Early History and Expansion 2018-2020 Re-commitment process
1835 CAMP MEETING July 15 2018 RE-COMMITMENT SUNDAY
1850 FIRST CHURCH BUILDING completed Following through on God’s Dream…
1881 SECOND CHURCH BUILDING completed INTERIOR MINISTRY DEVELOPMENT
1907 BETHLEHEM SANCTUARY completed PARKING RENOVATION
1969 EDUCATION WING EXPANSION completed DEBT ELIMINATION
CURRENT EXPANSION PHASE 1 COMPLETED
2000-2013 LISTENING PROCESS
DREAMING PHASE PHASE 2: Eventual Renovation
2014 VISION PROCESS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF PHASE 1...
2014 PLANNING PROCESS CELEBRATION of DEBT ELIMINATION
PHASE 1: Expansion process begins LISTENING PROCESS
June 7 2015 COMMITMENT SUNDAY
RENOVATION of older portions of the building
Nov 15 2015 CONGREGATIONAL VOTE
2016 - 2017 BUILDING PROCESS
Oct 22 2017 DEDICATION SUNDAY
The history of Bethlehem Church is closely intertwined with the beginning of the United Brethren Church of America.
A camp meeting was held in Lewis Hartman's grove southwest of Dallastown on August of 1827.
The first seeds were planted for the origin of our church.
At first, the church was United Brethren, then Evangelical United Brethren.
According to Conference records, our church was organized as a class in 1838, and services were held in homes of various members.
In 1885, a new church was built on the same site as the first, where the Borough Hall stands.
In 1906, Trinity Church held its first tent meeting on the site of the present church.
In 1907, Bethlehem Church broke ground for the present church, across the street from the old church.
There were specific milestones achieved by Bethlehem Church and Trinity Church:
- 1907 - Trinity Church purchased a frame church from Yorkanna, dismantled it and move it to the present location.
- It was rebuilt and encased in brick.
- 1908 - Trinity Church was dedicated.
- 1910 - Bethlehem Church was dedicated.
- 1921 - Bethlehem's tower clock was installed.
- 1946 - Trinity Church started a building fund.
- 1950 - Trinity Church created a plan for a new Sunday school unit.
- 1954 - Bethlehem began work remodeling the adult Sunday school room.
- 1955 - Bethlehem Church had a special ceremony on March 27th to celebrate the Re-Opening and the Re-Dedication of the renovated and enlarged Sunday School Room, Junior, Nursery and Kindergarten Departments, Scout Room and Kitchen.
- 1957 - Trinity Church approved a new addition on March 30th. Ground was broken for this particular job on September 30th.
- 1958 - Trinity Church dedicated the new building the week of September 14th-21st.
- 1969 - Bethlehem laid the cornerstone for the education building.
- 1971 - Bethlehem Church dedicated the education building on January 10th.
This painting is the front piece of the sanctuary of Bethlehem Church. This large 7' x 11' picture was painted by a former pastor, Rev. Dr. C. Guy Stambach (1895-1972), who served this congregation during the late 1940s.
It carries the title: "Come Unto Me", and is a depiction of the famous invitation of Jesus in Matthew 11:28: "Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Pastor Guy, "The Painting Pastor", produced over 330 works during his career,
often rising at 4:30 am to paint, then beginning his pastoral work at 9 am.
The bulk of his pictures may be found in Central Pennsylvania,
and hang in many United Methodist Churches, as well as other denominations across the nation, as far as Washington State.
