St. Peters U.C.C

#24: Faith – St. Peters U.C.C.

In an earlier post, we saw how the Lutheran Germans of the valley and the Reformed Germans of the valley, united to build a “union” church finding this arrangement more efficient and effective as they established their congregations.  Another example of this “union” church process in Drums was seen in the valley’s Methodists and Presbyterians working together in a similar manner. Although the specific details may differ, this was a story that repeated itself over and over in North America as various congregations strived to establish themselves.

A third example was made evident by the tragic story of the Hart children, the four little girls who lost their lives to Diphtheria in 1860. At first it seemed to be a mystery as to why the children were buried in the Lutheran cemetery of Hobbie, while their parents, Anna and John, and two of the three siblings born after 1860, are buried a mile away in the Reformed/UCC cemetery. Upon my learning the history of the churches, the mystery was solved.

I learned this history from a Hobbie resident, Steve Moyer. I was visiting the Conyngham Historical Society’s Museum on June 30, 2018 and was chatting with the Historical Society member who was staffing the museum that day, when Mr. Moyer came out of one of the back rooms and joined the conversation. He also had decided to drop by the museum that afternoon. Eventually our discussion carried us to Hobbie and when he mentioned he lived there, I asked if he knew anything about these two churches. He said he had some materials at his house about them and he agreed to call me later with the information. He very kindly followed up on his promise and told me their history as a union church.

As was the case in Hughesville/St. Johns, the German Reformed and Lutheran congregations of Hobbie found it more efficient and productive to build a union church servicing both congregations rather than two structures. A log structure was built in 1826 and was called “The St. Peters Lutheran and Reformed Union Church.” That arrangement served both congregations for the next 57 years. They even built a new structure together in 1853 when the first structure grew unserviceable. However, as happened in St. Johns, the natural frictions that arise between two similar, but ultimately different, systems finally became too great and the congregations separated in 1883. The Reformed congregation remained in the 1853 building and retained the name St. Peters Reformed Church. The Lutherans built a church across the street and took on the name St. James Lutheran Church. Finally, in 1888, requiring a new structure for themselves and having land made available to them by a parishioner named Weiss, the Reformed congregation left the 1853 building and built a new structure on the Weiss land a mile further west. Obviously, this explains why children who died in 1860 would be in one cemetery and their parents, who died in the 1890’s, are in another only a mile away.

St. Peter’s United Church of Christ.
July 8, 2018.

The building built in 1888 is a beautiful structure. On July 8, 2018, I stopped by the church thinking I might get to see the interior during a church service. As I walked from the parking lot in the back to the front of the church I saw an older gentleman resting in the shade. “May I go in?” I asked, not really expecting an answer of anything more than “Sure!”

“No.” he replied.

A little taken aback, I stopped and looked at him. “No?” I questioned. After all, it wasn’t more than 10 or 15 minutes before the service was scheduled to begin so the church must be open and surely, they accepted visitors!

“No, the church is in the back.” I must have looked VERY confused at that point. In the back is the parking lot and a utility shed. He continued, “Under the trees. The service is out back under the trees. Around here” and he pointed in the direction I should go. “Oh! I see. During the summer the services are held outside?” I suggested. “From now into September,” he confirmed.

“Oh, well, I was hoping to see the inside of the church,” I explained as I started to turn to leave. “Well, you can go in and see it.” he said as he walked to the doors and opened one for me. I looked at him a moment while trying to make sense of this whole exchange but only said, “Thanks!” as I walked past him, through the Narthex, and into the Nave.

“What a beautiful church.” I quietly said to myself as I looked at the painting behind the alter. Behind me I heard the gentleman say, “Thanks.” 

He said I could take photos, which, as you can see, I did.

With my back to the Sanctuary, these beautiful windows were on my left.

Looking directly in front of me I was, of course, looking at the back wall of the Nave. The entrance to the Nave is just off the photo to the right. 

Turning a quarter turn to my right I found a large room which I took to be a classroom.

As we left, I thanked the gentleman again. Just as we exited the church he stopped and pointed up. “Don’t miss over the door.” he warned.

Another window, this one with a Robin’s nest built beside it. The window includes two dates. The meaning of the 1888 is clear. I’m less certain about the 1924. I wish I’d have asked him but given our conversation up to this point, maybe it was best that I didn’t ask. He did tell me there used to be an “old” book about the church history but he wasn’t sure where one might be now. My guess is that Mr. Moyer has one of them.

“And our welcome board” he added pointing.

And, of course, behind the Welcome Board, a few rows into the cemetery, are the graves of Anna and John. 

This photo was taken during an earlier visit on June 19, 2018. 

July 8, 2018 dawned with a beautiful morning (most in Pennsylvania are!) made more so by my visit to this beautiful little church in Hobbie, PA (613 West County Road, Wapwallopen, PA).

However, not all faith is found inside a church, and I don’t mean services being held out under trees in the back! Return on May 20, 2019, and have faith that I’ll explain what I mean with the post Faith - In God.