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ABOUT OUR COVER
As Spring approaches, the air grows warmer, the silent trees begin to show signs of
life as buds form at their tips, and the grass flourishes with deep green color. Spring
is powerful time of the year for both the body and the mind. This time of year also
reminds us of rebirth in Jesus. Christ has offered spiritual spring in our lives - a chance
at new life. God’s grace has offered people a chance to enter into a new life; a chance
to sprout buds and flourish again. This spring, let us all be reminded of the wonderful
thing Jesus has done for all of mankind through His death and resurrection.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22
Celebrate today the new life we have been given. Once we were dead, but now we
live again. Praise God for the wonderful hope of spring!
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P
erkiomen Seminary was founded by Dr. Clement
Weiser, Charles Wieand and his wife, Leonora
in 1875. Dr. Weiser was the minister of the New
Goshenhoppen Reformed Church, located near
Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, and the original inspiration
for the school. Charles Wieand was a neighbor, a descendant
Schwenkfelder, and member of Dr. Weiser’s Reformed Church.
He married Leonora Sell in 1874 and together they purchased a
tract of land in Pennsburg. They built a “stately Victorian structure“,
moved in and began the school in 1875. Wieand taught most of
the classes with help from both his wife and Dr. Weiser.
The school had financial difficulties from the start and after
the Wieands lost three of their five children to diphtheria during a
Christmas recess in 1883, the school was closed. Several owners
tried to revitalize the school, but all failed and by 1888 the school
was closed and the building unoccupied (except by tramps and
vagrants). The building deteriorated and by 1891 the area became
an eyesore for the community.
Our Schwenkfelder ancestors were always seemingly interested
in education and more than a few were considered well-educated.
Most were able to sign the Pledge of Allegiance to the King in
1734 in a day when most immigrants merely made their “mark”
(X). What few possessions our Schwenkfelder immigrants could
bring with them from Saxony consisted greatly of books and
manuscripts (many of which reside in the Schwenkfelder Library
and Heritage Center today). In 1764 immigrant Schwenkfelders
began a process which led to home schooling in both the upper
and lower district (Palm and Central today). They adopted a
preamble which included three principles which were to carry
through to the 21st century. The schools were to be controlled by
the Schwenkfelders, open to outsiders and instruction was to be
religious but non-sectarian.
The schools likely reached their highest significance and
influence in 1790 when a school on the current day Hosensack
property was opened and called the Hosensack Academy. After
Pennsylvania enacted a public school ordinance in 1834, the
need for the schools diminished and by 1840 the Schwenkfelder
schooling apparently went out of existence.
Schwenkfelders have had an ongoing connection with
public education. Howard Kriebel dedicated a full chapter
to secular education among the Schwenkfelders in his
book The Schwenkfelders in Pennsylvania published
by the Pennsylvania German Society in 1904. Kriebel
devoted 19 pages that tell of the articles of agreement for a
Schwenkfelder sponsored school in 1764. He concludes
the chapter with the opening of Perkiomen Seminary in the
fall of 1892 under the principalship of Rev. Oscar Schultz
Kriebel.
It was addressed again in September, 1943 with the
publication of Vol. I, No. 3 issue of Schwenkfeldiana
and titled Schwenckfelder Schools and Education. This
was published by The Schwenkfelder Church. The four
articles in the 85 page booklet begin with the History of
Schwenkfelder Schools; followed by Records of the
Schwenkfelder schools from 1764 to 1842;then a focus
on the Hosensack Academy; and finally covering the
Perkiomen Seminary, which was changed to Perkiomen
School in 1916. As the 100 year anniversary of that name
change approaches, it seems proper to look back at
the history of the long time association of the Perkiomen
School with the Schwenkfelder Church.
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Kriebel Hall in the early 1900’s
Courtesy of The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.
During the latter half of the 19th century, the Schwenkfelders entered
a period that has been described by some as the Schwenkfelder
Renaissance. In 1862 they began a project that culminated in the
erection of the Viehweg monument in Silesia, Germany in 1863.
In 1879 a Genealogy Record Book was printed. In 1884 the
Schwenkfelders began a massive project which ended over 75
years later with the printing of 19 volumes of Caspar Schwenckfeld’s
writings. The Philadelphia, Norristown and Lansdale mission
churches were brought to fruition. Several Schwenkfelder women
were sponsored as missionaries to China. Frederick The Great of
Prussia’s original invitation written in 1742 inviting the Schwenkfelders
now residing in Pennsylvania back to Silesia was retrieved. The
Schwenkfelders began collecting and storing their artifacts and
treasures. Schwenckfeld’s original Bible was discovered, purchased
and made part of that collection. (Today that collection is stored and
maintained at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.) It was
during this time period the Schwenkfelders embarked on a project
which became the modern Perkiomen School.
In the 1880’s interest developed among some of the Schwenkfelders
in establishing a school beyond the eighth grade public school provided
by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At about the same time the
upper district (Palm) was realizing that their aging pastor was going
to need to be replaced. Oscar Kriebel, a descendant Schwenkelder
from the upper district was identified by his cousin Howard Kriebel, as
a possible candidate for both the looming pastoral vacancy and as
a possible leader of a proposed new school headed and run by the
Schwenkfelders. A delegation of Schwenkfelders approached Oscar
Kriebel who was attending Oberlin College at the time. He apparently
found the idea intriguing with perhaps a fair amount of coaxing from
his older cousin Howard. With this acceptance, Howard Kriebel and
others with like-minded thoughts of establishing a school in the Upper
Perkiomen Valley approached the Schwenkfelder General Conference
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in October, 1891 with this idea. Conference, possibly invigorated
by the enthusiasm and success of other progressive projects,
authorized a committee of Howard Kriebel, Edwin Schultz, Frank
Schultz, Daniel Meschter, Charles Anders, William Anders and Aaron
Snyder to investigate the possibilities. This committee discovered the
vacant building in Pennsburg and surveyed the possibilities. After
appropriate deliberation and approval by the General Conference,
Dr. Oscar S. Kriebel
Courtesy of The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.
Carnegie Library
Kriebel Hall
Courtesy of The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.
Courtesy of The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.
they arranged to purchase the property and install Oscar Kreibel as its
first headmaster. The same three principles earlier established in the
opening of school in the 18th century were again incorporated into the
Charter of this new school. In addition because of the numerous other
failures experienced on that site, the Charter for the school contained
a provision that in the event that the school failed, any residual funds
were to be returned to the Schwenkfelders. The school was to be
governed by a Board composed of 2/3’s Schwenkfelder nominees
and 1/3 from the community. Furthermore, any changes to the Charter
or By-laws of the School were to be approved by the Schwenkfelder
Conference prior to their becoming effective. The Charter was then
filed with the Orphan’s Court of Pennsylvania. Thus, began in 1892,
the Perkiomen Seminary (later changed to Perkiomen School) under
the guidance and leadership of descendant Schwenkfelders.
The School rose like the proverbial Phoenix from the ashes of
previous failed attempts. First and foremost it succeeded because
of the exceptional and dynamic leadership of Dr. Oscar Kriebel
who served as its first headmaster for 40 years. It became his life’s
work. One example will show both his dedication and his success in
guiding the school Dr. Kriebel had apparently met Andrew Carnegie
some time in the 1890’s. Now serving as headmaster of Perkiomen
Seminary and recognizing both Carnegie’s philanthropic nature and
the need for a school library, he wrote in 1903 to Carnegie requesting
Carnegie’s financial support for a library. Although ignored initially, he
persisted in this request until one day in 1907 he received a reply
which included these words from Carnegie’s secretary. ”I have tried
in a number of letters to point out to you that Mr. Carnegie does not
include Seminaries. However, you are very persevering, if not to say
persistent, in pressing your claim on Mr. Carnegie’s attention, and it
seems particularly deserving.” Carnegie pledged $20,000 to build
the library if the Seminary in turn would raise an equal amount as an
endowment for the library and also pay off its existing debt of nearly
$30,000. After five years of persuasion of church and community
leaders along with requests to alumni and any other potential
supporters that Dr. Kriebel knew, he succeed in raising not only the
endowment required but also the money necessary to pay off the
Seminary’s debt which was nearly $40,000 at that point. The Carnegie
Library was built during 1913 and was dedicated in November of that
year.
The second major reason for the School’s success was the
constant, faithful help of the Schwenkfelders. Initially they cleaned,
repaired and painted the dilapidated building. They continued to
maintain the building until the first janitor was hired in 1903. They
taught at the school. They sent their children to the school. Early
records include significant numbers of Schwenkfelder names such
as Schultz, Kriebel, Anders, Meschter, Becthel, Hoffman, Berky, Bieler
and Heebner. The four longest serving ministers (Harvey Heebner,
Levi Hoffman, Robert Gottshall and Lester Kriebel) of the early
20th century all attended the school. Additionally these and other
Schwenkfelders supported the school financially. One Schwenkfelder
(Edwin K. Schultz) offered to mortgage his home to help build a
new building in the 1890’s. Throughout most of the 20th century
the Schwenkfelders maintained a steadfast support of the School
while serving on the Board, as the School’s Officers and in many
leadership roles. Descendant Schwenkfelders Andy Berky and Jack
Rothenberger served as Headmasters.
The School continued to thrive throughout much of the 20th century
while weathering various forces outside of their control (four wars, the
Great Depression, periods of double digit inflation, escalating school
costs and various societal changes). By the 1980’s, however, the
slow evolution which had taken place over the years quickened and
the historic relationship between the School and the Schwenkfelders
began to demonstrate faults in its structure.
For more information on the Perkiomen School and the
Schwenkfelders from 1892 to the 1980’s see the following:
Twentieth Century Schwenkfelders A Narrative History by W. Kyrel
Meschter and Perkiomen: Here’s To You A Centennial History of
Perkiomen School by William Baker
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T
he Iron Collar is the English title of a translation of the
German novel called Die Schwenkfelder. The book
was written originally by Fedor Sommer, a Silesian
school teacher interested in local history, and
first published in 1911. The translation, prepared
by Andrew S. Berky, was published in 1956. Sommer’s book, a
historical romance, was perhaps the earliest modern account of the
Schwenkfelders during the time of the Jesuit mission in Harpersdorf,
Silesia, written for the general public.
This article about the novel began in the winter issue of The
Schwenkfeldian. This second part focuses on some historical
aspects of the novel and then explores its major theme.
Interpretation
Fact and Fiction
As a novel, Die Schwenckfelder is best characterized as historical
fiction, written by an author who grew up and lived in the area
where the story takes place. The novel is a skillful blend of actual
history and informed imagination. All of the main characters are
actual persons as well as many of the less significant characters.
Many of the events are also true, at least at their core. Interestingly,
the story seems to become more and more fictional as it proceeds.
In his “Foreword” to The Iron Collar Berky wrote:
By and large, everything that transpires on these pages
did occur at the time and place indicated. Neither are the
personalities fictitious and the various roles ascribed to
them in this book are fairly accurate. There has been some
transposition of names – the real-life prophetess was Anna
Meschter and not Susanna Fliegner. It was Friedrich Wagner
who took the oath at the gallows and Melchior Meschter did
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not abandon the brotherhood prior to migration. Apart from
this, there are certain incidents which may not have had a
basis in fact, but the main episodes did – the women were
forced to stand in stocks, the village and the church were
razed by fire, the baptismal angel was rescued and some of
the men perished in the dungeons (pg. v).
There are several types of facts in the story: places, chronology,
and people. Facts of chronology and place can be dealt with
easily, but there are so many major and minor characters in the
story that only a very few can be discussed.
Any Silesian from the southwestern part of the country reading
the novel would recognize all of the many places, large and
small, mentioned by name in the story, including Heiliger Berg,
Spitzberg, Gröditzberg, Church and Court Tavern (Kirch- und
Gerichtskretscham).
The story opens with a small group of Schwenkfelders returning to Harpersdorf from Liegnitz. Most of the story takes place
in Harpersdorf; Armenruh is mentioned. The Jesuit missionary
Milan occupied a house in Harpersdorf while Regent, the other
missionary, resided in Langneundorf. Major cities mentioned are
Vienna and Wittenberg. Nearby Silesian towns are Goldberg, Jauer, Wiesa, Breslau, and villages are Zobten, Pilgramsdorf, Haynau,
and Probsthayn. Herrnhut, where the Schwenkfelders were given
asylum, is also mentioned.
Ostensibly the time frame for the story is 1718 – 1726. Events
proceed chronologically, and the sequence of historical events is
true. There are problems, however, with some events especially
toward the end of the novel. The earliest historical event in the story
that can be dated is the summons in 1718 for the Schwenkfelders
to appear in Liegnitz to answer questions about their faith. The
tale ends with the mass departure of Schwenkfelders for a refuge
on the estate of Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf. Historically, the
earliest Schwenkfelders appeared in Herrnhut in small groups at
the end of December 1725 and in January and February 1726.
Yet some events beyond 1726 are mentioned. For
example, most of the action in chapter twenty-seven – crucial
for the outcome of the story – is set in the chapel that Regent
had built using fines paid by the Schwenkfelders, even though
historically the chapel was not consecrated until 1734, long after
Title Page of Schwenkfelder 1718 Confession
Courtesy of The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.
the Schwenkfelders
had left Harpersdorf.
The novel’s last chapter,
a sort of epilogue, is an extreme
telescoping of time. It opens with Regent’s
return from Liegnitz and his discovery of the
Schwenkfelders’ departure from Harpersdorf in 1726.
The death of Charles VI (1740) is mentioned a few lines
later. This allows Sommer to bring up the subsequent fate of
Silesia and highlight Frederick II’s 1742 Edict of Tolerance for the
Schwenkfelders.
All of the major characters in the story are actual historic figures.
These are (Johann) Samuel Neander (1680–1759), the Lutheran
pastor; George Hauptmann (1634–1722), the Schwenkfelder
spiritual leader; Berthold (Hans Georg) Hauptmann (dates
unknown); Johann Milan ( b.1662), the older Jesuit priest; Karl
Xaver Regent (1689–1752), the younger Jesuit priest; Frau von
Schweinichen (Susanne Marie Leonora (dates unknown)), lady
of the manor in Lower Harpersdorf; and Herr von Braun (Ernst
Conrad von Braun (1675–1727)) owner of Armenruh, Upper
Harpersdorf, and Upper Langneundorf. Each of these characters
plays a significant role throughout the novel. Although these are
authentic historical personages, very little is known about most of
them. Sommer used the historical information, but in nearly every
case had to create every attribute and action of the person. Only
George Hauptmann and Samuel Neander will be discussed here.
George Hauptmann was a momentous Schwenkfelder spiritual
leader at the time of the story. Actually, however, he died on
January 18, 1722, a few years before the historical exodus of the
Schwenkfelders from Silesia. There seems to have been a lack of
leadership after his death up to the time when the Schwenkfelders
were preparing for their migration to Pennsylvania when George
Weiss (1687–1740) officially became spiritual leader. Weiss was a
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signatory of the Schwenkfelder 1718 confession of faith. Balthasar
Hoffmann (1687–1775), who followed Weiss as leader in 1740,
was a delegate to the Imperial Court in Vienna during the time
of the novel. The historical George Hauptmann, however, fit the
theme of religious tolerance much better than Weiss or Hoffmann.
As fictional as it may seem, Hauptmann did actually marry a nonGerman, a Mohammedan, who had converted to Lutheranism.
His six children, with the exception of a daughter Maria, seem all to
have been Lutherans. Indeed, it is possible that Hauptmann himself
had converted from Lutheranism to Schwenkfeldianism, but he
evidently did not force his children to become Schwenkfelders. All
other aspects of this character were created by Sommer.
and interactions with Berthold Hauptmann, a sister, arranging
for refuge and transportation for the Schwenkfelders, to mention
just a few. In spite of the dearth of information about Neander,
Sommer elevated him to a very prominent character in his novel.
Fictive events invented by Sommer occurs toward the end of the
novel when two climactic episodes of great tension and suspense
take place. The chapel, of course, served as a sanctuary, but its
immunity was violated by Lutherans on May 15, 1733. Sommer
places three Schwenkfelders into this melee, which is untrue.
Actually, there is no record or oral tradition of the second episode,
i.e., the gallows scene where the reader learns of Susanna
Fliegner dying in prison and of the Schwenkfelders Kaspar Yeakel
and Heinrich Wagner being sentenced to death for fighting with
Regent in the chapel and receiving last minute clemency. Most
unexpected, this clemency was the result of a petition for mercy
by Regent.
Tolerance
Portrait of Johan Samuel Neander
Courtesy of The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.
Little is known about the historical Lutheran minister Neander.
He was born in 1680 in Frankfurt an der Oder. From 1709
until his death in 1759 he served as pastor of the Harpersdorf
church. It is known that he complained to authorities about
the Schwenkfelders’ absence from his church and their lack
of participation in communion and baptism, which eventually
brought the mission to Harpersdorf. He punished a woman who
had recently given birth by putting her in the stocks. He buried
the Schwenkfelders in the church cemetery, and he rescued the
wooden baptismal angel from the church fire. Virtually everything
else in Sommer’s novel about Neander is fictitious: his friendship
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The central theme of Fedor Sommer’s novel is religious
tolerance or perhaps more appropriately – intolerance. The
tensions between groups and between individuals create
conflicts which lead to aggravations, if not physical altercations.
The major conflict is, of course, between the Schwenkfelders
and the Jesuit mission, but the author explores several other
conflicts resulting from religious intolerance. Sommer depicts
intolerance arising from self-interest, indifference, or ignorance;
he shows how empathy or true, abiding love, especially Christian
love, can surmount intolerance. Sommer shows how groups and
individuals can evolve from intolerance to a degree of tolerance,
even full tolerance – or not. But this evolution must come from
within and cannot be imposed successfully from the outside.
While many episodes in the novel illustrate intolerance and
tolerance, just four will be used to exemplify Sommer’s treatment
of this theme.
The degree of religious tolerance (or intolerance) exhibited by
the Lutherans and Schwenkfelders for one another is quickly
outlined. These two groups have lived together in the same
village for at least a generation, if not longer. On the surface
they seem to get along very well, at least as long as they do not
intrude on one another’s space. The relationship between these
two groups would seem to be one of indifference or disinterest.
The vignette featuring a young man called Gletsch is a
powerful depiction of pseudo-tolerance – a tolerance that stems
simply from self-interest. This young man has changed religions
twice hoping to obtain more work as an organ builder. Regent
wants a church for his Catholic parishioners, but the only one he
can find is located in the district of Provost Johannes Friedrich
Anders of Zobten. One day Gletsch and Anders meet by chance
in the empty church. Gletsch is there to take measurements
for the organ Regent has hired him to build. Trying to maintain
his authority over this church building, Anders asserts himself
Title Page of Edict of Tolerance
Courtesy of The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.
and orders Gletsch to leave. A tense standoff ensues, resulting
finally in fisticuffs between the clergyman and the young man, so
intense is their intolerance for each other.
Another example of tolerance due to self-interest is the mention
of Friedrich II’s edict at the end of the novel. Yes, Friedrich declares
tolerance for the Schwenkfelders almost immediately after his
takeover of Silesia, but his motive is not really in the interest of
the Schwenkfelders, but in his own economic interest for Silesia.
The last example illustrates how petulant intolerance can
turn into altruistic tolerance. At the start of this novel Neander
is cast as a most intolerant, unpleasant, and notorious Lutheran
clergyman. The reader first meets him indirectly. Berthold
Hauptmann tells his father and a small group of Schwenkfelder
men returning to the village after a trip to Liegnitz that Neander
had put Martha Wagner, a Schwenkfelder woman who had just
recently given birth, into a pillory because she had not brought
the infant to him for baptism. Next, in a soliloquy, Neander speaks
with great pride and in amorous terms about his church building,
yet never mentions his Lutheran parishioners. For many years he
has been trying unsuccessfully to force the Schwenkfelders to
attend church and participate in the rituals. His complaints to the
Lutheran authorities finally reach the ears of the imperial officials
and thus a mission to convert the Schwenkfelders to Catholicism
is established. The imperial orders ban anyone from hindering the
mission in any way.
When seventy Schwenkfelders join the Lutheran church,
this action is interpreted by the missionaries as subversive and
Neander is fined. Neander is in trouble again with the mission
when, at Martha Wagner’s request, he clandestinely enables and
presides at her father’s midnight funeral in the church graveyard.
By order of the mission Wagner should not have been buried in
sanctified ground and so is disinterred and buried in the Viehweg.
Neander is now more cautious, but does not realize that adding
a third bell to the restored church steeple would be a problem.
But the Peace of Westphalia had forbidden church bells and now
he is not only fined a great amount of money, but also loses his
parish and is essentially defrocked since this is his third offense.
Prior to the bell incident was the church fire calamity. The
building Neander loves so much, along with many other buildings
and homes in Harpersdorf, is destroyed by fire. Neander,
Lady Schweinichen, and many villagers, both Lutheran and
Schwenkfelder, try desperately to put out the fire. Neander
is surprised to find himself in a bucket brigade next to Kaspar
Yeakel. Once Neander sees that the structure cannot be saved,
he rushes inside to save whatever he can get his hands on. On
his last trip inside he attempts to save the baptismal angel. Lady
Schweinichen is worried when he does not appear again and
sends men in to rescue him. At last Neander is dragged out by
Schwenkfelder Kaspar Yeakel and the angel is in the clutches
of Schwenkfelder Heinrich Wagner. This is the turning point in
Neander’s intolerance toward the Schwenkfelders.
Over time Neander has been gradually becoming more tolerant
of these people. He no longer works assiduously to subdue
them, but rather to assist them. Through fellow pastor Schwedler
in Wiesa he is aware of Zinzendorf’s refuge and personally sees
to the Schwenkfelders’ safe arrival in Herrnhut. At the very
end of the last chapter, with reference to Frederick II’s Edict of
Tolerance for the Schwenkfelders, Neander “pondered about
what he should preach now that at last, at last, magnanimous
tolerance had again opened the way back to his beloved pulpit”.
This understanding of what had happened to him finally dawned
on him and he says: “If God will re-instate me into my ministry the
text of my first sermon shall be: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee; for
my strength is made perfect in weakness!” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Neander’s tolerance came, in the end, not from self-interest nor
from indifference, but from awakening spiritual love.
In Die Schwenckfelder Fedor Sommer brings to the reader
a fictionalized account of a small piece of history from his
homeland. Most of the characters and events are historically
true. He has used this setting to reveal how religious intolerance
can take on many forms between groups and individuals, within
families, and toward strangers. More importantly he shows how
utter intolerance can change into unselfish tolerance through
Christian love.
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M
any Schwenkfelders know that there is a connection between
the Moravians and Schwenkfelders but are not clear what it
is. In September 1944, the fourth issue of Schwenckfeldiana
was published. The subject matter was The Schwenkfelders
and the Moravians in both Saxony and Pennsylvania, including
accounts about Ludwig Zinzendorf and Augustus Spangenberg. The theme is a
development of a paper entitled “The Schwenckfelders and the Count von Zinzendorf
Two Hundred Years Ago,” and presented at the Memorial Day Services (Gedächtnistag)
at the Palm Schwenkfelder Church, September 24, 1942.
The Moravian Church, or ‘Unitas Fratum,’ belongs to the historic churches of Christendom.
It began in the year 1457 in Bohemia with the followers of John Hus (1369-1415). Hus was a reformer
from the University of Prague who owed much of his religious enlightenment to the writings of John Wycliffe (1331
– 1384). His followers were persecuted and while some were pacified by concessions from the church, others split off and
developed congregations in Bohemia and beyond. The name adopted was ‘Unitas Fratum,’ or the ‘Church of the Brotherhood.’
By the year 1500, they had over 200 congregations and 35 years later, it was thriving with more than 200,000 members. As the church
expanded it came to include three separate branches in Bohemia, Moravia, and Poland. They, like the Schwenkfelders, suffered persecution
over much of the 16th and 17th centuries.
A small pocket of fugitives in 1722 found their way from the Bohemian border to the estate of a young nobleman, Count Nicholas Ludwig
von Zinzendorf in Herrnhut. They were soon joined by others from Bohemia, and with a number of German Pietists, formed themselves into
a society similar to the Lutheran church. They insisted they were not Lutherans. They belonged to a much older church and insisted upon
its re-establishment.
Zinzendorf was opposed to this group at first but after reading the writings of John Amos Comenius, a bishop of the church, Zinzendorf
learned what the history of the ‘Unitas’ had been, how glorious its past, how evangelical its doctrine, how strict its discipline, how firm its faith
and steadfastness under suffering, that he became a convert.
The little community at Hernnhut increased in spite of the banishment of Zinzendorf by order of the Saxon government, on the ground of
his having introduced unauthorized “religious novelties,” and of teaching false doctrine. It is easy to see the parallels with the followers of
Caspar Schwenckfeld.
The Moravians as they came to be known established
the concept of sending missionaries to foreign lands
to educate and convert the natives. They first sent
their Moravian Brethern to the Caribbean island of
St. Thomas and then to Greenland followed by other
colonies in South and North America. They later
spread into Persia, Ceylon, Egypt, Algiers, Denmark,
and Holland. Peter Boehler visited England in 1738
and became the means of the spiritual enlightenment
of John Wesley. In America the Church was based in
Bethlehem, PA and Salem, NC.
The Schwenkfelders had thought of going to
Pennsylvania before they left Silesia but they were
unable to sell their land to pay for the journey because
the Catholics disallowed any sale of property. Adam
Wiegner raised the concern about the hazards of
Zinzendorf Portrait and Title Page to Biography
the trip and possible danger with Indians living in
From the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center Collection
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America. They wrote to the Mennonites in Holland, who were slow to
respond, on possible refuge. On December 24, 1725 they received
acceptance to relocate in Berthelsdorf on the estate of Count Ludwig
von Zinzendorf in Saxony.
Harpersdorf and the surrounding communities inhabited by the
small band of Schwenkfelders lay in Silesia which was ruled by the
Habsburg Empire based in Vienna. The border with the Prussian
Empire lay on the west side of the Oder River and Saxony was in
Prussian territory. The town of Görlitz was just over the boundary
on the Oder River and Herrnhut and Berthelsdorf lay beyond. The
exodus on foot began in 1725 with a steady stream of refugees
coming to Berthelsdorf.
Zinzendorf also welcomed the Bohemians who were forced to depart
their homeland for similar reasons as the Schwenkfelders.
For a group as small in number as the Schwenkfelders were, it is
amazing that they generated so much interest by the rulers in
Saxony, namely the King of Poland and the Elector of Saxony. On
July 17, 1732, Zinzendorf was requested by letter to account for the
Schwenkfelders who had settled in the area of Berthelsdorf. He was
to identify where they lived, what they were doing, their number and
behavior. Zinzendorf’s lengthy response apparently still exists, as it
appeared in the Schwenkfeldiana copy. The four attachments to the
letter with detailed information were not in existence.
Zinzendorf notes that the Schwenkfelders were model citizens,
paid their financial obligations, obeyed the laws, worked diligently,
offended no one and generally kept to themselves. He went on to
say that they didn’t deserve the treatment they received in Silesia and
it was only natural that they would seek relief from the persecution
brought down upon them. Count Ludwig Zinzendorf said that
some of them accepted the ways of the Catholics, others remained
silent with their convictions, and the rest departed to Görlitz and
other points in Saxony, predominantly in the area of Herrnhut and
Berthelsdorf. The missing account sheets gave a breakdown of where
the Schwenkfelder families were and even accounted for George
Schultz as living in Pennsylvania. Zinzendorf goes on to say that the
Schwenkfelders seem to be singled out for persecution, when others
in similar fashion receive no special attention from the ruling parties.
The Jesuits were provoked over their failure to convert the
Schwenkfelders to the Catholic faith. The Moravians had renounced
the Roman faith, too. Even Count Zinzendorf became a persona non
grata to the Court and was banished from Saxony from 1736-1748.
The Schwenkfelders in Saxony were given a year to return to Silesia.
Zinzendorf had been negotiating on behalf of the Schwenkfelders and
Moravians with England for both to relocate in the colony of Georgia
in America. Two letters to Zinzendorf exist from what appears to be a
Schwenkfelder committee response, asking detailed questions as to
what obligations they would incur in going to Georgia. England was
anxious to have their southern border populated but the Count could
not meet the requirements the Schwenkfelders desired. It should
be noted that the Schwenkfelders had sent a couple to Holland and
an individual to Pennsylvania who likely reported back what they
found. They concluded that Pennsylvania would better meet their
needs and so began the process of packing up and moving again.
Moving across the Atlantic Ocean would be a far greater task than
their escape from Silesia.
Some Moravians were also on the move. They first settled in
Georgia about 1735 but within five years, George Whitefield led a
group to Nazareth, PA before relocating to Bethlehem in 1741. The
Pennsylvania Moravians now provided the means for Schwenkfelders
to write to their families still in Saxony and Silesia as well as transferring
money to those who had stayed behind.
It is well documented that Christopher Schultz kept a diary of the
journey to Pennsylvania. It is lesser known that another Schwenkfelder,
Christopher Wiegner also wrote a journal of his travels. Wiegner
travelled in the companionship of two other men, George Boenish
and Christopher Baus. All three were offered by the Moravians to
be “spiritual guides” to the Schwenkfelders, who felt they were quite
able to travel without the trio’s services. The three tagged along with
the 1734 group, boarding the St. Andrew in Rotterdam. Wiegner
continued his connection with the Moravians in Pennsylvania,
specifically, August Spangenberg and Ludwig Zinzendorf.
Count Zinzendorf was intent on bringing the Pennsylvania
Schwenkfelders into the Moravian fold. After his representatives failed
to make inroads, he and his daughter arrived in America in 1741 and
made their way to the Schwenkfelder settlement outside Philadelphia.
George Weiss, the original minister to the Schwenkfelders, had died
the previous year and Balthasar Hoffman now had the leadership role.
The Schwenkfeldiana publication goes into extensive detail on the
discussions between the two leaders but the essence is that the two
could not come to a common purpose. In the end Zinzendorf left
the colony, to the relief of the Schwenkfelders who were happy with
Hoffman’s leadership.
The two foremost leaders of the Moravians in the early
18th century were Count Ludwig Zinzendorf and Augustus
Spangenberg. Brief biographies of both of them appear on the
pages of the special Schwenkfeldiana issue. Both are worthy of
reading to understand how the plight of the Moravians paralleled
that of the Schwenkfelders.
The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center stays in contact with
the Moravians in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Herrnhut, Germany.
Heritage tour groups typically visit Herrnhut and nearby Berthelsdorf
as the bond between the two religions continues to this day.
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I
was called to Palm Schwenkfelder Church as pastor
in 2007. It is truly humbling to recognize the impact
this congregation has made upon me, fostering an
ever deepening love of sacred music, broadening
my understanding and practice of communion, and
inspiring an interest in my own family history and story. In
2014, having completed six years with the congregation, I
was presented with the opportunity to take a sabbatical. I give
great thanks for all of our Deacons, the many pastors who
served on-call while I was away, and those who led worship
here at Palm in my absence. I also express my gratitude for
this very congregation who not only allowed me to have this
experience, but whose passion for their own ancestors of faith
and history inspired its focus: to explore the life and ministry of
my great-grandfather, one of my ancestors of faith.
On May 25th, Memorial Sunday, 2014, I participated in my last
worship service at Palm Schwenkfelder Church before beginning
my very first sabbatical in fifteen years of pastoral ministry. That
time apart kicked off with our Memorial Sunday observance and
a delightful pig roast for my 40th birthday. Interestingly, in the
Scriptural foundation of sabbath keeping from Exodus we read:
Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days
you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a
sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—
you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your
livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days
the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in
them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blesed
the sabbath day and consecrated it. (Exodus 20:8-11)
The purpose for remembering the sabbath is rooted in the story
of Creation and a time of rest. A few chapters later in Exodus we
read of the sabbatical year
For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield;
but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that
the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild
animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard,
and with your olive orchard.
For six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh
day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may have
relief, and your home-born slave and the resident alien may
be refreshed. Be attentive to all that I have said to you. Do not
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invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on
your lips. (Exodus 23:10-13)
A time of worship and rest, or sabbath, is critical to the creative
process in our lives as well as in Scripture. Eugene Peterson in
his book The Pastor: A Memoir defines sabbath simply as “pray
and play.” When I read that last summer, my own understanding
of sabbath and sabbatical was transformed. The truth is that I am
at my best when I am engaging in life and ministry with a sense
of play, specifically embracing each moment and what I do as an
opportunity to express joy and caring. The truth is that I am also
at my best when I am taking intentional time to pray, to be in the
presence of God, and recognize living as an act of worship.
My friend and colleague, Rev. Joe Motz, made what I felt was a
profound statement in the midst of sharing during a prayer group
one day. In describing why he attended the celebration of life
service for Rev. Bob Koenig, he said that he went to be “immersed
in the life of another.” Before I had even started my sabbatical, Joe
managed to sum up my hopes and desires for it in six words.
Immersing ourselves in the life of another is a familiar concept
to disciples of Jesus Christ, or at least it should be. The two
sacraments of the Protestant tradition at their core invite us to
remember and to share in Christ’s life, death and resurrection. In
baptism we are born of water and the Spirit and claimed as child of
God, disciple of Christ, and member of the church. In communion
we gather again at the table of Christ to know the bread blessed
and broken, the cup poured, and the Church transformed into the
body of Christ. In these sacraments we do not lose our identity or
individuality, rather we find it and it redefines who we are.
It is a great irony of Christianity, that the more we immerse
ourselves in the life of Christ, the more we find our true selves
in the midst of God’s gracious love and kingdom. I guess that
I should not be surprised that in a culture that tells us “It is all
about you” over and over again, that the traditions and heritage
of our faith, that tell us “It is not about you” and “It is not all about
you” grow unpopular or seem archaic. But in the Christian faith
we are invited into so much more than our own little worlds of
self-preoccupation. We are to immerse ourselves in the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to bask in the very splendor of
God. We are vessels of the Holy Spirit, children of God, sisters
and brothers in Christ. We are the baptized in communion with
the Almighty, the redeemed living by grace. And it is that reality
Wedding photo of John and Sallie Peeler - 1907
Photo provided by Steve Peeler
which grounds our hope, lifts us beyond the chaos and grieving
that surround us, and leads us deeper into the waters of faith,
throughout our history, through these present moments, and into
God’s new day.
From May 26th to August 20th, I immersed myself in the life
and ministry of my great-grandfather, The Rev. Dr. John C. Peeler.
I never met him, since he died when my mother, Marjorie (Coffey)
Pence was a young girl, but stories from my grandmother and
colleagues in ministry who knew him greeted me at every stage
of my calling and ordination process. In her later years, after I
had experienced my own call to ordained ministry, my maternal
grandmother, Charlotte (Peeler) Coffey would share with me
repeatedly these quotes and stories of her father:
“In every congregation, half the people think you can walk on
water… and the other half wish to God you would try.”
“You know that it is time to go, when everybody wants
you to stay.”
And my favorite story from Granny was when Rev. Peeler was
serving a four point charge in Davidson County. John’s wife Sallie
would go to the first service and then head home to begin work on
lunch for her large family. Papaw would comment to his wife that
people at the other congregations would like to see her in worship
as well, to which my great grandmother responded: “If you think I
want to sit through the same sermon three times, you are kidding
yourself!”
Before being called to ministry, John taught school. He married
his wife Sallie in 1907, and the following year they lost their
first child. Following that loss, though, came the birth of twelve
children over the next 22 years. When I first began planning my
sabbatical, there were still three of his children surviving. Sadly,
my great aunt Betty (Peeler) Bryan, his youngest, passed away in
April before I had the chance to interview her, but what resulted
was the opportunity to connect with her daughter Jeanne and
other grandchildren and hear their memories, as well as prompting
separate branches of this large family tree to be back in touch with
one another. I was delighted to speak with his son, Jim Peeler,
and hear about family life for the Peeler clan, as well as stories of
cleaning the pews before services since he was the pastor’s son.
In his speech and humor he reminded me so much of my maternal
grandmother it was almost like speaking with her again. Jim is
now the last surviving child of John and Sallie Peeler, with my great
aunt, Sarah (Peeler) Bracewell passing away in December. I was
honored to share some of my research into the Peeler clan with
her pastor, which was included in the service celebrating her life.
In 1913, my great-grandfather enrolled in Catawba College,
then located in my hometown of Newton, was ordained in the
Reformed Church, which in 1934 merged to form the Evangelical
and Reformed Church, and began serving as pastor of the
Catawba Charge, consisting of three congregations, TrinitySt. John’s in Conover, Bethany in Claremont and Smyrna in
Catawba. His next call was to Lower Davidson Charge with four
congregations, including Hedrick’s Grove, Beck’s, New Jerusalem
and Mt. Tabor. During the Great Depression he served at Zion’s in
Lenoir, the home congregation of my grandparents, Charlotte and
Carson Coffey. To help make ends meet during those lean years
he also sold shoes in the local department store.
Rev. Peeler served as the Director of Public Relations and Dean
of Men at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. An article in the
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Reformed Standard quotes, “There probably was never a more
respected staff member at Catawba than was Dr. Peeler. He
specifically was assigned there as director of public relations and
as dean of men for some ten years. Yet the assignments which he
undertook beyond his official duties were those which found their
abiding in places in the hearts of those around him. He knew the
needs and problems of young people and he recognized that they
had to be met and solved. His office always was open to those
students needing him, and they never left his counseling but that
the light was brighter, the path straighter, the trouble less severe.
He said often that he never found a student who didn’t want to do
that which is right; it merely took a listening and understanding ear
to help him discover it for himself.”
Rev. Peeler’s final call was to the Boone Station Charge,
consisting of St. Mark’s and Brightwood. After five years, St.
Mark’s would call him as their sole pastor, but he would also
supply at Brick Church during a period of transition in their ministry.
In 1951, my great-grandfather was given an honorary doctorate
from Catawba College, for his service to the Church and school.
John and Sallie Peeler with their 12 children after receiving
honorary doctorate degree. Children (L to R) front row: Sara,
Becky, Sallie (mother), John (father), Mary and Willie. The back row
is Carroll, J. C., Margaret, Jim, Charlotte, Leidy, Lois, and Betty.
Photo provided by Steve Peeler
My great-grandfather was a church builder in his pastorates,
an organizer for the next stages in congregational life. He served
those many congregations from his ordination in 1913 till his death
from ALS in 1957. Even though I was looking back at a ministry
which started over a century ago, I was delighted to encounter
people whose parents had their weddings officiated by Rev.
Peeler, and even children of those who had been named after him.
Growing up in North Carolina, I would encounter the name of
John C. Peeler frequently. As I experienced my own call to the
pastorate, it was not a connection that I particularly sought to use
to my advantage, or that I would feel led to learn more about until
later in my own spiritual journey. Exploring the life and ministry of
my great-grandfather was an opportunity to get out of my own life
and focus, and in learning about another to examine myself from a
distance, to return to my origins, and to hear again the call of God
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in Jesus Christ to ministry.
In my great-grandfather’s obituary the following observation
was made: “He knew the road to many a home where trouble and
sorrow had entered and he bore the sufferings of his people upon
his own heart. He gave himself without stint or measure, wearing
himself out in service for others.” Even 57 years from his death,
with 86 years between our ordinations and having never even met,
that line expressed poignantly the deeper connection that I believe
is shared between us. My sabbatical, while focused on exploring
the life and ministry of one of my ancestors, led to personal
discoveries, realizations of self and renewal. The thing which
stunned me most while on sabbatical was how much I missed not
only preaching, but the pastoral role itself. It is my calling as Pastor
which continues to ground me in my faith, provides the creative
outlet I need, and helps me to balance my life.
Exploring our past I believe allows us to gain a deeper
understanding of ourselves. It provides a context and backstory
for our own journey, and offers lessons of value and significance.
But the greatest gift in wanting to learn about the past for me was
found in embracing the continued call of Jesus Christ today with
renewed commitment.
My sabbatical in 2014 provided me with more time with my
three children than I have ever had, it changed the way I perceive
and practice sabbath. It saw me returning to the congregations
which I had known, grown up in and served in the days before my
ordination, and witnessed a renewed sense of calling to pastoral
ministry. These three months allowed me to travel throughout
North Carolina, spending time with family members whom I knew
only by name and have them share their memories of their father
and grandfather. It opened the door for discussions and reflection
and connections that hadn’t been made in years. This sabbatical
provided me with time to reflect on 15 years of ordained ministry
and to consider what lies ahead, but more than all of that it
reminded me that I am a pastor, and that is truly a blessing.
I invite you as well, to explore your own past, to discover and
hear those voices and stories from your origins, to immerse
yourself in the life of another, that we might all embrace God’s
calling in Jesus Christ with a renewed faith.
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to
equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the
body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure
of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children,
tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine,
by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.
But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way
into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole
body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which
it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes
the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
(Ephesians 4:11-16)
CENTRAL
All Church News: GAIN (Global
Aid Network) held a food packaging
event in Fellowship Hall, at which
time 200 participants helped package
40,000 rice and bean meals to be
shipped to hungry and sick people
suffering from Ebola in West Africa.
This all-church mission project not
only helped enhance the relationships
within the church family, but gave us
an opportunity to share the gospel
message of love and salvation with
those in other countries who have been
suffering and in need of food and the
message of God’s love. This turned
out to be a very successful project and,
hopefully, one to be repeated in the
future.
The annual pork supper was held
in March, with two seatings available.
Following each seating, there was
a short service of music and a
presentation on human trafficking.
The Lenten Luncheon Bible Series
again took place on Wednesdays,
through March 25th. In addition to the
Bible Study and discussions at these
luncheons, a 24-hour prayer vigil was
held, beginning on Friday, March 27th
through Saturday, March 28th. This
provided a time for everyone to reflect
and prepare for the last week of Lent
and commemorate the days before
Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
Unfortunately, the weather did not
permit the annual sharing of the Easter
Story at Freddy Hill Farms.
The Annual Women’s Retreat
weekend was held in March at which
time the attendees had the wonderful
opportunity to hear Beth Moore. Linda
McKinley has, for many years, been
using the Beth Moore Bible Studies
for her Small Groups. This opportunity
to hear Beth Moore in person was the
ultimate experience for the women
who have enjoyed and learned from
her many wonderful studies.
Women’s Christian Fellowship
(WCF): The ladies of the church had
their annual spring fundraiser, affording
them an opportunity to join together
for breakfast and an opportunity to
exchange some “nearly new” items.
Youth:
All youth groups had
numerous activities scheduled during
the winter months.
Wired/Crave
groups held another Bake-off and
attended a winter ski retreat at Three
Springs Farm. Scott Smith, from the
Philadelphia Project was the featured
speaker. Among other scheduled
activities, they held a Super Bowl party
at the Community Center.
Awana kept busy with weekly Bible
studies and a school supply mission
project for GAIN. They also had a
“crazy hair night”. Awana is open to
all kindergarten through 5th graders
and meets at the Central Community
Center.
Music Program: A highlight of the
Central Schwenkfelder
Olivet-Schwenkfelder
United Church of Christ
Palm Schwenkfelder
211 Valley Forge Rd., Lansdale, PA 19446
610-584-4480
www.centralschwenkfelder.com
Worship: 9:00 a.m., 11:15 a.m.
Church School: 10:00 a.m.
619 Township Line Rd., Norristown, PA 19403
610-539-7444 • www.osuccpa.com
Worship: 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m.
Church School: 9:00 a.m.
P.O. Box 66, Palm, PA 18070
215-679-5321
www.palmschwenkfelder.com
Worship: 10:15 a.m.
Church School: 9:00 a.m.
Spring 2015
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season was the cantata, “Footprints
in the Sand” that was presented in
February. The cantata followed Christ’s
journey to the cross and beyond, and
featured the Chancel Choir, organist,
Ben Modica, pianist, Karen Dix and
narrators, Gary Dix and David McKinley.
The Chancel Bell Choir members
participated in the Alliance of Christian
Musicians’ 10th Anniversary Handbell
Festival at Cairn University in Langhorne
in March. The Festival clinician was
Fred Gramann, Music Director and
Organist at the American Church in
Paris, France.
OLIVET
The month of December at Olivet-Schwenkfelder Church began with
members of our choir ushering in the
holiday season by participating in the
United Schwenkfelder Choir Concert
on December 7th at Central Schwenkfelder Church. Olivet hosted its own
Community Christmas Concert on
December 14th with our own Meghan
Williams headlining the evening that
filled the air with the joyous sounds of
the Christmas season.
Earlier on the 14th, the youth of
our church (and the young at heart)
presented the Annual Sunday School
Pageant. Under the direction of Doug
& Cheryl Emerson, Gregory Briggs,
Alex Nyce and Aaron Nyce delighted
the congregation with a journey to
Bethlehem. Special thanks also go
out to Sheila Tornetta and Bill Hallman
for their help with the pageant. Also
on the 14th, we completed our
December Mission Project for the
Bethany Children’s Home by collecting
age appropriate gifts for the current
residents of the home. We took time
out of our busy season to offer comfort
through poetry, scriptures and singing
to those struggling with the holiday
season with our annual Blue Christmas
service on December 17th.
Our Christmas Eve Candlelight
Service was a musical event filled with
terrific music from our choir, the bell
choir and soloist Meghan Williams. As
we did last season, we continued the
Christmas Mitten Tree tradition from our
time on George Street in Norristown,
collecting 75 warm weather items
for local children in need. The church
also generously provided items for our
“adopted” family, the Almanza’s, from
Chester County Migrant Ministries for
the holiday season.
We said our goodbyes to 2014 with
a Service of Carols on the 28th.
We opened 2015 quietly as our
Mission and Benevolence Committee
focused on collecting items for the
Norristown
Ministries
Hospitality
Center, a day home in Norristown for
those in need of such things as meals
or spiritual guidance. We also resumed
our monthly Taizé services on Sunday,
January 11th.
In February, Youth Serve kicked off the
month with the annual “Souper Bowl of
Caring” after the worship service on the
1st. Attendees were treated to a hot,
delicious bowl of homemade vegetable
or homemade chicken noodle soup
prepared by the youth (Gregory Briggs,
Alex Nyce and Aaron Nyce). Anyone
attending was asked to bring a canned
good for donation. A good will offering
was also taken. All totaled, the youth
collected over $200 and nearly 40
canned goods for Interfaith.
Our Annual Congregational Meeting
took place on February 8th. We
gathered after the 10 a.m. service
for a light lunch to break bread and
discuss the matters of the church.
Unfortunately, the inclement weather
in February forced us to reschedule
our annual Family Bowling Night at
Facenda-Whitaker Lanes. We look
forward to having that event in the
springtime when the chances of ice
and snow are less.
The Mission and Benevolence
Committee spent the month of
February focused on the Interfaith
Food Cupboard in Norristown. We
helped restock the shelves with food
and also donated gently used clothing
to the Interfaith’s clothing ministry.
Schwenkfelder Missionary
2010 Reed St.
Philadelphia, PA 19146
215-334-4658
Worship: 10:45 a.m.
Church School: 9:30 a.m.
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Schwenkfelder Library
& Heritage Center
Schwenckfeld Manor–
Advanced Living Communities
105 Seminary St., Pennsburg, PA 18073
215-679-3103
www.schwenkfelder.com
Mon.: Closed • Tues., Wed., Fri.: 9–4
Thurs.: 9–8 • Sat.: 10–3 • Sun.: 1–4
1290 Allentown Rd.
Lansdale, PA 19446
215-362-0227
www.advancedlivingcommunities.org
Office Hours: Mon.–Fri. 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
The Lenten Season came early this
season with Ash Wednesday occurring
on February 18th. Members gathered
at Wentz’s UCC church in Skippack
before hosting the second Lenten
Service on the 25th. The worship
service featured a sermon from the
Reverend Michael Evans.
The month of February ended with
a Flapjack Fundraiser hosted by the
Lil’ Angels at the Applebee’s in East
Norriton on February 28th. Members
who attended reported that pancakes
were delicious and everyone had a
great time.
We began March by springing
forward into Daylight Savings time and
kicking off our March Mission Project
of health and cleaning kits for Project
HOPE. Items like hand soap and paper
towels were collected to create these
kits to help the only “full-service” HIV/
AIDS program in Montgomery County.
On March 15th, we collected our
One Great Hour of Sharing offering
which directly supports such things as
food for impoverished communities,
education and health care for those in
need. The Youth Serve hosted a Baked
Ziti Dinner fundraiser on March 21st
that featured a wonderful meal cooked
by the church’s youth. The Women’s
Fellowship began their plan to increase
our daily calorie count as they kicked
off their Easter Candy Sale on March
22nd, offering a box full of homemade
butter cream, coconut or peanut butter
candy for only $5. A better bargain you
will not find anywhere.
As we wound down the month
and headed towards our Easter
Sunday celebrations in April, we
once again partnered with various
Lutheran, Presbyterian and Methodist
congregations across the country by
celebrating Palm Sunday on the 29th
with ecologically friendly Eco-Palms.
PALM
The winter months took Palm for
quite a wet and chilly ride this year.
Pastor Nick provided a sense of
warmth in the midst of that ride by
instigating a noontime “Daily Time of
Prayer Wherever You Are.” This daily
prayer reminder was an invitation to
come in from the cold and join in prayer
with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Pastor Nick’s suggestion provided our
congregation with the impetus to pause
and recognize God’s warming spirit
each day and embrace his presence in
our lives.
To further help distill winter’s chill,
Palm’s Ladies’ Aid shared 75 filled
stockings with Pennsburg Manor and
Norristown State Hospital. Open Link
received mittens, gloves, hats, and
scarves which had decorated the
mitten tree in Palm’s narthex.
Special programs and music lured
folks out of their warm homes to share
in the gift of music, laughter, and Christ’s
love. The youth performed a Christmas
program in which decorations came to
life – each one having its own special
purpose but realizing Jesus is the true
center of Christmas. Our own Senior
Choir Director, Ed Bieler, led the 86th
annual United Schwenkfelder Choir
Concert held at Central Schwenkfelder
Church accompanied by Palm’s
organist, Peg Jacob. Barb Master
bundled up some of Palm’s youth,
organized a quick lunch, and drove
to Central to ensure they were able
to experience what has become a
warm holiday tradition uniting various
congregations. Finally, Palm’s Senior
Choir shared a Christmas Eve Cantata
that incorporated scripture, narration,
and favorite carols. The congregation
became part of the cantata as they
joined in with the familiar tunes. The
sounds of Christmas spread like a
warm blanket over the congregation
binding our church family during the
celebration of Jesus’ birth.
Lee Schultz, along with Bill and Sallie
Wright provided a unique Christmas
surprise by creating an exhibit featuring
a Schwenkfelder Christmas Tree at the
Reading Railroad Heritage Museum.
The tree was decorated with cookie
cutters accompanied by a showcase
containing German cookies and
information about Schwenkfelders.
Anyone who visited the museum
would have been drawn to the illusion
of a warm, freshly baked cookie as an
invitation to stop and savor the season.
As the chill of winter continued to
wear many of us down, the Palm
youth rose up. They gathered for fun,
laughter, and snow tubing at Bear
Creek Mountain. However, on a more
serious note, a Venturing Silver Award
Court of Honor ceremony was held at
Palm for Whitney Leh. Venturing is a
youth development program of the Boy
Scouts of America for young men and
women. The Venturing Silver Award is
the pinnacle of the Venturing program.
It focuses on leadership, ethics, and
emergency preparedness providing a
pathway for personal development.
Slipping and sliding our way into
February, we hit the Super Bowl. Palm
took advantage of a memorable day in
sports to sponsor a Super Bowl Food
Drive of non-perishable food items
and monetary donations for Open
Link. The youth sold “super” hoagies
to supplement the youth ministry fund,
and the Ladies’ Aid sold ... “soup.” This
helped both our church organizations
and those who were looking for good
food for the big game.
After the game came to an end,
Palm’s hearts turned to Valentine’s Day
wishes. Cards and treats were sent
out to some of our members, young
and old, who, for various reasons, are
unable to join us for our regular worship
services.
Finally, our winter ride began to
change direction as we opened
our doors to our neighbors for the
Community Lenten Service at the end
of February. No matter how cold the
temperature is outside our doors, once
a member or visitor enters Palm, the
welcome will be warm and inviting.
Spring 2015
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MARRIAGES
MEDINA – GERY – Adam Medina to Salli Jo Gery on December
GIBBONS - Pamela F. (Rowe), age 55, wife of Bryan F. Gibbons of
13, 2014 at Palm Schwenkfelder Church. (Palm)
Palm, November 30, 2014. Services December 6, 2014; interment
ROTHENBERGER – LONG – Brandon Rothenberger to Courtney
at Palm Schwenkfelder Cemetery. (Palm)
Long on January 17, 2015 at Central Schwenkfelder Church. (Central)
HARTMAN - Robert, age 84, husband of Orlea (Wanamaker)
SONDER – VAN VLACK – Scott Sonder to Marie Van Vlack on
Hartman of Fleetwood, December 4, 2014. Services December
September 13, 2014 at Union Jacks Inn, Oley, PA. (Olivet)
13, 2014 in Oley; interment private. (Palm)
HITMAN - George W., age 81, husband of Anna May Hitman
of Conway, SC, formerly of Norristown, PA, January 11, 2015.
BIRTHS
COLVIN – Davis Patrick, son of Daniel and Justine Colvin,
Services January 16, 2015; interment private. (Central)
February 28, 2015. (Central)
KUMPF - Roseann (Insull), age 80, wife of Robert E. Kumpf, of
HERNANDEZ – Gabriel Keith, son of Eddie and Brittany (Stitt)
New Hampshire, formerly of Norristown, PA, January 23, 2015.
Hernandez, December 5, 2014. (Palm)
Services were private; interment at Garden of Memories of
KIPP – Elijah James, son of James Donald and Amie Roberta
Worcester. (Central)
Kipp, September 16, 2014. (Central)
SCHULTZ – Clark F., age 73, husband of Judith A. (Wilcox)
LINSINBIGLER – Faithann Marie, daughter of Ken and Sarah
Schultz, of Boyertown, October 13, 2014. Services November 5,
(Badman) Linsinbigler, December 27, 2014. (Palm)
2014; interment at Palm Schwenkfelder Cemetery. (Palm)
SHENKLE – Gabriel Joseph and Isaac Benjamin, twin sons of
STULL – Leslie C., age 64, husband of the late Susan (Gilbert)
Amanda Grace Shenkle, January 24, 2015. (Central)
Stull, of New Columbia, December 29, 2014. Services January 3,
2015 in Milton, PA; interment at Palm Schwenkfelder Cemetery.
(Palm)
BAPTISMS
ZABOROWSKI – – Madison Megan, daughter of Ken and Kelly
(Stauffer) Zaborowski, November 30, 2014. (Palm)
WICKERSHAM - Judith (Attwill), age 68, wife of Paul Wickersham,
of Worcester, December 28, 2014. Services January 3, 2015;
interment at Garden of Memories of Worcester. (Central)
WILLIAMS - Harding G., age 85, husband of Joan (Yerger)
DEATHS
Williams, of Worcester formerly of Lansdale, March 20, 2015.
ENGLISH - Steven G., age 66, husband of Dale English, of
Services April 10, 2015; interment at Garden of Memories of
Worcester, January 10, 2015. Services January 16, 2015 in North
Worcester. (Central)
Wales. (Central)
FAUNCE - Robert E., age 79, husband of Judith (Bower) Faunce
of Bluffton, SC, formerly of Skippack Township, January 8, 2015.
Services January 24, 2015; interment private. (Central)
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The Schwenkfeldian
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Spring 2015
75 YEARS AGO (1940)
Palm Church was extremely busy with many groups meeting. On
December 3rd the 11th Annual Advent Party was held with nearly 200
in attendance. Many songs were sung and violin and piano music
was provided. The entire service was held in candlelight. The evening
even had German cookies, such as springerli butter stollen and
pfeffernussen provided. February 29th provided an opportunity for the
Young Peoples Division to hold a Leap Year Party.
At the Worcester Church more than 200 friends and members of
the Ladies Aid Society of the Central Church attended the 2nd Annual
Achievement Day. On display were many hand made items. December
17th saw the pageant “Watchers on the Hills” presented. The Annual
Spring District Conference was held at Worcester on February 17th.
At Towamencin December 24th a pageant “The Christmas Present”
was given. On February 5th, some members of Christian Endeavor
attended a service at the Seaman’s Institute. A song service was led
by Robert Krauss.
At Lansdale the Young People’s Society presented a play entitled,
“Christmas Reaches Bethany” on December 25th. The Young Men’s
Class had a very successful time. First their bowling team won the first
half championship in their league. They received a bulletin board which
was placed in the auditorium. The annual banquet for the Upper North
Penn branch of CE was held on the third at the church.
50 YEARS AGO (1965)
The Christmas season is always a busy time and so it was 50
years ago for the Schwenkfelder family. Central presented “The
Birthday of a King” pageant while at Palm the pageant “How Great
a Gift” was presented. Cantatas were performed, Lansdale had
“The Infant Jesus” and Palm had “Night of Miracles.”
At Central they had a home mission theme, “Spanish American”
and the world theme “The Church’s Mission Among New Nations.”
A number of speakers were present at Sunday evening meetings.
Lansdale held their annual congregational meeting on January
27th. On February 14th, The Youth Fellowship conducted a vesper
service. They were joined by a group of young people from the
Philadelphia Church.
At the Annual Congregational Meeting at the Norristown Church
they voted to have Associate Membership with the United Church
of Christ.
Palm Church celebrated New Years Eve with a night watch
special for the young folks. The Annual District Conference was
held and election of Officers was held.
The Philadelphia Church with the help of the Palm Church and the
Presbyterian Church of Hartsville was able to celebrate Christmas
with more than 250 people from the area. They also distributed
over a thousand pounds of used and new clothing during the past
year.
The face of Perkiomen School was in for changes. The Board
of Trustees proposed the construction of a swimming pool, field
house, and gymnasium. Contracts were signed. Mr. and Mrs.
Walter Hollenbach gave a very generous contribution for the project.
At Central, the Board of Trustees reported that the mortgage
taken out in 1951 was completely paid off.
25 YEARS AGO (1990)
The United Schwenkfelder Choir started the Christmas season on
December 3rd. This year’s concert featured a harpist/trumpet duo. The
choir was led by Edward Bieler of Palm Church. The various churches
held cantatas. At Central “Noel, Jesus is Born” was presented.
Lansdale presented, “This Holy Child”.
Many more activities took place. At Lansdale cookies were baked
and distributed to local nursing homes. They also had a “mitten tree”
with hand knit items being distributed to New Life Family Services
and Interfaith Community Service. The church held its annual
“housecleaning” making the church shine.
Norristown had a children’s Christmas program. Poinsettias and fruit
baskets were delivered to shut ins and sick. Ruth Sheets became the
first from their church to become a full time minister.
Members from Central went caroling and distributed cookies to
those visited. In January the Senior Highs went to HATCO for a retreat.
On January 7th, Palm had installation of officers followed by a
luncheon. Some of the church youth went on a hiking trip to Bake
Oven Knob.
10 YEARS AGO (2005)
The 76th United Schwenkfelder Choir concert was presented on
December 5th.
At Central the newly formed Praise Team sang “Let Your Glory Fall”
.With the Lenten season starting early February many special events
were held. A weekly luncheon series started with discussions being led
by Rev. Karen Gallagher, Dr. Drake Williams, and Rev David McKinley.
Holy week services wee held with a number of special musical
presentations. On Easter morning, organist, Donald Eby, the Chancel
Bells Choir, the Brasswind Choir, and the Celebration Brass group
provided music.
The Youth at Olivet Schwenkfelder made vegetable soup and sold it
on Souper Bowl Sunday. Profits went to Souper Bowl for Caring which
help local and national food pantries. The youth also had a baked ziti
dinner. Various Lenten services took pace. On February 27th, an
Ordination Service was held for JoEllen Mauger who will be serving a
the new Associate Minister.
Palm held a Christmas cantata on Christmas Eve. Luminaires
provided an extra festive atmosphere. Both Boy Scout and Girl Scout
Sundays had unforgettable services. All felt that these service let them
know that the youth of the time are just fine. Bob Croll, Nicole Luz,
and Dan weber traveled to Haiti where they did construction jobs, told
stories to the children, and taught Bible stories. Lenten services were
held with other community churches. An Eastern Dawn service was
held.
At the Schwenkfelder Missionary Church a pre-Christmas
Community dinner was held. The Angel Tree organization made it
possible for a number of children to have a happier Christmas than
they would have otherwise.
Spring 2015
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