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From: "Cheryl Taney-Sandstrom" <>
Subject: Re: [PACHESTE] Re: E VIncent Church
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 13:54:52 -0400


The Reform Congregation at Pike's Town: A Union church with the Lutherans at
Zion's

In 1748 Rev. John Philip Leydich after being commissioned by the Synod of
Holland arrived in Philadelphia and was installed as pastor of Falkner Swamp
and Providence Reform Churches (Providence being Trappe, Montgomery County
Pennsylvania.) After settling into these churches he began to visit the
reformers in Pike's town, or as he and Henry Mulenberg called it, "the
congregation across the Schulykill".
In 1751 a Conrad Steiner was called to serve this congregation, and in 1753
John Leydich was appointed by the Coetus. John Leydich's salary that year
was 40 pounds paid by all three churches and 10 pounds from the Synod in
Holland.

The author who wrote a brief history of E. Vincent within Pastor's and
People may not have had this information available to him as he states,
"Except for a brief period in 1750, there were no union churches in Chester
county until 1793." Obviously, with the Union church in Pike's town who were
worshipping at Zion's there is clear evidence that Union churches were in
existence during this stated time period.

Thought I'd share this information with whoever is interested, and
challenage the rest of you with thoughts of how easily it is, to have
history re-written.

Cheryl


Conrad Steiner called to serve the Pikes Town congregation in 1751
Rev. John Philip Leydich Pastored Faulkner Swamp 1748-1765
Pastored Pike town then East
Vincent once organized 1753-1783
Rev. Nicolas Pomp Pastored East Vincent 1765-1784
Rev. Fredick Dallicker Pastored East Vincent 1784-1799 (serving only 9
months at East Vincent)


Pike town congregation worshipping at Zion's consisted of Lutheran's and
Reformer's
The reformer's of this Union church later departed to established East
Vincent Reform
The Lutheran's stayed and the church is now called Zion's Lutheran.
Some Lutheran's later departed Zion's to establish Pikeland Lutheran now
known as St. Peter's Lutheran
on the western end of the orginal township of Pikeland.


__________________________________________________________________
Charles Glatfelter's book 'Pastors and People' Vol 1, pub 1980, has this
about E Vincent Church:

This Reformed congregation in E Vincent township began as part of a
joint effort with the Lutherans in 1750.
In 1/1751, Henry M Muhlenberg (Lutheran) wrote that, across the
Schuylkill, things had 'progressed to the point where, with God's help,
the Lutherans and Reformed together, have built their first joint
schoolhouse and secured a competent schoolmaster... the school is making
good progress and the schoolhouse is used for devine services both by us
and by the Reformed.' Either by then or sometime soon thereafter, a
Reformed congregation was organized. Its existence in 1753 is evident
from the minutes of the rival coetus of that year, which directed Philip
Leydich and Conrad Steiner to supply 'the Congregation across the
Schuylkill'.
Within a few years, the Reformed decided that they were strong enough
to leave the union church and have their own facilities. They moved
about a mile to the south, where Philip Leydich dedicated the first
Vincent church on May 27, 1758. About the same time he began the first
register. As was the custom, he entered baptisms which had been
performed earlier, in this case several in the 1740's. These baptisms
do not establish the existence of a congregation at that time.
The Vincent pastors in the 18th century also served at Falkner Swamp.
These were: Philip Leydick (1753-1765), Nicholas Pomp (1765-1783) and
Frederick Delliker (1784-1799). All three were dependable members of
the coetus who had long pastorates. Pomp's tenure was interrupted in
1776-1778 by the pastorate of the irregular John Wickel.
The congregation is East Vincent United Church of Christ, about three
and one-half miles west of Phoenixville on Route 23.

Glatfelter also prefaces his information about Chester County by stating
that when the Germans began to move westward from Philadelphia in the
1720s most of the land in Chester county was already claimed, much of it
by the Quakers. As a result, there are few German churches in colonial
Chester county and most were in the northern townships of the county.
None were very far 'across the Schuylkill' from New Hanover (Falkner
Swamp) and Providence in Montgomery county. For many years pastors
there either served Chester county themselves or assumed responsibility
for their welfare. Except for a brief period in 1750, there were no
union churches in Chester county until 1793. There is a memorial
monument in the Vincent graveyard for 22 soldiers who died of fever in
the spring of 1778 and were buried there. The German churches in
Chester county were in the war zone of the British occupation of Phila
in 1777-78 and were used for military purposes: Brownbach's (Coventry)
Reformed from 1740's, Neiss's (now St Peter's in Warwick Twp) formed
officially not until abt 1816 but referred to in 1788 and thought to be
named after son-in-law of Leydich, John Neiss), Pikeland (Lutheran) in
West Pikeland) formed abt 1771; and Pikestown in East Pikeland -
Lutheran) formed abt 1750 - congregation is Zion in Spring City.

Not much else in the Glatfelter book for Chester Co. Reformed/Lutheran
church history.


Diana
searching for RITTER, NEUKIRCH/NIEKIRK/ NEWKIRK, DeTURK, BERTOLET,
YODER, MOHR/MOORE, KERST, GELBACH, in Berks Co;
SAVAGE, LANDIS, JONES, DUGAN in Chester Co
SAVAGE, MORGAN, PALMER, EVANS in Philadelphia Co PA
HODGSON, DEAN in TN
DEAN, HANEY, WILLIAMS in AL, TN
DEAN, RIPPEE in MO
SAVAGE, LACEY, MOHR in KS, AZ and OR


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