The Women's Home Missionary Society was renamed the "Women's Society of Christian Service" following the merger of the three Methodist denominations. The "WSCS", as it was called, met on Tuesday, December 9, 1941 in the Biederwolf Room at the church. Pearl Harbor had been bombed only two days before. On Monday, December 8th, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan. Germany had declared war on the United States that very day. While the emotions and sentiments are not recorded in recording secretary Katherine Hassler's notes of the meeting, one could well imagine the conversations that took place that night.

The women sang Christmas hymns, collected an offering and resolved to send cards to all the shut-ins. Officers for the new year were nominated and voted in. A drama was presented by Mrs. Victor McKelvey and her committee and Mrs. Carroll Wagner sang, "Sleep Holy Babe." The women of the WSCS also voted to send Christmas packages to all the men of the church already serving in the armed forces. Of course, the war was the talk of the evening and it would occupy the congregation and community for the next three and one half years.

Waynesboro's homes emptied of men and boys volunteering or being drafted for the military services. In all, over 130 men and at least 6 women from the Methodist Church of Waynesboro served in the military during the Second World War. Six of her sons were killed in action. They are: N. Diffenderfer, Charles Engle, Joseph A. Gunder, Lt. Glenn R. Henicle, Robert Resseguie, and L. Shindledecker. Their names appear on the plaque honoring our soldiers at the Church Street entrance.

As representatives of the Western Union Telegraph Company knocked on the doors where the families of these fallen heroes lived, the pastor and members of the church gathered near to provide comfort and care. This took place not only in the homes of church members, but wherever this sad news came calling in the community.

Meanwhile children, teens and adults wrote letters to the men and women serving overseas. Moneys were raised to provide aid to refugees. Scrap metal was collected for recycling and sacrifices were made by everybody for the common good. Some church members staffed USO canteens, such as the ones at Ft. Ritchie and at Letterkenny Army Depot.

Items for "ditty bags" for the soldiers were collected, put together and shipped out to troops on a regular basis. They contained items such as a handkerchief, a bar of soap, a pencil, a can of peanuts, hard candy, a roll of Lifesavers and personal notes from those who packed the items. Church members also baked cookies by the dozens and sent them to where the young men of the church were in training to share with their fellows. Each year Christmas boxes were made and shipped to the men of the community serving in the Army, Navy, Marines and Army Air Force. Those who received these gifts were surely encouraged and cheered on in their long and dangerous tasks.

Meanwhile, the women of the church and community alike took the places of their husbands, sons and brothers in the shops and factories. They worked long hours at hard work at the Landis Tool Company and the Landis Machine shop, at the Frick Company and at Fairchild Aircraft in Hagerstown and in dozens of other factories and businesses in the community. Each Sunday, the congregation gathered faithfully in prayer and worship with their families, led by the Rev. Bart Crites, experienced a commonality of fellowship and purpose as never before.

At last in May and then in August of 1945, the long years of war were over and the boys, now men, began to come home. Waynesboro and the world had changed and would continue to change. The years that followed would become a time of growth and renewed service to God and neighbor at the Methodist church of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.