St. John’s U.C.C., St. Johns, PA

#19 – Faith - St. John’s U.C.C., St. Johns, PA

This is the church I grew up in.

The inside of this church is very beautiful.

That’s why I want to share it with you. Come with me on a tour of the chapel of the St. John’s United Church of Christ, St. Johns, Pennsylvania.

Whenever I go into this building, it is like going home.

On Wednesday, July 11, 2018, I went home. Again.

When I arrived at the church I found the cemetery was quite busy. This cemetery is of moderate size so it is set up with paved roadways you can drive in on to cut down on the walking. It is a slight uphill grade from front to back so the unsuspecting visitor can get a tad winded walking into the cemetery.

Usually, folks who drive in, drive in slowly. The guy who felt the need to drive in on the day of my visit drove in, well, let’s just say he wasn’t any slow-poke. Talk about being in a hurry to get into a cemetery! When I got to the attendants’ building and asked why things were so busy, they told me, “Funeral today.”

One of the attendants, my friend and a life-long member of the St. Johns U.C.C. David Mumaw, was still able to break away for a few minutes to let me inside the church. “They are just setting up for the funeral,” he told me as we walked across the cemetery heading to the door of the church. “The funeral is a little later.” He knew I wanted to get a few photos of the nave, sanctuary, and so forth.

He opened the door and I stepped from the bright, hot sun of mid-morning into the dim, cool narthex; the only light being that which was streaming in through the beautiful stained-glass windows.

It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust so David asked, “Do you want me to turn on some lights?” “No,” I answered, “I think it is better like this.” Then I started to grab my photos. Each photo brought a wave of memories. 

Attending services while growing up, I always sat in the second pew back, aisle side, right side of the nave. So, I was always looking up at these windows.

Beside the windows is one of the boards that announce the Hymn numbers. My mom told me my dad made those number cards. He must have because, as I recall, moms don’t lie and, besides, you never argue with your mom.

On the left of the sanctuary is the organ and choir loft. The Moeller pipe organ was installed in 1928. 

Just about the entire time I was growing up,
Pearl Garbrick was the church organist.
She was a masterful musician

The windows in the Choir Loft are appropriately themed.

 

Actually, I guess all the windows are appropriately themed since they were designed around the church’s architecture.

Mom, was a Soprano and the Sopranos always sat in the front row near the organ. Dad was a Bass and they always sat in the back of the choir loft, near the wall.

Each Sunday, after the church bell was rung, Pearl would begin to play the “Processional Hymn”. Then everyone would stand and begin to sing as the choir emerged from the west foyer and proceed down the aisle and up into the choir loft. Mom usually lead the way and Dad brought up the rear. Service after service. Sunday after Sunday.

When standing in the Sanctuary, near the Alter, this is the view of the Nave.

Just off this photo to the right is a room we called the “Choir Room”. That is where the choir robed and waited for service to begin. In that room is my favorite of the 55 windows in the church, The Beehive.  I actually liked it even before my Beekeeper dad died. Now I like it more.

If you do ever have the chance to visit this wonderful church and sit in the Nave, don’t forget to look up. Not only is there a great chandelier hanging from the dome, it is surrounded by angels!

Sixteen angels, to be exact. One in each of the “clere story windows with balustude in the base”. At least that’s how they are described in the 200^th Anniversary booklet the church produced in 1992.[1] I didn’t know about “clere story windows” or “balustude”, when I was growing up. I just liked looking at them while the pastor droned on, I mean, gave his sermon.

Of course, the centerpiece of the church is the Sanctuary. 

Or rather, the window above the alter at the back of the Sanctuary.

This window was designed by Rev. W. D. Stoyer. He called it “Gates Ajar”. It is actually three sections known as a “triple-window”. The left and right panes depict slightly open gates. The center window depicts a long path that leads to the Holy City which is aglow with golden light. The entire triple-window consists of more than a thousand pieces of glass.[2]

The church has an office for the pastor opposite the Choir Room. There is a table in that office dedicated to the memory of Eleanor and Harry Drum, my mom and dad.

Downstairs is a large, full-kitchen, a social hall, perfect for banquets and other church gatherings, four classrooms and two lavatories. Upstairs are two classrooms beneath the bell tower, plus an elevator between floors to complete the accommodations available.

This architecturally Gothic style structure is built in the shape of a cross. The main section is 72’ by 80’. In the Nave, from floor to apex of the dome, it measures 137’ and 6 inches. In 1913, it cost the 429 congregation members, $20,000 (half a million in today dollars) and that did not include all the in-kind gifts of congregation members, themselves, such as excavating, hauling materials, laying of concrete, furnishings and so forth. Members paid for pews and if they did, got their names on them. Here is Nathan and Mary Drum’s pew plaque.

If you get the chance, do stop by some Sunday morning. It is a wonderful place in which to spend a Sunday morning. Perhaps you can listen to the church bell ring as you sit in Nathan and Mary Drum’s pew! It’s not the pew I always sat in, theirs is a few rows behind the one I chose. However, from their pew you can still gaze at the windows in front of you and the angels above you as the pastor drones on, I mean, gives the sermon.

Return to Drums of Drums, PA on March 11, 2019 to read about all of the Reformed/U.C.C.’s Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, oh, my!

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[1] 200^th Anniversary: 1792-1992 (St. Johns, PA: St. Johns United Church of Christ, 1992)

[2] 200^th Anniversary: 1792-1992

#18 Faith – The Reformed

The Reformed

So far, these posts have been running along in a somewhat consecutive manner, earlier to later. In the next series of posts, we will be zeroing in on specific circumstances that have histories all their own: faith/religion, war, coal mining, etc. This will require us to jump backwards a tad on the timeline in order to move forward again as we dip into each of these “special” circumstances. With this post we begin to address the first of these “circumstances”: Faith; and we start with The Reformed. 

Our progenitor, Philip, was most likely a follower of the German Reformed movement. That is to say, he was a Calvinist. As Christianity developed through the 14^th and 15^th Centuries, many individuals began to question certain beliefs and doctrines of the Catholic theology. Eventually, leaders, such as John Calvin, and their followers broke with the Roman Catholic Church in the 16^th Century. Followers of Calvin and like-believing leaders called themselves “Reformed” Christians. It was the followers of Martin Luther, who also famously broke with the Roman Catholic Church, who gave the Reformed Christians the name “Calvinists”, since John Calvin was the most famous of their leaders. It was their way of differentiating themselves, the Lutherans, from the Reformed.[1]^,[2]

Martin Luther as depicted in
Mary Drum’s Bible
given to her in 1895
by her husband, Nathan A. Drum.
The bible didn’t include
John Calvin among its biographies

Clearly there were differences between Lutheran and Reformed teachings. However, there were enough similarities that often, once in the new world, strong relationships formed between the Lutheran and Reformed congregations, many often forming “union” churches.[3]

It was most likely Philip’s and Jacob’s connections to the German Reformed community in Pennsylvania that ultimately drew George to the Drums valley. In the Drums Valley he found a strong community of like-believers and like-speakers who took him and his family in as one of their own. He was not in the valley long before he became a leader of the German Reformed community that he found there.

As discussed in an earlier post, (Snarls) he most likely was in in the valley by 1797, therefore, in attendance when, on January 12, 1800, the Lutheran and Reformed congregations met to discuss their respective futures. During this meeting, it was decided these two congregations would collectively build a meeting house that would be used for both worship and school. Prior to this, the congregations were holding their services in private homes.[4]

This image is taken from a 180^th Anniversary celebration booklet
published by the St. Johns U.C.C. in 1972.
The caption reads:
“The German log-schoolhouse of St. Johns, PA. in 1808.
Artistic sketch by Kathy Miller.”

The meeting house they built was made of logs and sat looking over the Nescopeck River on land sold to the congregations by Stephen Balliet. The site along the Nescopeck was in a village that was at first called Hughesville, after George Hughes, a prominent citizen and owner of the grist mill^[5]. Later the name was changed to St. Johns, named for the congregations of the union church found there, when the establishment of the Post Office exposed the existence elsewhere of a previously established Hughesville Post office. That other Hughesville is now best known as the place where the Lycoming County Fair is held!

 This photo was taken by Edwin Finstermacher prior to 1911. I’ve placed an “X” in the approximate location of the first “log-schoolhouse” church. The star indicates the approximate location of the Reformed Church that was built in 1913. The Lutheran Church was built where the Union Church is in this picture.

According to the St. John’s United Church of Christ (U.C.C), George Drum was a member of the church council and consistory when the building was erected in 1808[6]. The two congregations then asked the Reformed Pastor, Rev. Frederick W. Van der Sloat, to write a constitution and by-laws for them. Van der Sloat’s document in part required the building to only be used for school and worship; no services were to be held after dark; and all services were to be conducted in German. Van der Sloat’s constitution was presented and accepted in 1809. Nineteen men signed the document; among them were John Balliet, Philip Woodring, Michael Beishline, and George Drum.[7]^{, [8]}

The church and school building served the congregations well for 20 years. Finally outgrown by 1828, Mr. S. Bennet bought it and moved it to his farm.

The “union” congregation replaced it with a new, larger log building which they built on a lot across the road from the original location. This building was used until 1868 when it, too, was out-grown by the faithful. An addition was built and dedicated in 1873 and the entire structure was remodeled in 1894, this time adding a new organ that cost $800 (approximately $23,000 in present day dollars[9])! 

It is uncertain when this photo was taken however, it is prior to 1911. The photo was taken by Edwin Finstermacher.

However, all was lost in 1911 when the furnace overheated, a fire erupted, and the structure was burned to the ground.[10]

The loss of this building forced the two congregations to examine themselves and their often-difficult relationship with each other. They decided the time had come to separate. Thus, the fourth church was built, or rather, two churches were built to replace the Union Church now in ashes. The Lutheran’s built their new structure on the location of the previous building and the Reformed congregation built their new structure on newly acquired land adjacent to the former location; the two churches being, as one description put it, “less than a stone’s throw away” from each other.

Ella Drum’s uncle, Jacob Santee, recorded a few notes concerning this incident on the cover page of his 1902 Webster’s Dictionary:

“The St. Johns Union Church was destroyed by fire the 4^th day of March 1911. 

The last funeral service held in said church was that of Simon Rarich, Feb 11, 1911.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mar 2 – 1913 – First service held in the new Reformed church St. Johns PA.”

The information in the top right corner added by rubber stamp reads:

After five days return to:

JACOB SANTEE

Drums, PA.

 The St. Johns Lutheran and UCC churches today.

The St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, on the left, was dedicated on February 9, 1913[11] and the St. John’s German Reformed Church, on the right, was dedicated May 12, 1913.[12] In 1962 the name was changed to the St. John's United Church of Christ.

Sorry about the light pole. I tried to move it but it was stuck pretty hard into the ground.

So, the church in St. Johns that owes some of its existence to early leadership received from George Drum has survived more than 225 years, active yet today. As of this writing, I believe there is only one person who is a direct descendant of George, myself, that is still a member. That was not true of all of George’s direct descendants over the years, of course. Naturally, many left the valley to follow careers and lives elsewhere, some living as far away as California, perhaps beyond. However, even of those who remained in the Valley, not all remained members of George’s church.

In our next post we will tour the St. Johns U.C.C. Church and in a following post, look at some of the Reformed/UCC Church activities and events that impacted Drum lives and Drum lives that impacted the St. Johns Reformed/UCC Church! Then in a post after that, we will look at Drums as Methodists. But until then, return on February 25, 2019 for your personal tour of St. John's U.C.C., St. Johns, PA.

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[1] www.ucc.org accessed January 31, 2018

[2] Citation for Mary Drum’s Bible:

Williams, Prof. S. W., The Pronouncing Edition of the Holy Bible Containing the Authorized and Revised Versions of the Old and New Testaments, arranged in Parallel Columns, Giving the Correct Pronunciation of Every Proper Name Contained in the Bible. (Phila.: A.J. Holman and Co., LTD, 1895)

[3] www.ucc.org

[4] 200^th Anniversary: 1792-1992 (St. Johns, PA: St. Johns United Church of Christ, 1992)

[5] Bradsby, H.C., ed, History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: S.B. Nelson & Co., 1893). Chapter XXI (continued): Butler Township. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/luzerne/1893hist/ accessed 6/7/2016

[6] 200^th Anniversary: 1792-1992

[7] Munsell on Butler Township, 1880, History of Freeland, PA, https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/munsell_butler.html accessed 8/11/2016

[8] 200^th Anniversary: 1792-1992

[9] Conversion Calculator: https://www.officialdata.org/

[10] 200^th Anniversary: 1792-1992

[11] Two Hundred Years of Progress: Butler Township, 1784-1984 (Drums, PA: The Drums Lions Club, 1984) p 23.

[12] 200^th Anniversary: 1792-1992