Christ Lutheran Church of Madley, PA

History of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church
Written and Compiled by Vanira Wilkins

The First Century
On November 17, 1805, a small group of Lutherans, led by Reverend Henry Hanker, gathered at the Wills Creek home of Henry Lybarger and took part in the sacrament of the Holy Communion. Thus began the formal, recorded history of what is today Christ (formerly Lybarger) Evangelical Lutheran Church.

There were twenty-six participants at that first communion table. They were Christopher Ball, Rachel Ball, Mary Crise, Elizabeth Cupp, Peter Cupp, Catherine Fait, Frederick Fait, Susanna Fait, Mary Fisher, Hannah Haines, Mary Helms, Adam Lybarger, Barbara Lybarger, Daniel Lybarger, Henry Lybarger, Sr., Ludwick Lybarger, Sr., Mary Reams, Sarah Smith, Mary Wagaman, Jesse Walker, Andrew Wolford, Catherine Wolford, Charlotte Wolford, Frederick Wolford, Sr., Joseph Wolford, and Mary Wolford.

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Many of the names are familiar because the descendants of those people still live and work in the Madley and Wills Creek area. But who were those people? Where did they come from? How did they come to be worshiping at Henry Lybarger’s house?

History does not record many details of those early times or of those people, but it is likely that the lives of most of them closely paralleled the lives and history of the Lybarger family.

Ludwick, George, and Nicolis Libarger (sic) (sons of Johann Adam Leberger (sic) who immigrated to America in 1732) came to Bedford County, Pennsylvania, shortly after 1771 and settled along Little Wills Creek in what was to eventually become Londonderry Township. At that time, the Libargers and their neighbors were living on the very edge of the frontier and were forced several times to flee to Cumberland, Maryland, to escape the Indians. But they persevered and, bit by bit, they pushed the frontier westward.

It is not known how or where those earliest settlers worshipped, but since a great many of them were of German descent, it is likely that some of them were Lutherans. That they were able to preserve their faith from 1771 until 1805 without a minister or an organized and regular worship service is truly remarkable.

That first communion service marked the beginning of a church, then known as Wills Creek Lutheran, that has ministered to the people of, not only the Madley area, but the entire valley from Hyndman north to Manns Choice and points beyond.

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Reverend Hanker, the horseback minister, who also preached in Friend’s Cove, Dunnings Creek, Groundhog Valley and Comp’s Church in Somerset County, continued to hold services in Henry Lybarger’s house until 1813—more than eight years.

Then, as he mounted his horse after one of the services at Wills Creek, he said, “It seems to me that this is the last time I shall preach to you.” His premonition proved true, for on his way home, he drowned in Big Wills Creek.

It was not until June 26, 1814, that the Lutherans again gathered for communion with the Reverend E. H. Tiedeman, of Somerset, administering the sacrament. Forty people received the Lord’s Supper that day.

There is no record of any other services by Reverend Tiedeman, but he no doubt preached occasionally for the Wills Creek congregation. In 1819 Reverend Jacob Crigler became its pastor. During Reverend Crigler’s tenure, 1819-1834, the Wills Creek Church was part of the Berlin Charge which also included Berlin, St. Michael’s, Gebbart, Union Church, and Schaefer’s Schoolhouse.

In 1839, The Wills Creek congregation contracted with Mr. Josiah Miller to build a frame church 28 by 30 feet, for $400. It was built on a lot given to the congregation by David and Catherine Moser. The church sat near Little Wills Creek, a short distance east of the Madley Station. The Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church on Little Wills Creek was dedicated on June 13, 1841. Reverend Lewis Guistiniani, D.D., was the pastor, and the Lord’s supper was administered on the day of dedication. Reverend Guistiniani, in his report to the Lutheran Observer of July 9, 1841, wrote, “The service was solemn and the multitude of people so great that the third of them could not enter the church.” It’s no wonder. It must have been a spiritual feast for the people after their services for nearly forty years at private homes, first at Henry Lybarger’s and later at the David Lybarger farm.

The Berlin Charge was divided in 1845, and the Wills Creek Church along with Schellsburg, Dry Ridge, and Cumberland were combined into a new charge. Daniel S. Altman was the first pastor to serve this group of churches; he began his ministry on January 1, 1846. Altman served until 1850. He was followed by William Ruthrauff (1850-1852), J. K. Kast (1852-1853), William A. Kopp (1853-1856), and J. A. Kunkelman (1856-1859).

Another realignment took place in 1858 when the West End Charge was formed. This charge included congregations at Cumberland Valley, Dry Ridge, Union (Mt. Zion), and Wills Creek. Reverend David Stufft became its pastor in April, 1859. Synod appropriated $50.00 to the charge and also added the Mt. Olive, Mull’s, and Comp’s congregations.

About the year 1860, Josiah Miller deeded four acres of land to the congregation upon which to build a parsonage. The parsonage was located on the east side of Wills Creek, nearly opposite the place where the Madley School once stood. Reverend Stufft built the parsonage at a cost of $900.00. However, when Reverend D.S.A. Tomlinson became pastor in 1877, he would not move into the parsonage (history does not tell us why), and a house at Mt. Zion was rented where he lived for two years. The parsonage at Wills Creek was sold for $250.00, and a one-acre lot was bought at West End for $100.00. Here, under the direction of Reverend Tomlinson, a house, 28 by 36 feet, was built at a cost of $1,900.

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In 1883, the Wills Creek congregation embarked on yet another building program. They sold their church building to the school board for $175.00, and a new church was built on land donated by David Lybarger, near Madley, about one-fourth mile west of the first church.

The corner-stone was laid on October 13, 1883, and the church was dedicated December 23, 1883. The pastor, Reverend Tomlinson, was assisted by Reverend J. H. Walterick of Schellsburg. The church cost about $1,400.00 to build. F. A. Miller, Aaron Luman, and E. E. Ball served on the building committee.

Sixteen years later, in 1899, work was started on an extension of 12 feet to the length of the main building—a pulpit recess to the rear of the church and a vestibule and belfry in front. The church was rededicated in August, 1900.

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The Second Century
From the beginning of its second century until 1930, the Wills Creek Church had an average of forty-six communing members. The lack of growth in church membership can be attributed partly to the fact that during those thirty years a succession of ten different ministers preached from its pulpit.

The year 1930 brought with it the Great Depression, but it also brought the call of Reverend H. M. Petrea to the Wills Creek Church. He served the congregation from 1930-1945, and he seems to have inspired a revival in spirit and action among the people.

In 1931, the church council borrowed $48.96 from the Sunday school to buy twenty-five hymnals, fix the furnace, and repair the parsonage. Book racks were built and installed on the pews. The Ladies Aid donated a piano and new gas lights; the women also purchased the lumber for the church platform. The roof was repaired and painted that summer.

On July 2, 1932, the church council, before Squire Hillegass at Buffalo Mills, deeded the Lybarger Cemetery over to the newly formed Lybarger Lutheran Cemetery Association. The members of the association were H. L. Shroyer, Ed Stouffer, Stanley Shroyer, Edmond Manges, Albert Holler, and Randolph Wills.

The next several years saw a slow but steady growth in church membership, and the congregation also managed to pay its bills during those years. The 1934 treasurer’s report for the last six months of the year shows a total income of $214.03 with expenses being $194.99 ($137.50 being Rev. Petrea’s salary). The balance at the end of the year was $19.04.

A “church improvement fund” was started in November 1936, and work commenced on improvements to the basement. That work was completed in April, 1938, and included the raising of steel columns, and, of course, the finish work. Council also voted that year to install electric lights in the church. The complete wiring job, including fixtures and wire, cost $43.42.

Over the years, the church had come to be called Lybarger Lutheran and on March 16, 1942, the name became official. The decree of incorporation was approved by Judge Colvin Wright and the seal of the court of common pleas of Bedford County was placed on it by Prothonotary, Harry L. Ritchie.

There was one more important thing accomplished during Reverend Petrea’s ministry and that was the dedication of the bell. It was purchased from the Camp Run Evangelical Church for $50.00 and dedicated August 27, 1944. That bell called people to worship every Sunday for many years until it was removed from the old church and put on display at the new church building.

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After Reverend Petrea left Lybarger in 1945, Reverend Frank Herzel served the congregation until 1948. Then Mr. Homer Duppstadt filled the pulpit as supply pastor until the Reverend James Scharf was called in 1952.

In the late 1940’s, under the leadership of Mr. Duppstadt and Mr. Charles Bockhouse, a major renovation of the church took place. New walls, flooring, pews and church furniture were installed. And the crowning touch was the addition of stained glass memorial windows which helped to make the building an unusually attractive rural church. The service of rededication, with Mr. Duppstadt presiding, took place on November 5, 1950.

Later, in 1957, the congregation petitioned the synod to divide the Schellsburg-West End Charge into two charges, one to consist of Lybarger, Mt. Olive, and Mt. Zion and the other, St. Matthew and St. James congregations. Synod approved the realignment. At almost the same time all this was taking place, Lybarger and Mt. Olive decided to build a parsonage. It was constructed along Rt. 96, a short distance from the Lybarger church.

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After Reverend Scharf retired in June of 1961, the church was once again without a regular ordained minister, and for the next year, church services were conducted by supply pastors. Then, in the summer of 1961, a team ministry program, designed to serve the large number of vacant congregations in Bedford County, was organized. The Reverend Jack E. Stouffer, the Reverend H. Lee Hebel, and lay assistant Charles Bockhouse were called to staff the new Bedford County Area Lutheran Ministry (BCALM). Their work began in June, 1962.

One of the first steps in this new ministry was the development of a Sunday schedule providing services every week for ten congregations and on alternate Sundays for the other five. In addition to pastors Stouffer and Hebel and Mr. Bockhouse, two or three seminarians served each week. Part-time services were also provided by Homer Duppstadt, a school teacher with two years of seminary training, and the Reverend Ernest L. Pee, a retired pastor living near Bedford. A rotating schedule was used so that the pastors were in touch with all the churches, each one returning to a given congregation about every seventh week.

In the early months, plans were made for an every-member visit, vacation church schools, and the work of auxiliaries. Careful planning and a deep commitment to the program led to success in meeting many of the goals and objectives of this new cooperative ministry. For example, a 1963 report notes that 1,000 children were reached through Lutheran and interdenominational vacation church schools in BCALM’s second year.

The success of BCALM at Lybarger led to revived interest in building a new church. Due mostly to the crowded conditions of the Sunday school, the congregation voted in 1964 to establish a building fund with the goal being a new church. They also voted to purchase an additional two acres of land from Bob Wills to go with the three acres he had donated.

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Another parish realignment took place in June of 1965. The congregation voted to abolish the West End Parish and create a new parish consisting of Bortz, Lybarger, and Mt. Olive. Reverend Dwight Putman was called to serve this new Southern Parish.

Reverend Putman resigned after only two years, and once again Lybarger found itself relying on supply pastors. Early in 1968 the idea of a cooperative ministry with Trinity in Bedford was discussed, and on June 2nd of that year the congregation voted to approve the plan. On September 1, 1968, Bald Hill, Bortz, Lybarger, St. James, St. Mark, and Trinity embarked on a ministry known as the Greater Bedford Lutheran Parish. Reverend Richard L. Tome was the pastor of Trinity at that time, and he was joined by Reverend John Rodgers and Intern Charles Stetler.

For 22 years, 1968—1990, the congregation of Lybarger church enjoyed a close and productive relationship with the Greater Bedford Lutheran Parish. A consistent rotation schedule of Sunday morning worship leaders provided both a sense of familiarity and variety. With the parish acting as a training site for seminary interns, the congregation at Madley was privileged to make the acquaintance of young men and women who would someday be the leaders in the greater church.

Not only did this parish structure offer the peace of mind of having an ordained Lutheran minister just a phone call away, but it also offered a wide variety of enrichment programs that provided not only valuable training but also a chance for fellowship with other Lutherans from all over Bedford County. At the same time the benefits of a larger parish were being reaped, the freedom to conduct individual services, Bible schools and special projects was always available.

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As the years went on, time began to take its toll on the century old Lybarger church building. Lack of indoor plumbing, a damp and dank basement Sunday school area, and a need for space for fellowship activities were reaching a critical point. Under the leadership of Pastor Tome, the congregation began to seriously consider a new building. After lengthy discussions and a push to accumulate more money in the building fund, the congregation voted to proceed with building plans. A building committee was formed consisting of Charles Bockhouse (chair), Clyde Emerick, Robert Fichtner, Velma Holler, Don Leap, Sherman Lehman, Lewis Oliver, and Harry Sellers. They were assisted in their work by church council members: Frank Groves (president), William Burgess (vice president), Bertha Emerick (secretary), Donald Whitford (treasurer), John Baker and Vanira Wilkins. The architect was Robert Shallop of Duncansville, PA. The contractor was Robert Lehman of Madley, PA (a member of the church). The consultants for the project were John D. Reisch and Peter Norgren both of the Division for Mission in North America, Lutheran Church in America.

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On May 25, 1980, the congregation gathered with great anticipation at the building site for their new church. It was a long time coming. The “Venture in Faith” sign had been standing for so long in the middle of that field that it was beginning to fade a bit. It was a beautiful spring day and spirits were high. Reverend Richard Tome led the service. He was assisted by Reverend William DeHass and lay Pastor Charles Bockhouse. Reverend Charles Lady brought greetings from the synod. At the conclusion of the service, Pastor Tome invited members to come forward and turn a spade of dirt. After digging a fairly substantial hole, the congregation enjoyed a time of fellowship.

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The following 18 months were busy and exciting. Everyone wanted to be part of the building project. The women’s group (WELCA) held festivals and made Easter eggs to raise money for the new building. Volunteers showed up to help pound nails or stain and varnish the pews. The young people performed clean-up duties and helped serve at dinners and festivals.

During this time there was also some discussion about a new name for the church. Several possibilities were suggested and at a congregational meeting the members voted to change the name to Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The project went well until one cold, clear night in January, 1981. That night someone stole eight of the stained glass memorial windows from the old church building. Those windows were scheduled to be moved to the new building the very next day. The windows measured 7 ft. by 29 inches and depicted various religious scenes. The monetary loss was set at $13,000, but the emotional loss was far greater.

However, out of that tragedy came triumph in the form of an unexpected gift. A church in Armonk, New York, Triumphant Cross Lutheran, was disbanding, and they offered their stained glass windows to the Lybarger congregation. The windows were exactly the size needed for the new building and were gladly accepted. The Reverend John H. Hessford, Building Consultant for the Metropolitan New York Synod, Pastor Jack Stouffer, and Mr. John Reisch were instrumental in arranging this generous contribution.

Click here to see images of the stained glass windows.

By October 25, 1981, the new building was finished. On that date the last service was held in the little white church on the hill. In the Order for Taking Leave of a Church Pastor Tome said, “The time has come for this congregation to take leave of this building which for 98 years has served faithfully as the House of God. In joy and in sorrow, in times of prosperity and in times of trouble, it has provided refuge and comfort for God’s people. It is fitting, therefore, that we should take our leave of this dedicated house thankfully, respectfully, and devotedly. We are mindful of the tender association which previous generations and we have had in this hallowed place. It has served well our holy religion. In this moment we lift up our hearts in thanksgiving for this common store of memory.”

Then the Bible was closed and removed from the pulpit along with the sacramental vessels. The congregation processed from the building and Pastor Tome closed and locked the doors. The large crowd of people then proceeded to the new church and participated in the Order for Laying the Cornerstone of a Church.

The dedication of the new building took place the next Sunday, November 1, 1981. The presiding minister for the morning service was Reverend William DeHass. Reverend Jack Stouffer, Assistant to the Bishop, Metropolitan New York Synod, L.C.A., delivered the sermon. Greetings and remarks were offered by Reverend Charles L. Lady, Assistant to the Bishop, Central Pennsylvania Synod, L.C.A. A total of 190 people attended the service. The afternoon celebration service consisted of greetings form those who could not attend, readings, hymns, and special musical selections. A reception followed the service. A total of 250 people attended the afternoon service.

During the following years the congregation continued to improve the new facility with the addition of a steeple, a freestanding bell tower, air conditioning, landscaping, and blacktopping. And they held a “burning of the Mortgage Ceremony” on January 23, 1983. Most importantly though, the congregation was growing and in 1990, the decision was made to break away from the Greater Bedford Lutheran Parish and form a parish with Bortz Lutheran Church in Cumberland Valley. Pastor John Timm was called to serve this new parish.

Pastor Timm left in 1994 and Vicar David L. Wright served the parish for two years. In 1996 the two churches extended a call to Vicar Wright, and he was ordained in February 1996. Reverend Wright served the parish until August 2002.

In the fall of 2002, Reverend Michael VanDyke was assigned to the church as supervising minister while Sister Anna Mary Renfrew served as worship leader. In 2004 Reverend Thomas Ekstrand took over the supervisory duties while Sister Anna Mary continued preaching until her retirement in the spring of 2005.

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Endnote (Bicentennial Event)
November 20, 2005—a day to mark 200 years as a community of faith! A day to remember our heritage as we look to our future. One has to wonder what those hardy German Lutherans, who gathered for communion that first time 200 years ago, would think of us. Perhaps they would be pleased.

All “histories” must end somewhere, but that doesn’t mean history stops being made. It might be easy for us, as a congregation, to sit back and enjoy our accomplishments, but we are constantly called to do Christ’s work—to spread the Gospel, to serve the poor, to minister to the sick. So, as we look forward to our third century and prepare for the struggles that will surely come, we praise and thank God for our ancestors who struggled to make a new beginning in a new land and who remained true to their faith. Let us step into the future as one people, united in our faith and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

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Sources
Carney, Rev. W. H. Bruce. History of the Allegheny Evangilical Lutheran Synod of Pennsylvania. The Lutheran Publication Society, 1918.

Garbrick, Winona, ed. The Kernel of Greatness. Bedford County Heritage Commission. Bedford, PA, 1971.

History of Bedford, Somerset, and Fulton Counties. Waterman, Watkins and Co., Chicago, 1884.

Lybarger, Donald Fisher. History of the Lybarger Family. Lybarger Memorial Association. Trenton, NJ, 1988.

Minutes of Council and Congregational Meetings of Lybarger Lutheran Church. Madley, PA, 1805-1981.

Parish Development in the Bedford District. Central Pennsylvania Synod, 1965.

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Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church

Madley, Pennsylvania