The Legacy of S. R. Grabill

Covenant was founded largely due to the faith and commitment of Samuel Rupp Grabill, who was born at Talmage, on August 26, 1851, to Henry and Catharine Rupp Grabill. He was educated in the public schools and at Millersville and Shippensburg State Normal Schools. During his early life he taught school and later edited and published a newspaper in Ohio for a period of two years.

In 1878 Mr. Grabill married Eliza C. Sprecher and moved to Lancaster. In 1880 they opened a grocery store at 56 S. Duke Street, and it was there that Covenant United Brethren Church was organized on April 4, 1884. Several attempts to organize a church in Lancaster had failed prior to this time. The exact date Mr. Grabill became involved in the effort is uncertain, but in "A History of the East Pennsylvania Conference," by Gibble, it states that when the Conference met in York, February 26 - March 3, 1884, S. R. Grabill made an eloquent appeal for approval of a church in Lancaster. After this appeal the conference appropriated funds; and Mr. Grabill became the key figure in organization, purchasing of property, management, program, mission emphasis, and growth of the church.

Mr. Grabill was one of ten charter members of the church, served as Sunday School superintendent for twenty-five years, taught in the church school for more than fifty years, and was a member of the Trustee Board from the organization of the church until his death on May 4, 1933.

A unique legacy of Mr. Grabill is a hand-written history of Covenant Church. In this document he lives again as he lived then, a man of great faith in God and humanity. Although he was an imposing figure in Covenant Church, he was reluctant to accept praise for his work and talked about the work of his associates. A devout Christian, he recognized God's hand in the events of the past, present, and future. In 1931 when Mr. Grabill was honored for his work at Covenant by President Herbert Hoover, he stated he was no more important than many others in the life of this church. Covenant today honors not only S. R. Grabill, but also all the clergy and laity who have so faithfully served their God through the fellowship of Covenant Church.

1836-1870

During these years there were four attempts to establish a United Brethren Church in Lancaster.

1870-1880

The Conference declared it "impossible and impractical" to try to form a church in Lancaster.

1882

March - The Annual Conference appointed a Stationing Committee "to look after Lancaster" and form an organization if deemed advisable. The Rev. J. B. Funk of the New Holland charge and the Rev. M. J. Mumma of the Mountville United Brethren Church were appointed to the Stationing Committee to meet with the Lancaster group to develop a plan of organization.

March 20 - The First Quarterly Conference was held.

1884

February 27 through March 3 there was a joint session of the East Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Conferences held in York, Pennsylvania. At this Conference the Reverend M. J. Mumma was moved to Lancaster as a missionary. A "covenant" was made between the ministers and lay delegates of this Conference "to prosecute this work to a successful termination and kindly receive and help forward any person properly authorized to solicit funds for the successful prosecution of this work." This action was taken in large part because of the eloquent appeal of S. R. Grabill to the Conference to form a United Brethren Church in Lancaster. The Trustee Board authorized the purchase of the Salem Church of God, 328 W. Orange Street. The property was purchased for $3950.00.

April 4 - The Rev. M. J. Mumma called a meeting at the home of S. R. Grabill, Duke and Vine Streets, for the purpose of organizing a United Brethren Class. There were ten charter members. At the same time a Sunday School association was formed and officers were elected.

April 6 - The first session of the Sunday School was held with 28 present.

April 6-25 - Services were held in the lecture room of the church because needed repairs were being made to the sanctuary.

April 25 - The first service was held in the sanctuary. The Rev. Baltzell of Harrisburg led the morning service. The Rev. J. Wesley Etter of Mt. Joy led the evening service.

August 28 - The first Sunday School picnic was held at Rocky Springs Park.

The Mite Society was organized to pay the rent on the parsonage.

1886

The Rev. J. B. Funk was appointed pastor.

1887

February 6 - Bishop Weaver dedicated Covenant Church free of all indebtedness.

February 13 - The Olive Branch Society was formed. This was the year of effective revival services led by the "boy evangelist," Charles Pilgrim, who was just 16 years old.

November 3 - The Women's Missionary Society was begun.

1888

Charles Pilgrim was again here for revivals. Teacher training classes were begun.

1889

February - The Rev. E. L. Hughes was appointed to Covenant. That year the Annual Conference was changed to meet in October. At the October session of Conference Rev. Hughes was reassigned, and the Rev. C. W. Hutzler became the pastor. The property at 354 West Orange Street was purchased for a parsonage.

1892

September - Jubilee Sunday was celebrated, and again Covenant Church was debt free.

1893

The Rev. E. A. G. BossIer was appointed pastor. The Otterbein Mission project started, and Covenant's membership doubled.

1899

The property at 332 West Orange Street was purchased as a second parsonage.

1903

December 29 - Property was purchased for the Otterbein Mission.

1907

The Rev. A. R. Myers was appointed pastor. He was in ill health and died in April, 1908.

1908

C. E. Pilgrim, the evangelist, now 21 years old, came from Michigan as a supply minister. In October the Conference appointed the Rev. I. Moyer Hershey, Myerstown, as pastor.

1909

April 5 - 11 - Covenant celebrated its Quarto-centennial. A building fund was started to finance larger facilities.

During this year the Men's Bible Class was organized, and the Grace Class was started for the ladies.

1911

Dr. C. D. Batdorf was appointed to Covenant Church.

December 10 - The Ladies' Bible Class was organized.

1919

The property at 344 West Orange Street was purchased as a third parsonage. All previous parsonages were kept as investments.

1920

Grace Class merged with the organized Ladies' Class.

Dr. Batdorf left Covenant Church to teach at Bonebrake Seminary and to be pastor of First Church, Dayton, Ohio. He later became Bishop.

The Rev. 0. T. Ehrhart was appointed pastor.

The property on the corner of West Orange and Mulberry Streets was purchased for $34,009.

1925

April 27 - Ground was broken for a new church.

September 6 - The corner stone was laid by the Conference Superintendent at a 2:30 P.M. service.

1926

September 26 - At the close of the morning worship service the congregation of 741 walked across Orange Street from the building at 328 W. Orange to the new building at the corner of Orange and Mulberry Streets.

October 3 - Dedication services were conducted by Bishop William M. Bell. The total cost of the new building was $250,000. But once again Covenant Church was debt free. The congregation had been planning for this day for seventeen years.

December 12 - The three-manual Cassavant Organ was dedicated by the Rev. Dr. G. B. Batdorf.

1929

May 14 - The 3Oth session of the General Conference of the United Brethren Church was held in a ten-day session at Covenant Church.

1935

September 24 - September 27 - The Annual Conference met at Covenant.

1939

The property at 937 West Walnut Street was purchased for a parsonage.

1940

January 12 - A nursery for small children during the church hour was started.

September 12 - A young people's choir was started for those persons who were sixteen years old and older.

1946

January 1 -- The Rev. Blanche C. Lengle, deaconess, became full time church secretary and deaconess at Covenant.

November 16 - A merger with the Evangelical Church was finalized. The church's new name became Covenant Evangelical United Brethren Church.

1949

December 4 - Cathedral Chimes and Vibrachord additions to the organ were dedicated in a special service.

1950

A building fund was started for a new educational wing on the building. The theme was "For Christ, The Church, and the Children."

1951

March 4 - Carillonic Tower Bells were dedicated to Dr. and Mrs. 0. T. Ehrhart.

September 23 -- Dr. 0. T. Ehrhart preached his last sermon as pastor of Covenant Church, completing 31 years of service to the church.

September 30 - The Rev. Harold S. Peiffer conducted his first services at Covenant.

1952

Covenant Echoes became a monthly paper to be sent into every home in the parish and to servicemen. The Rev. Blanche Lengle served as editor.

May - The Mother and Daughter banquet was held for the first time.

July 27 - The groundbreaking ceremony for the educational building was held at 10:45 AM.

1953

May 24 -- The newly completed educational building was dedicated.

May 31 -- The Children's Chapel, a part of the new wing, was dedicated.

August 1 - The Rev. Blanche Lengle left Covenant Church to become associated as Director of Education with Belmont Avenue Church in Dayton, Ohio.

September 13 - The Rev. Joseph Smith, Jr., was introduced to the congregation as the new assistant pastor.

1954

September 26 - The Sanctuary was reopened for public worship bringing to completion the enlargement and improvement program begun in July 1952.

1956

June - Covenant received its 500th new church member in 5 years.

September - the Rev. Joseph Smith, the associate pastor of Covenant Church, left to attend Columbia University in preparation for a degree. The Rev. Edgar D. Wert became associate pastor, and at this time a property at 213 Pearl Street was purchased as a parsonage for the associate pastor.

October - Covenant Church joined with her daughter church, Otterbein Church, to purchase land for a new church, later known as Community Church. On December 2, 1956, the new church was formally organized. A temporary Trustee Board was made up of members and pastors from Covenant and Otterbein Churches.

1957

December - Newly purchased hymnals were dedicated.

1959

April 5 - Covenant's 75th Anniversary Year was celebrated with a walk from the former church building, re-enacting the event that had taken place on September 26, 1926. There was also a pageant and dinner at Otterbein Church.

September 22-24 - Covenant hosted the 160th Annual Session of Eastern Pennsylvania Conference as part of her 75th Anniversary celebration.

October 18 - A mortgage burning service was held. Two mortgages were burned. freeing the church once again of all indebtedness. At the same time, in gratitude for its many blessings, Covenant assumed a project of building a Mission Church in Caba, the Philippines.

1960

March 9 - The Senior Citizens of Covenant Church were formally organized.

1961

The Erisman property to the west of the church property was purchased to provide adequate parking for the church.

1962

"Erisman Doll Hospital," the building on the newly purchased property, was given to Landis Valley Museum by the church.

September 18-20 - At the session of Annual Conference the Rev. Edgar Wert was reassigned, and Warren Hoopes became the assistant pastor with Christian Education responsibilities. The Rev. Dr. Edwin M. Rhoad became the first Minister of Visitation.

October 21 The parking lot and foyer were dedicated.

November 11-18 - Covenant Church shared an evangelistic effort with her sister church at the corner of West Orange and Concord Streets, Bethany Evangelical United Brethren Church.

1963

October 3 - The first rehearsal of Covenant's newly formed Handbell Choir was held. The Choir was initially composed of boys who were encouraged to join the handbell choir at the time their voices were changing.

1966

January 1 - The WSWS and the Ladies' Aid Society merged.

At the session of Annual Conference the Rev. Warren Hoopes, Jr., was reassigned to Lebanon, and the Rev. M. Melvin Hough was assigned as assistant pastor.

October 30 - A new manse at 35 Wilson Drive was dedicated. The Pearl Street manse had been sold to help pay for the Wilson Drive property. The Walnut Street manse was retained for use by the associate pastor, and the senior pastor moved to Wilson Drive.

1968

April 21 - The Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church merged in Dallas, Texas. Covenant became known as Covenant United Methodist Church.

1969

June 1 - The Reverend M. Melvin Hough left Covenant Church, and the Reverend Theodore C. Mefferd became the associate pastor.

1970

October 6 - Covenant initiated a tutoring program for students with special needs from the neighboring schools.

1971

August 29 - Open house was held in the newly improved children's Sunday School rooms on the second floor of the main building.

September 26 - The redecorated Sanctuary of Covenant Church was reopened for the worship of God with appropriate services.

1972

June 13 - June 16 - At the sessions of Annual Conference the Rev. Dr. Harold S. Peiffer was assigned to be a District superintendent, and the Rev. Robert M. Daugherty became senior pastor of Covenant Church.

1974

The Reverend Theodore C. Mefferd was reassigned at Annual Conference, and the Reverend Robert E. Norman came to Covenant Church as associate pastor.

1975

Covenant sponsored a refugee family from Viet Nam.

1976

The prayer chain was begun.

September - The 50th anniversary of worshipping in the building at the corner of West Orange and Mulberry Streets was observed.

September - Covenant, in relationship with other churches in the Northwest Cluster of churches, began a Released Time Christian Education Program for the children in the schools surrounding Covenant Church.

1978

June - As a result of meetings of a cooperative planning committee between Covenant and Bethany Churches, a new concept in ministry, "Team Ministry," was formulated. Under this plan the appointed pastors of Covenant and Bethany Churches were also appointed as members of the Team Ministry of the Bethany-Covenant Parish. The three functioned as a single staff.

June 23 - Dr. Edwin M. Rhoad died, thus terminating his long association with Covenant Church as Minister of Visitation.

July 1 - The Rev. A. Jane Harner was appointed to Bethany Church to become a part of the Bethany-Covenant Parish staff.

1979

July 1 - The Rev. Robert M. Daugherty left Covenant Church and assumed the responsibilities of a District Superintendent. The Rev. Eugene R. Hostetter became the senior pastor of Covenant Church.

November - An invitation came from Bethany United Methodist Church to form a committee to consider merger of the two churches.

1980

March 2 - A dedication service and concert of the newly purchased carillon was held.

April 13 - The merger of Bethany United Methodist Church and Covenant United Methodist Church took place. The service began in the sanctuary of Bethany Church; and then the congregation, led by the pastors and choirs, marched East on Orange Street to the Covenant sanctuary for the conclusion of the service. With them the members of Bethany Church brought a rich history, which is presented here in capsule form.

June -- At Annual Conference the Reverend A. Jane Harner was reassigned.

December - The Rev. Dr. George R. Barth was hired by the church as the Minister of Visitation.

1982

October - A special offering was received for the El Redentor United Methodist Church, a Spanish congregation that was seeking to establish itself in Lancaster. $5,090 was collected from the Covenant congregation on one Sunday, and matching funds were taken from monies received from the sale of the Bethany properties. A check for $10,000 was presented to District Superintendent Robert Wright at the annual Charge Conference to be used by the El Redentor Congregation.

1983

April - The Facilities Improvement Committee, which had been appointed by the Trustee Board, selected architect DeVitry, Gilbert, Bradley, and Ray for proposed remodeling and improvement of the downstairs area of the church and the sacristy.

1984 - Present

Note: Covenant's Historical Committee is writing an update to the 1984 history document.  We will add it here as soon as it's available!

 A History of Bethany Church

The former Bethany United Methodist Church began life in the year 1867 as a mission church of the Evangelical Association. An organizational meeting was held at 221 W. King Street in Lancaster, the residence of the missioner, the Rev. J. N. Metzgar. Seven persons were present at this meeting, where plans were formulated for the establishing of a mission church. Several months later an abandoned chapel located at 30 N. Mulberry Street was purchased from the United Brethren Church for $1,500. The congregation moved there in October of 1867 and painted the building yellow. Soon it became known as "The Little Yellow Heaven."

Growing pains eventually forced the congregation to seek larger quarters, so early in 1872 a new church building was constructed at 128 N. Mulberry Street. At this time the church was known as the Second Church of the Evangelical Association.

Membership continued to grow, but an unfortunate controversy within the General Church made it necessary to vacate the Mulberry Street property, forcing the congregation to seek temporary shelter in an abandoned chapel located at 338 W. King Street. (This chapel had originally been the home of Christ Lutheran Church.) Land was purchased at the north west corner of W. Orange and Concord Streets, where a new church was erected at a cost of $12,000. Dedication took place on November 22, 1895, and the church was then named Bethany United Evangelical Church.

From the original seven members gathered together in 1867, the congregation grew steadily until in 1927 church membership reached a total of 520, with a Sunday School registering 618 members. Apparently this was the peak year of Bethany's membership growth, and unfortunately the ensuing years witnessed a slow but steady decline. Eventually, a point was reached where the congregation could no longer function successfully, and in the latter part of 1979 it was decided to seek a union with Covenant United Methodist Church. Under the leadership of the District Superintendent, the Reverend William S. Sharp, representatives from both churches met and formulated a plan of merger.

On Sunday, March 23, 1980, Bethany congregation voted favorably to accept the Plan of Merger with Covenant United Methodist Church; and on the same day the plan was voted favorably by the Covenant congregation.

On Sunday, April 13, 1980, the two congregations met in the Bethany sanctuary at 10:00 AM for "A Service of Celebration of Merger." At the conclusion of this service the congregations marched side by side to Covenant sanctuary, where a Litany of Merger was recited. The hymn "The Church's One Foundation" was sung at the end of the service in Bethany and upon entering Covenant sanctuary.

Bethany's membership at the time of merger was 243, which added to Covenant's membership to create a congregation numbering 1,386. Covenant was now responsible for property of the former Bethany Church. The so-called "annex" at 237 W. Orange Street and the manse at 801 N. President Avenue were sold. Failing to interest any acceptable buyers for the church property, it was decided to retain the site for much needed parking. The church structure was razed in July, 1982.

During the 113 years of Bethany's history, its congregations were served by a total of 29 pastors, starting with the Rev. J. N. Metzgar in 1867 and concluding with the Rev. A. Jane Harner. Bethany then became a part of Covenant's history.