ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S
UNITED CHURCH(ELCA)

Our Heritage

The history of
St. Bartholomew’s Church
Hanover PA.


Serving
God and Community
for Years





Cemetery Records for St. Bartholomew's

Cemetery Records for
St. Bartholomew's
Maintained by
Find a Grave .com


Cemetery Records for Wentz Meeting House

Cemetery Records for
Wentz Meeting House
Maintained by
Find a Grave .com


I Love To Tell The Story

St. Bartholomew’s 1844 - 1878 - Click to Inlarge

St. Bartholomew's Church has a long and rich history that has helped it to become what it is today.
On May 18, 1844, Frederick and Elizabeth Bachman deeded one acre and two rods of land to the Lutheran and German Reformed congregations that formed St. Bartholomew's Church. Located near the Maryland line, now West Manheim Township, York County, Pennsylvania, the first church building on the land was dedicated in August 1844.

Wentz Meeting House 1860 - Current - Click to Inlarge In 1860, a group of members of St Bartholomew's split from the congregation and built little Mt. Zion Church, which is now known as the Wentz Meeting House. This historic site is located near the current St Bartholomew Church. Today, the meeting house is no longer in use but each year members of St. Bartholomew clean the old Wentz Meeting House and a service is held.



St. Bartholomew’s 1879 - Click to Inlarge The original St. Bartholomew’s church structure was destroyed by fire in 1878 after a fire spread during an oats harvest. The church was rebuilt  in 1879 as a two story brick building.



St. Bartholomew’s 1890 - Click to Inlarge

Then in 1890 a bell tower was added. The church was growing and two acres of land for a new cemetery were donated to the church.

St. Bartholomew’s New & Old Buildings 1935 - Click to Inlarge

In 1936 a new church building was dedicated. The old church which stood very near to the new church was torn down and the land was used as a parking lot for parishioners. As the church has grown over time, St. Bartholomew's Church has remodeled, renovated, and expanded with several additions and land purchases.

St. Bartholomew’s 1936 - Click to Inlarge

From 1844 to 2000, St. Bartholomew's continued as a union church with both United Church of Christ and Lutheran congregations running in one building that shared property rights and responsibilities in the church. On September 17, 2000, St. Bartholomew's signed a new charter to create one united church known officially as St. Bartholomew's United Church (ELCA).

St. Bartholomew’s current - Click to Inlarge

St. Bartholomew’s church has continuously been involved in community service activities locally and abroad. The congregation actively supports Hoffman Homes for Youth, Homewood Retirement Home, and the Provide-A-Lunch Program (PAL) through the Hanover Area Council of Churches with monetary gifts and dedicated labors. The church also supports trips to Biloxi, Mississippi for Katrina Relief and provides financial support for Lutheran World Relief and several missionaries around the world.

St. Bartholomew’s church has been blessed with many talented people who have helped, with their love and devotion, to make St. Bartholomew's what it is today. St. Bartholomew's has a rich heritage of music including a Hand Bell Choir, Youth & Adult Choirs and one of the few Sunday School orchestras still active every Sunday. With exceptional music groups of many varieties and Sunday School classes for all age levels, St. Bartholomew's United Church provides a special worshiping experience that allows all members to thrive and grow on their spiritual journey.

In a constantly changing world, the members of St. Bartholomew's will continue to remember their past as they look to the future.

Pastors of St. Bartholomew United Church

Reformed UCC

 

S.C. Gutelius               1848-1853

W.K. Zieber                 1853-1856

Julius Kurtz                  1856-1859

W.K. Zieber                 1859-1866

Jacob Sechler              1866-1880                  

Henry Hilbish              1880-1889

Joseph Peters              1889-1891

F.A. Guth                     1891-1892

Edward Miller             1892-1900

J.H. Hartman               1900-1920

Edwin Sando               1920-1945

Harvey Light                1946-1976

Andrew Horn               1971-1978

K.D. Ettinger                1979-1980

D.L. Weidler                1982-1987

Arthur Grahe               1989-1998                  

Lutheran

 

Peter Sheurer              1845-1854

J. Lane                         1854-1873

Daniel Hauer               1873-1882

J.A. Metzger                1882-1908

David Lau                    1909-1913

S.L. Hench                   1913-1915

G.E. Sheffer                 1915-1917

A.M. Hollinger             1918-1954

R.T. Shilling                 1954-1957

Carl Yost                      1958-1970

David Howell               1973-1976

Gerhard Roggenkamp 1978-1986

Thomas Miller             1988-1998

Paul Warnke, Jr.          1999-2001

Ivan R. Mechtley, Jr.    2001-2003

Craig A. Lantz              2003-2005

Larry A. McConnell      2006-2009

Steven E. Thomas        2009-pres.


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