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Pastor's Corner Calendar History Disciples in Action About St. Paul's  

A History of St. Paul's (in reverse chronological order)
 
Year Date Event
2009 May 20 Ruth Erb resigns as Bells/Chimes Director after 12 years of service.
2008 August 8 Roy Stetler is ordained as Pastor of the ELCA, Lower Susquehanna Synod.  He accepts a call to Faith United Parish as Pastor.
  June 29 St. Paul's Prayer Garden is rededicated as Pastor Greiman Prayer Garden.
  May 31 Judy Schrack resigns as organist and choir director after 29 years of service.
2007 February 19 Pastor Van Orden begins her ministry at St. Paul's.
  January 14 Rev. Lois K. Van Orden preaches at St. Paul's and accepts the call as full-time pastor of St. Paul's.
2006 August Pastor Schier-Hanson resigns as Assistance Pastor to enroll her daughter in a gifted education program in St. Louis.
  July Pastor Pierce resigns as interim pastor to answer a call from his Episcopalian bishop.
2005 August Rev. Patrick Pierce begins interim ministry at St. Paul's.
  July Pastor Rooney resigns his pastorate at St. Paul's to accept a call at Christ Lutheran Church in York.
2004 August 18 Rev. Sarah Schier-Hanson begins ministry as Assistance Pastor at St. Paul's.
  May 30 Pastor Pejack resigns as Associate Pastor after her son suffers a near-fatal illness which renders him deaf.
  April Todd Pejack is accepted for candidacy for ordained ministry.  Cynthia Jones also joins Karen Eppley as a candidate for rostered ministry at St. Paul's.
    Vicar Robert Blezard begins training at St. Paul's.
St. Paul's entertains a building expansion for future needs but lacks the financial commitment from the congregation to pursue anything but maintenance for repairs.
2003   Pastor Rooney's term as Dean of West Shore Conference ends.
    Filey's appoints Pastor Rooney as interim pastor through 2004.
    Pastor Rooney and committee of 11 organize for St. Paul's 150 anniversary for 2005.
2002 October Karen Eppley enters candidacy process for rostered ministry with St. Paul's.
    Vicar Bernadette Kulikosky begins training at St. Paul's but leaves in 2003 due to life-threatening illness.
2001 July Rev. Karin Pejack is installed as Associate Pastor for St. Paul's.
    An 8:00 AM Sunday service begins for a three month trial period and continues as a sustainable service.
  May Pastor Macke takes over the congregations at Barrens and St. John's, while a new pastor takes over St. Paul's on Wertzville Road.  Pastor Rooney maintains ministry over Zion Lutheran in Enola as interim pastor.
    Regular Saturday evening services begin as well as a discretionary fund so that Pastor Rooney may have immediate access to funds for humanitarian needs.  pastor Rooney also begins participating in the Liturgical Chapel at Messiah College.
    St. Paul's converts a room off the sanctuary and kitchen area into a chapel.
2000   Pastor Olsen leads most of the services at St. John's and Barren's, relieving Pastor Rooney of this obligation.
  January Pastor Neil at Emmanuel announces he would finish as supply pastor by the end of the year or sooner.
1999 September The Dillsburg Ministerium adopts a marriage policy.
    In spite of opposite wishes, Pastor Rooney is elected for a third term as Dean of the West Shore Conference.
1998   St. Paul's adds Rev. Philip Lynch [retired] to the roster as a Visitation Pastor.
  November A Cluster Team Council is created.
  October Pastor Rooney begins filling in as pastor of Barrens after their pastor resigns.
  July Vicar Randy Castro begins training.
  April 20 Gettysburg Seminary agrees to an intern pastor for St. Paul's.
1997   Pastor Rooney is elected for a second term as Dean of the West Shore Conference.
1996   St. Paul's purchases With One Voice hymnal to expand its music ministry.
1995   Wine replaces grape juice for Eucharist.
    Pastor Rooney is elected Dean of the West Shore Conference.
1994 November 21 Rev. Patrick J. Rooney accepts a call to minister at St. Paul's.
  August 1 St. Paul's separates from Emmanuel to become a single church parish.
  June 28 A call committee is established to seek out a new pastor.
  Jaunary 31 Rev. Sassaman's pastorate is terminated by St. Paul's and Emmanuel.
1992 January 7 The Bishop comes to discuss the failing cluster of parishes in Dillsburg since four out of five parishes will be without pastors.
  January The pastor at Filey's resigns.
1991 December The Bishop expresses an interest in performing an area strategy study.
  April Emmanuel is asked to consider closing its doors and merging with the St. Paul's congregation.  They remain open.
1990 September 17 Pastor Carol Hendrix of the Bishop's staff suggests that St. Paul's becomes a single "church" parish.
  February 1 St. Paul's joins the West Shore Conference of the Lower Susquehanna Synod.
1988 September 13 St. Paul's enters Dillsburg Lutheran cluster consisting of Barren's, Christ (Filey's), Emmanuel and St. John's Lutheran churches.
1986   Rev. Sassaman is installed as St. Paul's new pastor.
1985 November 12 Interim Pastor Chapman serves until February 1986.
  October 18 Council creates a call committee to search for a new pastor.
    Pastor Greiman reports to council that he plans to retire after 29 years of service to the congregation.
1980 March 5 St. Paul's celebrates its 125th anniversary.
1975 October 26 St. Paul's Prayer Garden is dedicated.
  August Reflections of St. Paul's Windows is published and named a work of art and historical masterpiece to the members of the congregation.
  April A termite problem is resolved.  The now vacant lot next to the church is turned into the Prayer Garden.
1974 April The tenant house is inspected for repairs and a decision is made to demolish the property.
1971 November St. Paul's purchases 203 South Baltimore Street and rents the property out for $105 per month.
  June Strawberry Social takes place.
  February Lenten chancel dramas take place, followed by an Easter dawn service and social with coffee and doughnuts.
1968   Council makes a landmark decision that requires one of the four council nominees each year be female.
1967   St. Paul's gets a rejuvenated sound system and belfry system.
1966 September St. Paul's solves a community problem by renting space to Northern York County School District for elementary classroom space, which continued for five years.
  July St. Paul's sells old and non-maintainable parsonage to Dale Leer and grants the pastor a housing allowance for personal lodgings.
1960 June St. Paul's purchases a swelling while Lawrence Evans purchases an adjacent one.  Both parties demolish the properties and construct a common parking lot.
1959   St. Paul's organizes a much-needed weekday kindergarten program, which continues through 1971, when Northern York County School District absorbs this educational function.
    St. Paul's holds its first congregational dinner that becomes an annual event.
1958   St. Paul's holds its first Vacation Church School sometime in 1958 with 65 enrolled.
  June Pastor Greiman submits a plan of operation for the running of the Church School for Christian education.
  March 16 Dedication services for completed construction held.
1957 June 16 First cornerstone of the new building laid.
  April Church council accepts a bid for the construction from Carlisle Construction Company.
1956 July 22 St. Paul's council gives its final blessing to new building plans: new heating system, new lighting system, painting, emergency exit, elimination of hazardous basement stairway, and renovation of social rooms and adjoining areas.  A new addition 44' x 72' would house new classrooms, choir robing rooms, restrooms, and enlarges social hall, pastor's study, church office and church parlor.
  January 5 Rev. Ralph A. Greiman, Jr. becomes pastor of the congregation.
1955 August 21 St. Paul's forms a separate parish with Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Franklintown; one pastor is just not enough to minister to the four congregations.  St. Paul's also desires to become a single-parish church but not at this time.
  April 1 Rev. Banes accepts a call from another charge.
1951   Rev. Roland M. Banes takes charge of the congregation.
1941   St. Paul's undergoes redecorating and refurbishing, including the installation of a Moller pipe organ, chancel and alter furnishings, and new carpeting.  The churches in the Dillsburg Charge continue to grow successfully.
1936   The pastorate changes from Rev. Livingston to Rev. George N. Young.
1922   The pastorate changes from Rev. Eveler to Rev. George A. Livingston.
1914 September 13 The new St. Paul's church is dedicated - 15 months after the fire.
1913   Sometime in 1913 the pastorate changes from Rev. Trostel to Rev. George H. Eveler.
  August 10 The congregation sells the tract of land that held the original building for $500.  They also agree to build the new parsonage on the same site of the previous parsonage.
  July 6 The congregation agrees that it proceed at once to build, using the site of the corner of Baltimore and Hanover for the new edifice.
  June 18 Dillsburg suffers the most destructive fire in the history of the community.  8 buildings, including St. Paul's and the parsonage, are destroyed.
1912 August 4 The John Ferrence home is purchased as a new parsonage.
1909 April The congregation purchases property on the corner of Baltimore and Hanover Streets as the site for a new St. Paul's.
1907 April 1 Rev. Ira Trostel accepts a call to minister the Dillsburg Charges.
  February 7 Rev. Fox resigns.
1906   Mr. and Mrs. L.M. Creager presents St. Paul's with an Individual Communion set.
1905 April 1 Rev. J.T. Fox takes charge of the Dillsburg Charge.
    Rev. Zimmerman resigns.
1903 January 1 Rev. H. E. Zimmerman begins a brief pastorate at St. Paul's. He claims beyond a doubt he "was more sinned against than sinning."
1902 December 1 Rev. Longanecker resigns.
    St. Paul's gets a new roof.
1900   St. Paul's gets a new ventilator equipped with electrical lights!
1899 July 1 Rev. A. P. Longanecker enters his labors as pastor.
1899   Rev. Metzger resigns.
1892 December 4 Rev. Metzger holds dedication services for newly refurbished building.  Envelope offering system created during Rev. Metzger's pastorate.
  April 25 The church decides to make repairs to the building and add 15 feet.
1891 Summer Rev. W.S.T. Metzger takes charge.
1887 - 1891   Rev. W.L. Heisler preaches to St. Paul's as a supply pastor every two weeks.  The congregation grows and prospers, but Rev. Heisler resigns sometime in 1891.
1885 - 1887   St. Paul's cannot raise the necessary funding to pay for a pastor and unsuccessfully tries to form a new pastorate consisting of Franklin, Fileys and Dillsburg.
1885 October 25 Rev. Stump resigns to accept a call in Nebraska.
1883 August 1 Rev. Stump accepts the call to also minister the York Springs congregation.
  May 8 During the York County Conference, the body recommends that St. Paul's leave the Rossville Charge and unite with the York Springs Charge.
1881 October Rev. Adam Stump begins his charge as pastor to the Rossville Charge.
  March Rev. Minter resigns.
1877 November Rev. E. Minter takes charge of the Rossville Charge and writes that the congregation of St. Paul's is the most cordial and loyal people he has ever served.
  October 1 Rev. Dietterich resigns.
1876 January 1 Rev. J.F. Dietterich becomes pastor of St. Paul's.
1875   St. Paul's becomes part of the Rossville Charge, and the people are now united and devoted to give God praise!
1874 - 1875   Supply pastors Rev. D.K. Koser and Rev. M.D. Kuntz minister to the congregation until a full time pastor is placed.  There is much angst between the pastors and the congregation and Synod is brought in to fix it.  Rev. Parsons, President of Synod, reorganizes the congregation, alters the charter and elects Bro. E. Studebaker as pastor.
1874 May 10 After much dissention between pastor and council members, Rev. Sell resigns.
1872 January 1 Rev. D. Sell becomes pastor of St. Paul's.
1871 January 15 Rev. Bricker resigns to accept a call in Stoyestown.
1869 March Rev. J.K. Bricker takes charge of St. Paul's congregation.
1868 April 1 Rev. A. Babb becomes supply pastor.
1867 July Rev. Williams resigns.
1866 November Rev. J.T. Williams becomes pastor of the congregation.
  November 1 Rev. Groff resigns after serving 17 months.
1865 October 1 Sunday school organizes to study the catechism published by the General Synod.
  July 16 Rev. J.R. Groff accepts unanimous call for St. Paul's.
  January Rev. Warner elected call pastor for three of the four parishes in Dillsburg.  St. Paul's becomes an independent body.
1864 November 26 Rev. Finfrock resigns.
1859 May 5 Rev. Aaron Finfrock accepts a call to minister St. Paul's.
  March 5 Rev. Focht resigns.
1857 April 4 Congregation formally organizes and adopts a constitution.
1856 November 16 Building is dedicated to Triune God and styled St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church.
  May 3 First cornerstone laid.
1855 December 16 Agreement reached to build by contracting George Lau to construct it.
  August 25 Pastor and congregation agree to put forth an effort to build a church building.
  March 5 Rev. Joseph R. Focht accepts a call to the Dillsburg Lutheran Church, made up of four parishes, and preaches in the local schoolhouse.

 Interesting St. Paul's Facts

St. Paul's has had 35 pastors on its payroll since it began in 1855.

Rev. Lois K. Van Orden is St. Paul's first female full Pastor.  Two other women faithfully served St. Paul's as assistant or associate pastors.
Rev. Ralph A. Greiman was St. Paul's longest serving pastor, retiring after 29 years of service.

Judy Schrack was St. Paul's longest serving organist, resigning after 29 years of service.
 
 

 

 
 


 
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