History Of First United Methodist Church

Ministers of FUMC

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

64 EAST NORTH STREET, CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA 17013

 

(717) 249-4729

firstumc1@embarqmail.com

UPDATED 12/06/08

1933—1943       F. E. Remaly

1943—1953       J. H. Miller

1953—1959       Clair C. Kreidler

1959—1967       Harry A. Houseal

1967—1971       Robert L. Close

1971—1978       Thomas S. Springman

1978—1983       William F. Woods

1983—1992       Howard A. Kerstetter

1992—1998       Michael V. Minnix

1998—present  John L. Shellenberger, Jr.

At the beginning, meetings were held at the home of Rev. Jacob Boas.  Prior to the Civil War, the Evangelical denomination was asked by local citizens to start a church in Carlisle.  The denomination agreed to start a local Missionary Station and in the spring of 1867, the annual conference took up the appointment as a mission station providing local pastors already in the area to conduct services.  The Missionary Station services were conducted in what is now known as the Old Sentinel Building, located on South Court House Avenue.

 

After the Civil War, twelve members of the Mission Station again requested a church.  The denomination agreed to the request and solicited funds from other denominational churches for purchase of land and building.  The action occurred during August 1866 or earlier.  The land was purchase and building of the initial church is the same area, now part of the Carlisle Post Office. 

The early pastors of the church were:  Revs. J. G. M. Swengel; J. H. Leas; H. B. Hartzler (who later became a famous Bible teacher, a church leader and then one of the bishops); J. M. Ettinger; I. M. Pines; H. A. Stoke; A. H. Irvine; W. H. Croman; George E. Zehner; P. W. Group; John A. Irvine; A. W. Swengel; J. C. Reeser and J. W. Messinger.  The last named minister was appointed in March 1894.  Then an unfortunate break in the denomination developed and the congregation was obliged to abandon its church property under a court order.  Services were held in the Union Fire Company Hall and the church property and building was sold to the Church of God denomination.

A plot of ground on West Louther Street was purchased in 1868 and St. Paul's Evangelical Church was built and dedicated on May 5, 1870. The total cost of the church and lot was approximately $12,000.

 

On April 1, 1896, William Cromleigh, Willis A. Bushey, Daniel Hertzler, Edward A. Lau and J. M. Cooper, trustees of the First United Evangelical Church of Carlisle, Pa., took title to a parcel of ground (60 by 240 feet) on East North Street for $2,000, upon which the present educational building was erected.

Upon selling the building on West Louther Street, property for the First United Methodist Church was purchased on East North Street, which is today its present location.

A dedication service was held on Sunday, January 6, 1897 with Bishop R. Dubs preaching the sermon. The new building and lot cost $10,500. Of this amount, $5,000.00 had been raised before the dedication and the balance was secured during that day. The original building was 51 by 118 feet, tower 12 by 12 feet and 70 feet high. The main room seated 400; and with two other rooms, the combined seating capacity was about 800. The membership was then 275; the congregation having grown from 150 in 1879.

The annual session of the Central Pennsylvania Conference was held in the new church in March 1897, when Rev. M. F. Fosselman succeeded Rev. J. W. Messinger. The great event of this pastorate was a revival in which there were 350 conversions and 247 accessions. Growth of the congregation made it necessary to enlarge the church building in 1916 at a cost of over $16,000, which was liquidated in 1922.  In 1926, expansion for the growing Sunday School was made under the supervision of the late H. A. Lackey, a leading member who also supervised the former expansion. The cost was $31,619.07; payment of which was completed in 1936.

Happily, the unpleasantness of 1894 was healed by the merger of the two Evangelical bodies on October 12, 1922 and this church became "The First Evangelical Church of Carlisle, PA."

The membership of the church in 1939 was 800 and enrollment of the Sunday School was 1,075. The value of all church property was $60,000.

 

In 1943, the Rev. J. H. Miller was appointed the pastor of First Church.  During his pastorate, the "Church of Tomorrow Fund" was started.  In 1949 the McCarthur property adjoining the church was purchased for $8,500 and the house at 156 N. Bedford St. was also bought.

The Church of the United Brethren in Christ and the Evangelical Church shared a common historical and spiritual heritage and the two denominations merged in Johnstown, PA, on November 16, 1946.  Following the merger, this church became the "First Evangelical United Brethren Church of Carlisle, PA."

Rev. Clair C. Kreidler was appointed pastor of First Church in the spring of 1953. In September, the Council of Administration authorized the appointment of a Temporary Committee to secure plans, estimates of costs, and a proposal for financing the building program.

In 1955, several other properties on North Bedford Street were purchased and razed to provide space for the new sanctuary. The membership had now reach 1,150.

On April 28, 1957, the congregation voted to approve the recommendations of the Temporary Committee which included the naming of the following Building Committee:  J. F. Shearer, John Rasp, L. B. LeFever, Samuel Boyer, J. Paul Burkhart, Chester Sheaffer, R. S. Mowery, Norman Shetron, and Rev. Clair C. Kreidler.

On August 18, 1958, a high moment in the life of First Church was reached when the congregation voted unanimously to proceed with the proposed building program at a cost of $615,000.  The building of the new sanctuary and the remodeling of the old structure was completed in 1959.

The Evangelical United Brethren Church united with the Methodist Church to form the United Methodist Church in 1968. In 1984, our local church joined with the denomination in celebrating 200 years of ministry in the Methodist tradition in America.

The First United Methodist Church has actively supported missionaries, obeying our Lords' great commission to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Young people of this congregation have been encouraged to seek Christian vocations; and the church is grateful for the young people who have answered the call.

Evangelism has been another area of deep concern through the years of First Church's history. Various types of evangelistic methods have been successfully employed and precious souls have been won to Christ.

Christian Stewardship has been evidenced in the church over the years. The challenge has been met both locally and in the worldwide mission.

First Church offers many opportunities for service in the church and in the community.  New ministries have emerged such as involvement with the local Soup Kitchen, the Shelter Program and the Food Bank.  Many ways to offer a helping hand and show Christ's love are available.

Over the years, Scouting programs have been encouraged and supported by this congregation.

Always looking for new ways to reach out to help others, the congregation has installed an inclinator to make it easier for some folks to get up and down from Fellowship Hall on the ground floor. Several handicapped parking places have been designated in the parking lot and a ramp was built on the west side of the building to make it easy for those using wheel chairs.

The congregation decided years ago when many churches were moving to the suburbs to stay in downtown Carlisle. Now we are grateful for the saints of the past and present and the way in which God has blessed and used our church to his glory.  We pray that the church will always have a dedicated ministry in which the gospel may come to children, youth and adults of every age.  Christ is the hope of our world, and we, being members of the Body of Christ, are a part of the church in the world today.

First United Methodist Church is proud to celebrate 140 years of effort to implement the plans of God, as directed, to further the teaching and practicing the word of God as reveled in the Holy Bible.

During 2005, multi-media screens and projectors were installed in the Sanctuary to be used for the Christmas Eve service for the first time. 

In 2006, the church’s Fellowship Hall was updated with new ceiling and polished floors.  A new Welcome Center was established which includes a fellowship area of comfortable sofas, chairs, coffee table and end tables with lamps.  The adult Sunday School area was rearranged and new lighting and ceiling fans were added.  Over the summer months, First UMC participated in a ministerial exchange program with United Kingdom.

In 2007, a new nursery was established just off the main Sunday School room called Noah’s Landing.  New curtains were added to Fellowship Hall and the women’s restroom near Fellowship Hall was given a facelift with a fresh coat of paint, new lighting, vanity and curtains.  The outer part of the church office saw a facelift as well.  The office had the ceiling was replaced, new lighting installed and a fresh coat of paint.  The process of replacing one of the church’s two boilers began at the end of the year.

First United Methodist Church

Carlisle, Pennsylvania