AREA HISTORY:  Bethlehem Church of the Evangelical Association, York County, PA

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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BETHLEHEM CHURCH OF THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION – Page 545

This church was built in 1841, under the leadership of Benjamin Thomas.  It is 
40X55 feet, and is located on North Queen Street.

In the year 1842 George Brickley, who is now a practicing physician of York, at 
the advanced ago of seventy-nine years, had this charge assigned him.  He 
labored until 1844.  During the administration he and the trustees of the church 
– B. Thomas, P. Shafer, C. Strigel, H. Burger, M. Hoke and J. Dunlap – had the 
church incorporated.  The names of ministers who served this congregation, from 
the time the church was built until the year 1885, are as follows:  George 
Brickley, from 1842 to 1844; W. W. Orwig, 1844-46; J. Boas, 1846-47; L. 
Eberhart, 1847-49; G. Weirick, 1849-1850; C. Hammer, 1850-52; C. F. Deininger, 
1852-54; E. Kohr, 1854-56; H. Althouse, 1856-58; S. Wolf, 1858-59; D. Kreamer, 
1859-60; A. L. Reeser, 1860-62; B. Hengst, 1862-64; J. Young, 1864-66; S. Smith, 
1866-68; A. Rairich, 1868-69; J. Bowersox, 1869-70, who was then sent to the 
State of Oregon as missionary; J. C. Fransworth, 1870-72; G. Brickley, 1872-73; 
S. Aurand, 1873-75; C. F. Deininger, 1875-77; A. F. Leopold, 1877-79; C. 
Philibar, 1879-80; R. Deisher, 1880-82; J. Koehl, 1882-84; J. Shambach is the 
present pastor.

The services were altogether German when it was organized.  For some time they 
were German in the morning and English in the evening, until 1871, when a part 
of the membership was organized into an English mission.

At the General Conference, held 1875, this church was added to the newly 
organized Atlantic Conference, but in 1883 it was again placed in the Central 
Pennsylvania Conference.  While within the bounds of the Atlantic Conference, 
the services were altogether German, but now they are as before, half English.  
The membership is 104.

In 1868, while Rev. A. Rairich was stationed here, a brick parsonage, was built 
at a cost of $2,700.  Rev. J. Young, Joshua Young and Jacob Sechrist constituted 
the building committee.