After some years of planning and hoping for a United Brethren Church in Gettysburg,
The Rev. Dr. I.H. Albright, Presiding Elder, made this report to the Pennsylvania Conference
meeting in Mechanicsburg in 1891:
"A few brethren purchased a valuable church property in Gettysburg for $2000 on their own
responsibility, with the hope that the Annual Conference could make arrangements at this
session to make it a nucleus of a new charge. A Board of Trustees was elected to receive
the proper transfer of the property on behalf of the church in case the conference
sees fit to operate it."
The church property was the old Presbyterian Church, located on West High Street. The
property had a brick church and was the first church to have been built in Gettysburg,
being erected in 1806. Title to this property was deeded to The Rev. W.J. Beamer, The
Rev. I.H. Albright, George W. Cook, The Rev. J.R. Hutchison, and Jacob Peterson on
April 1, 1891.
The Annual Conference of 1891 assigned The Rev. J.R. Hutchison as pastor of the new work,
and he moved to Gettysburg on March 19, 1891. Renovations costing $750 were made to
the church, and on September 27, 1891 it was reopened by Bishop E.B. Kephart and The
Rev. Reamer, the Presiding Elder at that time.
During the pastorate of The Rev. A.N. Horn, the church building was erected in 1897
at a cost of about $3500. It was dedicated to Almight God by Bishop E.B. Kephart on
October 24, 1897.
In August, 1960 two large lots to the rear of the new educational unit were
purchased and developed for parking facilities at a cost of $16,000. In 1966, an
automatic electric gate was installed at a cost of over $2100.
In 1964, during the pastorate of The Rev. Donald L. Harper, the santuary was completely
renovated, and new pews were installed. The men of the church did a spendid piece
of work in the painting. The cost was over $8000. A beautiful place of worship
reflected the loyalty and determination of the membership.
During October, 1966, in the pastorate of The Rev. William H. Smeltzer, Memorial Church
celebrated its 75th Anniversary.
After 75 years of service, Memorial Church looked to the future where new challenges
to spiritual accomplishment would await her as she worked in union with the
Gettysburg Methodist Church to form the Gettysburg United Methodist congregation
in 1968.
The Gettysburg Methodist Church
The first Methodist ministers ever known to have visited the Gettysburg area were
probably Francis Asburg, who became the first elected Bishop of the Methodist Church
in America, and The Rev. Freeborn Garrettson, in 1783, one year before the church had
its organization in America.
For a number of years, prayer and class meetings were held in a little house on Baltimore
Street, and preaching services took place in the Court House, then located in the center of
what is now Lincoln Square. The first church was teh bulding on East Middle Street, now
owned by the Sons of Union Veterans, which was built in 1822 at a cost of nearly $2000.
It was the second Methodist Church built in Adams County, the first being Rock Chapel.
The present Church School is the development of the first denominational Sunday
School organized in 1826 in Gettysburg with continuous sessions ever since.
April 16, 1842 was the beginning of the Ladies Aid Society, when a committee of five
women was appointed to collect money to pay for carpeting the parsonage. Over the
years other groups were formed until 1940, when these combined into the
Women's Society of Christian Service, dedicated to strengthening the spiritual life
of its members and to have outreach to people around the world.
The Gettysburg Methodist Church building on East Middle Street was begun in 1871
and finished at a cost of $12,500 in February, 1874. It was dedicated in that year free
of debt. In 1905 a pipe organ was installed, and stained glass memorial windows
replace painted ones in 1918. More renovations in 1930 completely changed the interior.
The Rev. E.L. Eslinger served the church from 1932 until 1936, when the Rev. D. Perry Buck
began his pastorate of six years. The parsonage in which the Bucks lived was located at
304 Baltimore Street. This house was used until 1952, when it was sold, and a home on
Highland Avenue was purchased for the parsonage.
During the five-year pastorate of The Rev. Victor Meredith, Jr., a new educational unit was
added to the rear of the church, and other renovations were made to satisfy the need for
more space. The addition was consecrated in 1958. This is the structure which presently
serves as the Gettysburg Borough Building.
The Rev. William Fenstermaker became the minister in 1957, serving four years. Under
his leadership, the plans of Vic Meredith were completed, and in 1961 the Highland
Avenue property was sold, and the parsonage now in use at 345 Park Street was purchased.
In February, 1964, during the four-year pastorate of The Rev. Donald Treese, a program
entitled One Thousand Years of Witnessing was a memorable occasion.
Members of the congregation 80 years of age and over were honored at this time. Under
Rev. Treese's leadership, the five commissions of the church were active, and programs of
social concern and outreach into the community were given emphasis. During the
1950's and 1960's, the Offical Board, Youth Fellowship, and Women's Society of Christian
Service were actively responsible for the program of the local church.
During the week of October 3-10, 1965, the Gettysburg Methodist Church celebrated
its 150th Anniversary. The Rev. Edwin Rohrbeck's pastorate started that year.
During a winter night in January, 1968, the church was set to the torch by an arsonist.
Many still recall the trauma of seeing a beloved place of worship go up in flames. Only
the educational unit in the rear was saved.
In love and friendship, Memorial E.U.B. Church invited the Gettysburg Methodist Church
to worship with them in their building on West High Street. The two congregations
came together in Christian fellowship just as the national demoninations were uniting
to form the United Methodist Church.
The Gettysburg United Methodist Church
In 1968, the newly united congregation worshiped in the sanctuary of Memorial Church,
and church school classes met in the educational unit, Fellowship Hall, and in the
church houise adjacent to the church building. The Rev. Donald S. Burkhart was the pastor
for one year, and in 1969 The Rev. James I. Melhorn became the minister, serving until 1971.
Soon after The Rev. William H. Barr began his pastorate in June, 1971, serious consideration
was given to constructing a new church building. Near the end of the year, a Building
Committee consisting of 21 members was formed to begin the long task of formulating plans.
The sanctuary of Memorial E.U.B. Church and the adjacent house were removed to make
way for new construction. The educational unit and Fellowship Hall were retained. On
Sunday, April 1 1973, the congregation began to hold a 10:00 A.M. worship service in the
Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary Chapel. Church shool classes were held in Valentine Hall
and the Seminary Chapel.
The cornerstone of the present church was laid after the 10:00 A.M. service on Sunday,
December 16, 1973. The cost of the new church was $455,372, which did not include
furnishings. A mortgage of $403,000 was assumed. The difference between these two
figures was funded by insurance on the Gettysburg Methodist Church and by contributions.
The Rev. Barr led us through months of planning and fund raising. His pastorate of 12
years gave the congregation the time needed to deepen its relationships with one another,
and to increase stewardship and commiment to the program of the local church.
A very important part of our youth ministry during The Rev. Barr's tenure was the
formation in 1976 of the Cross and Flame Singers, who presented concerts of sacred
music on trips to many other states as well as different parts of Pennsylvania and
the Gettysburg area until 1983.
The Rev. Charles R. Slaybaugh, Jr. was welcomed enthusiastically as our minister in
June, 1983. In January, 1984, we began a year-long bicentennial celebration to
commemorate 200 years of Methodism.
At the begining of 1984, our building debt was $276,656. The annual amount budgeted
for the Building Fund was $37,494. Generous congregational giving enabled the church
building debt to be paid five years ahead of schedule, and a service was held to burn
the church's mortgage on November 19, 1989.
An instrumental part of the church's outreach to others in the past ten years has been
enthusiastic support for the "Mission Can," which stand in the hallway to accept
contributions for worthy causes locally and throughout the world. Recent monthly
causes have included Habitat for Humanity, Bosnia Crisis, Salvation Army, and
YWCA Sponsors Fund. Among other Annual Mission programs were the "Down
on the Farm" to buy three heifers for Africa in 1991, "African Harambe" to supply
a water well for folks in Sierra Leone in 1996, and "In Your Own Backyard" to
furnish two rooms on the campus of the United Methodist Children's Home in
Mechanicsburg in 1997.
Other highlights for which we can be proud in the last decade include redecorating and
re-equipping the church nursery; carpeting the upstairs hallways; hiring an Assistant to
the Pastor; making the church handicapped accessible; equipping the office with a
computer; forming the Young Adult, Older Adult, and Singles Ministries; and
purchasing new United Methodist Hymnals. Most recently, we have added to our ministries
the Prayer Chain, the Funeral Luncheon Committee, Lenten Musical Services, and Monthly
Services of Prayer and Healing.
Our church is very fortunate to have many dedicated people serving in various capacities.
The Sunday School teachers, choirs, United Methodist Women, Boards, Committees (just
to mention a few), contribute greatly to the growing spiritual life of our Gettysburg United
Methodist Church.
