr ss are q 5.. ,sssy S,s,y A. d1sss
who ride or drive from remote village to
hamlet Sunday after Sunday, year after
year.
I heard a story the other day Of q circuit
rider within forty miles Of Philadelphia that
is as unusual as is the fact that there are
circuit riders within that distance of the
metropolis. ...-,
1t is a story of devotion to duty and self.
sacrifice rarely equaled.
1t only lacks the background Of the wilder
ness, the mountain trail Or far distances to
lift it from the prosaic to the romantic.
LNROM those distant days, when the first
l. Of the Palatinate Germans and those
from other parts Of Germany emigrated to
Eastern and Northeastern Pennsylvania they
were builders Of churches. =
In faith they were principally Lutheran
and German Reformed; and they were OF
one tongue.
In their poverty the scattered communi-
cants of each sect found 1t impossible to
erect separate church buildings, so they
combined to build one church to be used
Jointly on alternate Sundays by each con-
gregntion.
All through Berks County, upper Mont
gomery, portions of Bucks and wherever the
earliest German immigrants settled are to
be found these two denomination edifces.
specimens of pre-Colonial architecture.
One Of the finest is the famous Old Gosh
enhoppen Church that crowns a hillside
about a mile from Hendricks Station, in
upper montgomery county.
LNROM the beginning it has been the Gus.
L tom for these scattered hamlets to COM
bine their contributions for the support Of
one minister.
Each community would name q sum which
it felt it could pay annually, and with three
or four hamlets pooling their resources they
time would he divided among the congre-
cations.
This system has prevailed for hundred
and fifty years.
Some villages grown populous and rich
now have their own pastors. Others, salts
fled with sermon twice or three times
month and communion at intervals. still
cling to the ancient plan.
There is also combined with this the ele-
ment of German thrift.
If congregation gets the rninistration Of
n pastor only twice a month its members
contribute in proportion. Its mighty small
proportion that some of them pay their
minister, too.
well-to-do men in some communities feel
they have fulfilled their duty to the cause
Of the Lord when they contribute as much as
$12 year to the Church, with 50 additional
for education, charity and missions.
They would spend that much in the up
keep Of their automobile for month: or for
Yet they expect to be eulQgized for an hour
as philanthropic citizens and liberal sup
portcrs Of the cause Of religion in q sermon
BY their pastor preached a02re their coffin
lid.
TNiERE Is q circuit of three churches of
l. the German Reformed denomination in
Northern Montgomery County that has been
ridden for nearly twenty years by one de-
voted missioner.
They are located at Pennsburg, Sassa-
mansville and Mantle.
The Rev. George w. Lutz is the circuit
rider who for nineteen years has ministered
to these congregations.
In the early days he rode horseback. Later
he employed team. In the last few years
he has used an automobile.
His circuit covers a distance Of nineteen
miles over all sorts of roads.
TN FACT, the circuit is more nearly
1twenty FIVE miles, for when preaching at
Mantle or Sassamansville, according to i'm
with member Of the congregation, who fre-
quently lives three or four miles from tho
ch9,eh; Wha, nr.,o,,,. .. N,.,.,. NJ ,,
has dinner with parishioner, then drives
to Sassama nsvile whero services are held
In the afternoon, and then the return
journey is made to the parsonage In Penns-
burg in the evening or at night.
Where two services day are held at
Mantle and Sassamansville no services are
nelu IN tennSUurs.
The following Sunday morning and eve.
ming services are held in the church at
Pennsburg.
THE remarkable feature of this circuit
l. riders history Is that in nineteen years
only two services have been missed by him,
Then 1t was because Of blizzards or SHOWS,
which tied up the roads and blocked traffic
For the rest of this period, through cold
and storm, over roads often we'll nigh i'm
passable, the Rev. George w. Lutz has
maintained his mission: held the banner of
his Master high above the inconsequential
things of this world.
He has been subject to instant call any.
where through the region contiguous to his
three charges. in sickness, accident and dis.
treSs.
For this work, at a salary possibly less
than any clergyman Of tho weakest congrg.
CATION in Philadelphia receives, Mr., Intz
prepared himself for years at college and
divinity school, with such success that he
wears the coveted key of the Phi Beta