Author: Susan George

Because most of our historical records were lost in a fire at the end of the 19th century, we know very little about Derry Church during this time. What is clear is that during the 19th century, Derry endured a period of significant decline. There are a variety of probable causes: many of the traditionally Presbyterian and ever peripatetic Scots-Irish moved on from the area, seeking new lands to the south and west, and the ethnic character of the area became increasingly German. Those who remained nearby may have abandoned Presbyterianism, a denomination still focused on formal religious education and entrenched in polity, for the more exciting Methodist and Baptist revivals of the Second Great Awakening, as those denominations came to dominate the American religious landscape.

After Rev. Nathaniel Snowden left Derry and Paxton in 1796, Derry Church struggled to keep a pastor for another decade. In 1799, Rev. Joshua A. Williams accepted a call to Derry and Paxton, but he departed for another position only three years later. Derry then called Rev. James Adair, who died before his installation. Not until 1807 did Derry and Paxton extend a call to the Rev. James Russell Sharon, but it seems to have been worth the wait. Rev. Sharon served both churches for 36 years, until his death in 1843. At that point, Derry and Paxton called the Rev. Albert Marshal Boggs, who served from 1844-1847 before resigning from the ministry. Following a three-year vacancy, the Rev. Andrew Dinsmore Mitchell served Derry and Paxton for the quarter-century from 1850-1874, when he resigned to become an army chaplain.

Derry Township remained a rural farming community until the 20th century. However, in the early 19th century the Horseshoe and Reading Turnpikes (now known as State Roads 322 and 422) and the Union Canal linked the area to the wider world, providing transportation for farm goods and raw materials such as lumber and limestone. Most significant for Derry Church was the arrival of the Lebanon Valley Railroad in 1858 as the tracks passed uncomfortably close to Derry’s cemetery. The wooden topper on the cemetery wall had to be removed due to the frequency of catching fire from railroad sparks!

Even as church membership declined, the community grew. The one-room schoolhouse now on Mansion Road was built in 1844 to serve the village of Derry Church, an area encompassing around one to two miles from the church. It was the first one-room schoolhouse in Derry Township, and it operated until 1904. (Six-year-old Milton Hershey attended school there during the winter of 1863-64.) From 1858 to about 1900, Derry Church rented the Session House to the community of Derry Church for use as a post office.

By 1883, only a few members remained at Derry Church, and the 1769 building known as “Old Derry” was dangerously unstable and had to be torn down. Luckily, community organizations such as the Dauphin County Historical Society and the Harrisburg Historical Society, as well as descendants of early members, recognized Derry’s historical significance as one of the earliest churches in the area and stepped in with $7,000 to build a stone chapel. Other area churches donated money for the stained glass windows, which honor Derry’s early ministers.

As funds were raised over time, the Chapel was built over the course of four years and dedicated in 1887. The original Memorial Chapel consisted of a sanctuary with a chancel, a west transept used by the choir and Sunday School, and a bell tower. The chapel still contains some items from Old Derry, including the Lord’s Table and two chairs. The 1831 pulpit hangs on the wall of the east transept in our sanctuary, and we continue to use the pewter communion set originally purchased for use at Old Derry.

The 19th century was nearly fatal for Derry Church. Most of the original founders and their descendants had moved on, and the church building itself was crumbling. But a time of renewed energy and church life was coming. In some respects, Derry Church died and was reborn at the end of the 19th century, and the true ancestors of the church we know today are those who built the stone chapel and breathed new life into Derry during the Sunday School movement, which you will read about in next month’s article.

Just over two months ago, Derry concluded its collection of the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering (OGHS), exceeding the goal of $19,000 by more than $1,000. At Derry, this offering is shared equally with the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) and Bridges to Community (BTC). You might ask, who is BTC? In our 300th anniversary year, what is the history of the connection between BTC and Derry and how has this played out over the years? 

The story begins with Derry member, the late Dr. Jack Hewlett. Jack’s cousin, Rev. Bill Daniel, was a Presbyterian pastor who had a project called SWAP (Stop Wasting Abandoned Property) which was rehabbing burned-out rowhomes in Yonkers, NY. A mission project began in the late 1980s with Rev. Daniel and many people at Derry. SWAP quickly became Sweat With a Presbyterian in the Derry vernacular! Many of the people moving into the rehabbed apartments were from Central America. In the early 1990s, Rev. Daniel decided to move to Nicaragua to see if he could help improve their living conditions. He was joined there by another Presbyterian pastor in a series of public works projects, which then developed into the organization known as Bridges to Community. Derry maintained contact with Rev. Daniel and BTC projects over the years. In fact, Derry helped buy a white Kia truck for BTC use. 

Fast forward to the turn of the century. Derry’s Mission & Peace Committee (M&P) was looking to establish a long-term, international mission partnership. The Committee established guidelines for mission trips to include participation by the entire congregation, yet realizing not everyone would be able to go, for one reason or another. Those going on a trip would be responsible for the costs of transportation and room and board: these would not be Derry subsidized vacations! Other costs, such as those for administration and construction, would be covered by various fundraising projects, such as currently with the shared OGHS Offering. Remarkedly, no funds from the M&P budget have been used to support a trip. It has all been via trip participants and this congregation’s generous support! 

In 2001, Derry reconnected with Rev. Daniel and BTC in Nicaragua, helping to build homes following the destructive effects of Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and an earthquake in 2000. As we left the airport, our luggage was loaded into a white Kia truck! Among the suitcases were several containing Bible school supplies. From the very beginning with SWAP in Yonkers to today, Bible school activities have been an integral part of Derry’s mission trips. Many thanks to Claudia Holtzman for organizing and directing these activities over the years.  

Derry’s trips to Nicaragua continued annually through 2017, after which they were curtailed by political unrest. BTC was operating a similar program in the Dominican Republic, so we were able to go there for two years until halted by Covid. The lack of trips almost brought an end to BTC’s mission, but they have come back strong and we have rejoined them for the past two years. Through the years we have been impressed by the BTC model for helping. A local committee decides who will receive a new home. The home is built with local masons, supported by the family and neighbors, and volunteers. There is a payback period by the family, which goes into the local community fund and whose leaders then decide how to further assist community needs.

PCUSA uses the OGHS Offering in three ways: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance,  Self-Development of People, and the Presbyterian Hunger Program. The effects of a new home through BTC offer similar results. What does a homeowner get? A new home with securable doors and windows, safe from the elements and theft. We have seen new businesses like stores and a bakery being run out of new homes. This is an agricultural area where many homes are adjacent to the fields which provide food for the family and a source of income. What do they get? The fellowship and knowledge that there are Christians from the United States who care enough to help them build a better quality of life. 

Now you know the origins of Bridges to Community and its historic connection to Derry for over 35 years. Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support for this ongoing mission project.         

This spring the kids have been playing DRUMS! Just before Christmas, the Children’s Music Program received a gift in memory of Elaine Barner from Lauren and Pieter Daems of a Remo World Music Drumming package. It included 15 tubanos (large standing drums like djembes but easier for kids to play), talking drums, buffalo drums, guiros, cow bells, maracas, sand blocks, claves, and more. All of my kids from preschool up through 5th grade have been having an absolute ball using all of the instruments. So have I!

The preschool children use sand blocks to make the sound of a chugging train as we sing “Get on Board Little Children” and chant “Engine, Engine Number Nine.” The K-2nd grade children used tubanos for the sound of apples hitting the ground and claves and triangles to “say the words without our voices.” Finally, both in Sunday School and on Tuesday nights the 3rd-5th grade children have used a variety of instruments to help tell stories. In fact, you will hear them tell Psalm 66 using words and percussion instruments this Sunday, June 2. I love the chance to incorporate percussion into the children’s music program. Percussion highlights the importance of listening, it’s a way to make music when singing is scary, and quite simply drums are fun!

When playing percussion, listening is key. Drum circles are composed largely of call and response meaning one person leads and the rest answer. You must listen to the lead to be sure you answer logically. If you aren’t listening to each other, you probably aren’t playing together, and it likely sounds like one very loud mess! You have to listen to make sure you line up and sound, as I tell my K-2nd graders, like “one giant drum.”

Singing can be scary for children and adults. Particularly in our K-2nd grade group, we have children who are very nervous to sing. They are NOT nervous to play drums! I love having an option for those kids to make music. As they grow more comfortable in our group, perhaps they will join us in singing and perhaps they won’t. Either way, they are welcome and I’m glad they are part of our musical community.

Even for the kids who love to sing, drums are an incredibly fun addition to our Tuesday evening activities. If you have ever poked your head into room 5 on a Tuesday night between 5:45 and 7:00 pm, you heard a lot of noise and saw a lot of smiles! Many of those smiles were from playing percussion. No matter what your age, you cannot help but smile when playing the drums.

In our children’s music program, the kids are learning to listen, they have found spaces where they feel confident and safe, and they are having fun. I love that they love being here. I look forward to continuing to make music with the kids in the fall!

On Thursday, April 11, 44 members of Derry boarded a bus in the church parking lot and departed for a two week tour of Scotland and Ireland. I was very excited as I had never been to either country before and had always hoped to visit them and experience the culture.

We began our journey in Edinburgh at St. Giles Cathedral, which is celebrating its 900th anniversary (making Derry seem young in comparison)! We also attended church at St. Giles the first Sunday of our trip. Each day was filled with historic sites and opportunities to learn more about the landscape and the people.

Scotland and Ireland are breathtaking in their physical beauty. As we traveled by bus and ferry, I was overwhelmed by the views out our window. From a rainbow nestling across the foot of a mountain, to the landscapes seen from many of the castles we visited, every day was a feast for the eyes. I particularly enjoyed the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a geological wonder with over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that was formed over the last 60 million years by the cooling and shrinking of lava flows.

As we visited Belfast and Derry, we learned a great deal about the “Troubles”, that period in the latter half of the twentieth century when Ireland was in great turmoil. I learned that the tension stretched back centuries. We visited the walls erected in Belfast and Derry (some of our group even left words of encouragement in the graffiti on the wall) and participated in tours that gave perspective from both sides of the conflict. We were fortunate to meet Rev. David Latimer, a former pastor of First Derry Presbyterian in Northern Ireland, who worked to establish better relations with

both sides of the conflict.

So many of our travels were rooted in our faith and the history of our ancestors. The weather didn’t cooperate on the day the full group was to go to Iona. However, Pastor Stephen managed to put together an excursion the next day for some folks to forego the planned activities and visit on our own. I was fortunate enough to be part of that group. Iona felt to me like a truly holy place. The history and the souls who have worshiped in that beautiful, isolated place seemed palpable to me. I would love to return one day and spend more time there.

Another special day was our visit to our sister congregation in Derry. The people there were so gracious and welcoming. The ladies of the church had a reception before the service with tea and scones (some of the best I’ve ever tasted) and it was such a pleasure meeting and getting to spend time with them. After the service, there was a luncheon just for us at the Guild Hall where we were greeted by the mayor.

I’m a relatively new member at Derry. I joined the choir when I joined the church and have made many friends in their ranks. One of my favorite aspects of the trip was getting to know more members of our church. Every meal and every activity, members of our group spent time socializing, sharing and worshiping together. The sense of community was real and made me so glad to be a member of such a vibrant, caring congregation.

The trip was everything I hoped for and more and I’m so happy to have been a part of it.

Three Churches, One Story

During the 18th century, three major Presbyterian congregations grew along the Swatara. While they squabbled among themselves from time to time, such as during the Old Light-New Light controversy of the Great Awakening, there was more to unite the Derry, Paxton, and Hanover churches than to separate them. Scots-Irish immigrants tended to travel and settle in family groups, and these congregations were united by strong ties of blood, culture, and religion. Many congregants worshiped at two or even three of these churches at various points in their lives. Others might worship at one and be buried at another. Often, the same pastor served more than one church. The lives and histories of these congregations were entwined, so it is helpful to think of the era of the American Revolution and early republic as one story involving three churches.

The Hanover Resolves

By the time the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776, the American Revolution had been raging for over a year. The Declaration’s unprecedented accomplishment was to unite 13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies behind the cause of American independence, but its actual content owed much to ideas expressed across the colonies in preceding years. Prior to the Declaration, many local documents also detailed grievances against the government and declared a willingness to fight for a new relationship with Great Britain. The most well-known of these are the Hanover Resolves adopted in Hanover County, Virginia on July 20, 1774 and the Mecklenburg Resolves adopted in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 31, 1775. 

However, the less famous Hanover Resolves likely produced at or near Hanover Presbyterian Church (in what is now East Hanover Township) predate both of these and were the first set of such resolves adopted in Pennsylvania. Adopted on June 4, 1774, the Hanover Resolves contained five points:  

1st. That the recent action of the Parliament of Great Britain is iniquitous and oppressive.

2nd. That it is the bounden duty of the people to oppose every measure which tends to deprive them of their just prerogatives.

3rd. That in a closer union of the colonies lies the safeguard of the liberties of the people.

4th. That in the event of Great Britain attempting to force unjust laws upon us by the strength of arms, our cause we leave to heaven and our rifles.

5th. That a committee of nine be appointed, who shall act for us and in our behalf as emergencies may require.

In committing their cause “to heaven and our rifles,” a sentiment in the spirit of the militant theology of John Knox, signers reinforced the ideals of the Scottish Reformation. One member of the Committee for the Hanover Resolves, (later Colonel) John Rodgers, is buried at Derry, and several others are known or thought to be buried at Paxton or Hanover.

A Presbyterian War

During the American Revolution, Scots-Irish Presbyterians fought heavily on the side of the new United States, whether as militia troops, as frontier rangers, or as part of the regular Continental army. British-allied individuals from common mercenary soldiers to King George III himself noted the Presbyterian nature of the rebellion, though at the time they used the term Presbyterian to encompass many groups of dissenters from the Church of England. Presbyterian most commonly referred to the Congregationalists and Puritans of New England and the Scots-Irish Presbyterians of the mid-Atlantic, whose ancestors had given the Crown so much trouble during the 1600s. 

The following is a representative sample of sources laying the war at the feet of Presbyterians:

• One Hessian mercenary serving in the British Army wrote home to Germany, “call it not an American Revolution, it is nothing more nor less than an Irish-Scotch Presbyterian Rebellion.”  
• A Pennsylvania loyalist said, “that the whole was nothing but a scheme of a parcel of hot-headed Presbyterians.” 
• In 1776, advisor William Jones warned the Crown, “this has been a Presbyterian war from the beginning.” 

Given these circumstances, it is worth asking to what extent the American Revolution was an extension of the half-century of religious warfare that gripped the island of Great Britain from 1650-1700. Historian Richard Gardiner claims, “Religious and denominational dynamics were vitally central to the revolt. Historians have failed to state this as clearly as it deserves. The allegation that the American Revolution was a Presbyterian rebellion is an important one to understand if we are to have a truly comprehensive understanding of what happened and why…\ the American Revolution did have a ‘holy war’ dynamic to it that pitted Anglicans against dissenters (who were generally referred to as Presbyterians), and in the minds of the loyalists, the war was fundamentally, at bottom, a Presbyterian rebellion.”

Derry’s cemetery plaque lists 40 men who provided military service in the American Revolution. By the late 1780s, Derry Church’s congregation, drawn from up to ten miles from the church, numbered about 40 financially contributing families with at least 70 families in the congregation as a whole, while Derry Township’s full population stood at about 200. Forty men, therefore, indicates a significant portion of the population, and that number leaves out the unknown contributions of women, children, and unenlisted men.

Similar memorial plaques at Paxton and Hanover list several dozen men each. There is some overlap among names on the three memorial plaques, which may indicate separate individuals with the same name, or confusion about some veterans’ final resting places. Either way, it is another indication of the close bonds among these congregations in the 18th century.

After the War

Major military operations ended at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, and the Treaty of Paris officially ended the war in 1783. Dauphin County was carved out of Lancaster County in 1785, its French name an anomaly in a largely Scots-Irish and German area. Most likely, the new county was named to honor French support for the American Revolution, as le Dauphin is the traditional title of the Crown Prince of France.

Reverend John Elder continued to serve Derry and Paxton Churches from 1775 to his retirement in 1791. (Upon his death in 1792, Elder was buried at Paxton.) From 1791-1793, stated supply pastors served Derry and Paxton. In 1793, Derry, Paxton, and Harrisburg (now Market Square) churches called the 23-year-old Reverend Nathaniel Snowden, the first of Derry’s pastors to be born in North America. (Hanover, by this time, appears to have been defunct or in significant decline, though a building remained on the site until 1875.)

It is always challenging to follow a long-established pastor such as John Elder, even when the pastor doesn’t have Elder’s significant sway over civic and political, as well as religious, life. Snowden appears to have struggled with the demands of three churches, and he parted ways with Derry and Paxton in 1796, remaining at Harrisburg/Market Square. While Snowden asked to be relieved only of his responsibilities to Derry, Paxton chose to end their relationship with Snowden as well, leaving him only the city church. Perhaps this is another indication of the strong ties between Derry and Paxton. For another century, until 1895, Paxton and Derry continued to be served by many of the same pastors. Thus, old relationships endured in a new nation.

 

Sources

Derry Presbyterian Church. In Memory of Heroes of the Revolutionary War and Defenders of the Frontier. 2006. Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Gardiner, Richard. “The Presbyterian Rebellion?” Journal of the American Revolution, September 5, 2013. https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/09/presbyterian-rebellion/.

Harrisburg Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. In Memory of the Heroes of the Revolution, Frontier Defenders and Soldiers of the French and Indian War Buried in Paxton Churchyard. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Harris Ferry Chapter Sons of the American Revolution. In memory of the 44 veterans of the American Revolution who lie buried here. 1999. Grantville, Pennsylvania.

“Reverend Nathaniel Randolph Snowden (1770-1850).” Church Timeline. Derry Presbyterian Church (USA). 2024.
https://www.derrypres.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Snowden_Nathanial_edited.docx.pdf.

Notes

^[i] Capt. Johann Heinrichs to the Counsellor of the Court, January 18, 1778: “Extracts from the Letter Book of Captain Johann Heinrichs of the Hessian Jager Corps, 1778-1780,” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 22 (1898), 137. Qtd. in Gardiner.

^[ii]  “Minutes of the Committee of Safety of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1774-1776,” from the original in the library of General William Watts Hart Davis, Doylestown, Pennsylvania; entry for August 21, 1775, in Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 15 (1891), 266. Qtd. in Gardiner.

^[iii] William Jones, “An Address to the British Government on a Subject of Present Concern, 1776,” The Theological, Philosophical and Miscellaneous Works of the Rev. William Jones, 12 vols. (London, 1801), Vol. 12, 356. Qtd. in Gardiner.

Reflecting on this past year, a feeling of deep gratitude overwhelms me as I reminisce about the many ways God has blessed our music ministry here at Derry Church. Music is essential in our worship, uniting our voices and connecting our hearts as we pray, sing, and hear God’s word read and proclaimed.

Our choirs have had a busy year of music-making with two concerts in addition to preparing and presenting in Sunday worship. Our Christmas at Derry concerts were a success and wouldn’t have been possible without Susan Shuey stepping in during my recovery and helping to conduct. My deepest gratitude to Sue and all of the members of our choirs for coming together and rising to the occasion to present two fantastic Christmas concerts in preparation for a glorious Advent and Christmas season. 

In March, we celebrated our 300th anniversary with a Festival of Hymns. The Sanctuary Choir,  Derry Ringers, and orchestra presented the hymns of faith to a full house under the direction of acclaimed conductor Linda Tedford. Working with and learning from Linda was a joy as she brought passion and new life to these beloved hymn texts that we deeply cherish.

Our children’s music ministry is growing under the direction of Claire Folts, Director of Children’s Music, and Debbi Kees-Folts, Director of the Celebration Ringers. Our little ones have enjoyed making music together with new percussion instruments given by Lauren and Pieter Daems in memory of Lauren’s mother, Elaine Barner. This set includes Tubanos (African-style tuned drums), Talking Drums, Maracas, Guiros, and many more auxiliary percussion instruments.

Working with our youth on Tuesday evenings is a thrill as we rehearse and learn new music each week to present in worship. If you know of a high school student who likes to sing or play an instrument, we meet on Tuesday evenings at 6:45 pm in the Chapel. Join us!

We will rejoice with voices lifted in singing on Music Sunday, June 2. We’ll have one service at 10:30 am in the Sanctuary, where each of our choirs will share their talents in praise to God as we celebrate the gift of song in worship. Following the service, the congregation will enjoy fellowship at the annual Derry Church picnic on the front lawn.

As Music Sunday is the close of our program year, the choirs will have a break for the summer until they return after the Labor Day weekend. There will be two opportunities to join the Sanctuary Choir for an open loft Sunday. You don’t have to be a great singer, just come to the rehearsal at 9 am and learn an easy anthem to sing at the 10:30 am service. Open loft Sundays are June 30 and August 11. Come and sing!

Summer special music will begin on Sunday, June 9 with members of Derry Church and the surrounding community sharing their many gifts for praise and adoration given to God. Highlights include vocalists and instrumentalists of Derry, a quartet from the Susquehanna Chorale, mezzo-soprano Amy Yovanovich, soprano Victoria Lang, and flute and cello duo Victoria Visceglia and Ali Koch.

We are incredibly blessed at Derry to have so many musicians willingly sharing their musical gifts with us. My deepest gratitude to our choirs of all ages and soloists who have graciously given their time and talents for God’s glory this past year. Come, rejoice, and sing as we celebrate the gift of music in the life of our church on Music Sunday, June 2!

On the first Thursday of each month, the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In May we’re lifting up the Pentecost Offering. 

In the weeks leading up to Pentecost on Sunday, May 19, we are receiving the Pentecost Offering. A gift to the Pentecost Offering helps the church encourage, develop, and support its young people, and also address the needs of at-risk children. 50% of the Pentecost Offering will be used by Derry to support at-risk children through our partnership with Logos Academy in Harrisburg. The other 50% is given to support children-at-risk, youth, and young adults through ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

The mission of Logos Academy Harrisburg is to serve Harrisburg as a community school, grounded in the love of Christ and providing a rich education of mind and soul for students from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. They offer a rich education of mind and soul to the children of Harrisburg, regardless of faith commitment or financial means.

As an independent Christ-centered school, Logos is able to educate the whole student—mind and soul—providing a rich classical education for young elementary students and giving them a foundation for a life-long love of learning. With its classical approach, Logos’ curriculum recaptures the best elements of education used for centuries. It coincides with the students’ developmental stages, building on the foundation of grammar and focusing on logic, critical thinking, and effective oral and written communication.

Derry Church is helping Logos expand to a 5th grade classroom so they can provide a stable educational setting for elementary students. They make every student feel loved and special. They practice trauma-informed educational practices and keep class sizes small so they can tailor educational experiences to each child. Derry’s own Natalie Taylor did her student teaching at Logos.

Your gifts will help us reach our goal of $50,000 to help Logos create this new 5th grade classroom while also helping the PCUSA minister to at-risk children and youth. 

You can give to the Pentecost offering by donating online or writing checks to Derry Church notated “Pentecost Offering.” Or give directly to the Logos project by writing checks to Derry Church notated “Logos Academy.”

2024 marks the 300th anniversary of Derry Church. Throughout the 20th century, Derry has made the effort to mark its anniversaries by studying the our church’s history and remembering the church family members who helped Derry Church grow and serve God and their community. As the years progressed, anniversary celebrations grew from a simple weekend celebration to a year-long celebration with special events held almost every month during the anniversary year. This approach to recognizing a significant anniversary was first used during Derry Church’s 250th anniversary in 1974. This anniversary occurred just as the United States was making plans to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial in 1976.

At that time, Derry Church was being led by Reverend Ira Reed, who had been called as Derry’s pastor in 1959. Derry Church enjoyed significant growth during his tenure, which led to the construction of the Sanctuary, completed in 1966. In 1971 staff also expanded. Nancy Joiner Reinert was hired as Derry’s first full-time Director of Christian Education and Herbert Fowler joined Derry as the first full-time Director of Music.

Like many of Derry’s previous pastors, Reverend Reed had a strong interest in Derry’s history. He and his wife, Winnie, both advocated for a year-long celebration of Derry Church’s 250th anniversary.

Derry members Grant Custer and Leonard Snyder were asked to co-chair the anniversary committee. The group made plans for a varieties of activities and events that would be held throughout the year. The celebration would include noteworthy visiting preachers, dinners and picnics, as well as musical events, plays, and pageants. In addition the Presbyterian Women, organized by Winnie Reed, planned to hold a fair that would celebrate Derry Church’s colonial roots. The Old Derry Colonial Fair would feature hand crafted items for sale as well as demonstrations of different colonial era crafts.

There were special Anniversary events almost every month. In January, Reverend Sheldon Blair, Derry’s pastor from 1950-1959, was invited to start off the celebration by preaching at a worship service. In February, the church celebrated a Family Night and Historical Fair. In true church tradition, the congregation gathered to enjoy a covered dish dinner in the social room. A special guest, Reverend William Swaim, an authority on Presbyterian history, presented a talk on Derry and early Pennsylvania Presbyterian history. At this event, historical items that Derry had been collecting since the 205th anniversary (1929), were displayed. Women attending the event were encouraged to wear period dresses.

In May, Senator Mark Hatfield, former Governor of Oregon and a member of the United States Senate, was the guest preacher. According to news articles, Senator Hatfield’s message was that hunger, not enemy weapons, was the greatest threat to America. He also referenced the widening gap between the “haves and have nots.” He asked for Christians to be good stewards of the land and to consider what our lavish lifestyle was costing in terms of environmental destruction. His words from 50 years ago are even more compelling today.

In June, the church celebrated with a Homecoming picnic following worship to commemorate how members of Derry might have gathered on Sundays 250 years ago. This is a tradition that we still continue today, with our annual end of church school year picnic under the oaks.

September was a very busy month, especially for the Presbyterian Women’s group. Since February, Derry women had been meeting monthly to craft items that recalled earlier centuries such as pinecone candle rings and wreaths, rag dolls, corn husk dolls, herb wreaths and sachets. To craft these and other items, the women — with the help of congregants and friends — collected egg cartons, Christmas cards, used photo flashcubes, spray can tops, toothpaste tube tops, jar rings, old pieces of brick, sewing odds and ends and Styrofoam trays. Households were also urged to collect meat drippings and fats that could be used to make candles and soap.

This was such an involved event that workshops were conducted for volunteers to learn how to make the many craft items. The various workshops were led by members with special skills. The Holiday House Workshop, co-chaired by Marion Alexander and Karen Nestler Carns, provided instructions on pine cone candle rings and wreaths. Another workshop, the Pins and Needles Workshop, chaired by Vera Dinner, taught participants how to  make rag dolls.

The Old Derry Colonial Fair was held on September 6-7 and was advertised as an old fashioned fair with 11 booths operating on the church grounds, tours of the church, and interludes of organ music throughout both days. The booths offered items for sale and demonstrations of the different crafts. Booths were imaginatively named: Holiday House, Cousin Jennie’s Playhouse, Colonial Reproductions, Whatnot Shoppe, Clipper Ship, Needlework Basket, Aunt Emma Hope Chest, Grandmother’s Pantry, and Uncle John’s Garden.

This fair was such a success that the women had to continue to meet and craft additional items after they oversold their entire stock. The money raised from this project was directed toward mission projects.

Later in September, Derry hosted Reverend Dr. Robert C. Lamar, Moderator of the 186th General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States (UPCUS). At the time, Dr. Lamar held the highest elective office of the Presbyterian denomination. He also served as Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Albany, New York.

During October, Director of Music Herbert Fowler presented a Festival of Music as part of Derry’s Vesper Series (today known as Arts Alive). The program, Bach’s first masterpiece in the cantata genre, Cantata 106, was presented by an augmented Sanctuary Choir and a six-piece orchestra. Later in October, the Celtic Fellowship youth group presented Thornton Wilder’s play Our Town, a story of life in a small New Hampshire town, providing insightful thoughts as to the important things in life.

To conclude the year’s celebratory events, the Vesper Series presented A Historical Pageant. Herbert Fowler composed a score of 13 movements and Gwen Myers wrote an original script for five choirs, actors, and dancers to present a historical pageant celebrating 250 years of Derry’s history. Over 150 people were involved in this production, either as actors or behind the scene, building sets, handling and operating lights, or working as the stage crew. The pageant told the story of 250 years in seven scenes and included early settlers, Indians, dancers, session meetings, women’s missionary society meetings and a short 18th century sermon. The present church was portrayed through a multi-media presentation that included simultaneous projection and sound track, and a professional recording was made and available as a souvenir.

This was a very ambitious year-long celebration, much like we are experiencing this year. Similarly, other events not associated with the anniversary, also took place. The Vesper Series prepared and presented other performances, the Celtic Fellowship presented other dramas, and the corn roast was held in August.

This week, on Heritage Sunday, April 28, we will recognize those people in our Derry family who have been members for 50 years or more with a luncheon following worship. Those being recognized were here during the 250th and 275th anniversary milestones, and many were actively involved and volunteered their time to participate in anniversary activities. Many are still active, serving as Elders or Deacons, chairing and participating in our many committees, or just by doing odd jobs around the church. The strength and longevity of this church was and is very much dependent upon the faith and devotion of those worshipping here. Let us give glory to God, who is and has always been with us and for us.

An Era of Presbyterian Unity

In North America, the Presbyterian Church emerged from the Great Awakening with renewed strength, as Enlightenment values nudged clergy and laypersons toward a religious life that tempered the evangelical zeal of New Light clergy and parishioners with the reason and logic valued by Old Light adherents. After roughly two decades of theological extremism, congregations and individuals moved toward moderation and reunification. (See the March 21 Derry 300 article for more background on these events.)

Historian John Fea writes, “The values of love, brotherhood, and unity gained popularity in provincial life as a means of sustaining social cohesiveness and moral order in an era of political instability, imperial war with France, and its corresponding threat to British civilization, demographic changes and ethnic strife stemming from new patterns of immigration, and of course, an acrimonious religious revival.” [1]

With so many enemies at the gates, Presbyterians perhaps subconsciously realized they could no longer afford to make enemies of each other. Moderate Presbyterians accelerated their rise through ongoing support of the College of New Jersey at Princeton (later Princeton University), where Presbyterian ministers received training in the values of both the Enlightenment and of evangelicalism. In short, a new generation of clergy learned that their religious passions (and indeed, all human emotions) must be guided by reason and logic.

Enlightenment-era Presbyterians also cemented their belief in a God of order. Since that period, anyone who has spent much time in a Presbyterian pew (and certainly at a session or presbytery meeting), has become familiar with 1 Corinthians 14:40: “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

The benefits of this renewed unity can be seen in church growth. Fea reports, “Between 1744 and 1770, nearly half of all Presbyterian congregations…constructed, renovated, or enlarged their church buildings.” [2]

Derry Church participated in this trend, raising the structure now known as “Old Derry” in 1769 under the pastorate of Reverend John Roan. That building would serve Derry for over a century, until it was ruled dangerously unstable and demolished in 1883 to make way for the Memorial Chapel. Between 1763 and 1789, Derry also acquired the various pieces of the pewter communion set still in use today.

As the sparks of revolution ignited during the 1760s and 1770s, colonists landed all over a spectrum between absolute loyalty and violent rebellion. Renewed unity in civil and religious ideals among Presbyterians had the politically significant effect of creating more unified opposition to the British crown and its agents. The role theology played in the American Revolution is often debated, but what is true is that religious dissenters frequently became political rebels. In many (though not all) cases, members of the Church of England once again faced down Presbyterians and other protestant dissenters, as they had in the religious wars of the 1600s in Great Britain and Ireland. 

Paying for War

The first battles of the American Revolution were fought at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 (https://www.nps.gov/mima/learn/historyculture/april-19-1775.htm). But wars seldom begin with the first shots fired. Often, they are rooted in previous conflicts, and new battles rage over old wounds.

From 1754-1763, Great Britain and France vied for control of North America in a conflict known as the French and Indian War (https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war). Great Britain emerged triumphant—and struggling to pay even the interest on its swollen national debt. Attempting to replenish Great Britain’s coffers, Parliament imposed various taxes on the North American colonies over the next decade.

From Parliament’s perspective, this was fair: Great Britain had protected its colonists’ lives and property from the French and their Indian allies, at great cost; now, the colonists were expected to pay it back. The new taxes rankled many, even when they didn’t lead to episodes of outright violence. As British subjects, many colonists reasoned, weren’t they entitled to British protection? They were, after all, doing the daily dirty work of empire. Now they were expected to pay the government for the privilege? Furthermore, Parliament had no right to tax them anyway, as each colony had its own perfectly legal legislative body that answered to the royal governor and the king, whereas Parliament represented only the people of Great Britain itself.

It was less than a century since the Ulster Scots held off Jacobite forces for 105 days at the Siege of Londonderry in 1689, and memories were long. In their view, the victorious protestant co-regents William III and Mary II had never shown themselves sufficiently grateful. Their successor, Mary’s younger sister, Anne, had overseen the ongoing religious discrimination that eventually impelled so many to leave for North America. Now the Stuarts’ German Protestant cousins, the Hanovers, who inherited the throne upon Anne’s death in 1714, were proving no better. [3] (See the January 25 Derry 300 article for more background on this topic.)

A New Canaan

There was another, more personal, issue at play. Now on their third violently contested frontier in as many centuries, what we might today call generational trauma may have been catching up with the Scots-Irish, whose desire for land and personal security (and the willingness to use violence to secure both) can hardly be overstated.

The Scots-Irish had no scruples about occupying land that did not belong to them, claiming large portions of the frontier by right of conquest and occupancy. In 1731, Pennsylvania secretary James Logan summarized the Scots-Irish perspective in a letter to the Penn brothers, declaring that Scots-Irish settlers believed it to be “against the Laws of God and Nature that so much Land Should lie idle while so many Christians wanted it to labour on and raise their bread.” [4]

A generation later, other Scots-Irish settlers challenged a group of pacifist Quakers, “Joshua was ordained to drive the heathen out of the land. Do you believe the scriptures?” [5]

Their interpretation of scripture and the two centuries of religious warfare at their backs gave the Scots-Irish settlers permission to take the land they needed to secure their own lives and their families’ futures. God had given Canaan over to the Israelites. Here, at last, was the New Canaan God meant for them.

Whatever permission God had given the Israelites to possess Canaan, the British government had no intention of giving the Scots-Irish similar authorization in North America. From the Scots-Irish perspective, both London and Philadelphia honored the claims of various indigenous groups over those of their fellow Christians. Accustomed by the preceding centuries of religious warfare to expect favor from those who shared their beliefs, this was a maddening blow for the Scots-Irish.

However, Great Britain always understood the need for indigenous support to remain the dominant European power in North America. As a result, throughout the late colonial period, government forces razed many unauthorized settlements, curtailing the westward movement of Scots-Irish settlers all along the Appalachian Mountains. Great Britain meant to avoid antagonizing their indigenous allies by allowing its subjects to settle on contested land, but this provided yet another reason for the Scots-Irish to turn against the government when revolution came.

The Conestoga Massacre

In December 1763, these conditions erupted in the most infamous and egregious incident involving the Scots-Irish Presbyterians in this part of Pennsylvania: the massacre of two groups of unarmed Conestoga Indians, including elderly people and young children, living under the direct protection of Pennsylvania’s proprietary government. While the individual names of most of the perpetrators cannot be known, what is certain is that a vigilante group of Scots-Irish Presbyterians now known as the Paxton Boys (they called themselves by various names) traveled down the Susquehanna Valley from Paxton Township, through the townships of Donegal and Derry, recruiting additional Scots-Irish Presbyterians on the way.

The group of about fifty included men from Cumberland, York, Berks, and Northampton Counties as well as Lancaster County, so it is impossible to say how many were members of Derry. [6] However, it is near certain that members of both Paxton and Derry Churches participated in the massacre.

John Elder, then the pastor at Paxton, held immense local power as the leader of the local Scots-Irish community and commander of the Paxton Rangers, a government-authorized frontier militia. From 1775, Elder would serve Derry in addition to Paxton. He certainly was already well-acquainted with both congregations. In the investigation that followed the massacre, the authorities in Philadelphia insisted he must have known the identities of the perpetrators. Elder blamed “some hot headed ill advised persons” and, Pilate-like, washed his hands of the situation, conveniently glossing over any role his own leadership may have played in inspiring the Paxton Boys’ actions. [7] However, his protestations of personal innocence were not enough to prevent his removal as the commander of the Paxton Rangers. Elder was not alone in his reaction, as more than a few prominent Pennsylvanians of the time seemed to think it was more than their lives were worth to try to bring the Paxton Boys to justice.

It is often necessary to provide explanation for violent acts while avoiding justification. In understanding the history of Derry Church, it is essential to note that the Scots-Irish Presbyterians living on the frontier were enraged with a fury born of terror by recent Indian attacks on settlements upriver. [8] In recent months, the Susquehanna Valley had been targeted as part of the Indian uprising named for its most famous combatant, Pontiac’s War (https://susqnha.org/riverroots-pontiacs-war-and-the-paxton-boys/), in which horrific acts of violence were perpetrated by and against both sides.

The Move Toward Revolution

On the frontier, there was no long pause in hostilities between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. Settlers, the proprietary governments of several colonies, and various indigenous powers all battled among themselves and with each other for land and power, creating a world of truly unimaginable brutality. Not without reason, the Paxton Boys and others like them held the British government responsible for leaving them largely unprotected in a dangerous contact zone and denying them the right to possess the land they believed God had ordained for them.

In A Declaration and Remonstrance of the Distressed and Bleeding Frontier Inhabitants of the Province of Pennsylvania, apologists for the Paxton Boys wrote that they considered themselves, “grossly abused, unrighteously burdened, and made Dupes and Slaves to Indians…while at the same Time hundreds of poor distressed Families of his Majesty’s Subjects…were left to starve neglected.”[9] From this perspective, the attack on the protected Conestoga Indians in Lancaster County can be seen as an early episode of armed revolt. John Penn, grandson of Pennsylvania’s founder and then governor, “claimed the assault was a personal affront against him as an agent of the king.” [10]

As the war of words between those who defended and those who opposed the massacre heated up, Lancaster County Chief Magistrate Edward Shippen wrote, “God only knows where this Tragical affair will terminate. I fear the Consequences; yet I am hoping it will not bring on a Civil war.” [11] The Conestoga Massacre alone did not lead to the American Revolution, but there is no question that issues surrounding westward expansion were a major source of conflict and a training ground for combatants. By the time revolution came in 1775, armed violence had long been a defining feature of American life.

Bibliography

Brubaker, Jack. 2010. Massacre of the Conestogas: On the Trail of the Paxton Boys in Lancaster County. History Press.

Fea, John. “In Search of Unity: Presbyterians in the Wake of the First Great Awakening.” The Journal of Presbyterian History (1997-) 86, no. 2 (2008): 53–60.

Kenny, Kevin. 2009. Peaceable Kingdom Lost: The Paxton Boys and the Destruction of William Penn’s Holy Experiment. Oxford University Press.

[1] Fea, 56.

[2] Fea, 59.

[3] The Act of Settlement of 1701 provided for the continuation of a Protestant monarchy. Upon Anne’s death, Parliament passed over roughly fifty Catholics with better claims than George, Elector of Hanover, setting the stage for continued Jacobite uprisings throughout the first half of the 18^th century.

[4] Qtd. in Kenny, 4.

[5] Thomas Wright, qtd. in Brubaker, 23.

[6] Dauphin County was part of Lancaster County until 1785.

[7] Qtd. in Brubaker, 27.

[8] There is much debate over the terms used to refer to the indigenous people of North America. When possible, it is preferable to use the name of the specific group. In this essay, I use “Indian” to encompass several groups (when all participants cannot be known), when the specific group cannot be known, or when—as in the case of the Conestoga Indians—it is the established term.

[9] Qtd. in Brubaker, 48.

[10] Brubaker, 27

[11] Qtd. in Brubaker, 44.

I started my freshman year of college at Point Park University last fall. Entering college not only creates new experiences, but broadens my perspective as a result. 

The major I’m studying (film production) without a doubt opens up pathways to gain new knowledge through versatility. This whole first year has gone by extremely fast as I think to myself how much content I have learned in what seems like such a small period of time. Living on a campus located right in downtown Pittsburgh honestly is a complete culture shock to me coming from Hershey (from a small town to a full on city). When living in a fast paced environment, there is always something going on. This helped me understand even more the importance of living in the moment and finding peace throughout the day. To branch off of this, college is no doubt a gateway into creating connections and meeting new people whether in a class, at a job, or at an event. I came to realize how meaningful this opportunity has become as I am able to get to know people with unique backgrounds, their life stories, as well as getting to study the major I thoroughly enjoy.

Pittsburgh contains a wide variety of museums, restaurants, and events/activities. Just recently Pittsburgh held its St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This parade is one of the biggest parades held in the country as Irish culture is extremely prominent around this region of Pennsylvania. Polish culture also immigrated to this area since perogies are a staple in every restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh. What I love so much about this city is the traditions it still upholds and recognizes its importance in how this city has evolved over a historical period of time. Sports of course is a major part of the society here with three major national teams playing throughout the year. I try to wallow in as much as possible all that goes on in order to carry all the new memories I have gained in a completely different place and tie it with my studies. 

Film is all about telling stories and this is a great setting to start at and eventually develop into other locations. My school gives us the opportunity to come up with our own stories based on our own unique experiences and apply it to a visual medium. I am very grateful to have hands-on learning my freshman year to grasp the beginning fundamentals of such a complex major. During the winter I traveled with a student production in Clairton, PA. My role was a production assistant which was basically entitled to hold lights, put away equipment, and assist with anything else. Even if this is such a little role, this enables my experience to be diverse in this field. From this to where I am now in creating short films with official equipment, I am growing in knowledge and broadening my perspective, going all the way back to stepping foot into Point Park University in Pittsburgh. A new chapter in my life as a student pursuing new adventures.

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In April we’re lifting up community involvement, and Derry’s partnership with Rebuilding Together Greater Harrisburg. Join Derry members to repair a home in Harrisburg on Saturday, April 27: contact Pete Feil or Charlie Koch for more information.

At Rebuilding Together, we make essential repairs to help our neighbors stay in their homes.

Who We Are

RTGH is an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization with a local volunteer Board of Directors who selects the homes to be worked on, raises the funds and recruits the volunteers to do the work. RTGH employs one part-time executive director who works from home. Overhead is kept to a minimum and funds are utilized where it is most needed: repairing and modifying homes at no cost to the homeowner.

Volunteers are the cornerstone of RTGH’s work, and their investment of time and resources makes a significant difference in our program.  

Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Rebuilding Together’s program reaches out to the most vulnerable individuals within our community—the low-income elderly, the disabled, families with children and veterans of war. They live on a fixed income, so they lack the resources to make the necessary home repairs because they must choose between food, medications and utilities. When a homeowner lacks the financial resources to maintain their home, unhealthy and dangerous situations increase. No one should have to call an unsafe place home.  

Through grants and donations from various sources, volunteers and contractors are able to reach out to these homeowners and make the necessary repairs and modifications to ensure these homeowners live in a safe, warm and dry environment and remain independent—“age in place.” Rebuilding Together Greater Harrisburg is one of the few agencies in the area that provides home repairs and modifications at no cost to the homeowner on a year-round basis. 

Rebuilding Together’s volunteer home inspectors evaluate each home. Assessing the repair needs ensures that the homeowner and family members are living in a safe, warm and dry environment. Elizabethtown College and Messiah University occupational/physical therapy graduate students conduct safety assessments for our homeowners to ensure they are living in a safe and accessible environment. The students generate a report for each homeowner in which the volunteers utilize to help modify the home.  It is a very rewarding experience for the students because it helps them develop their communication skills along with understanding the need within our low-income homeowners.  

Throughout the season of Lent, we talked about listening to the heart of God through a better understanding of Celtic spirituality. The celts of the British Isles believed God could be found in anything and anyone, that God was all around us. God comes to us.

As Christians, we believe God most profoundly comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ. But people killed God among us. We often destroy what is good and what is beautiful and who tells us the truth. We celebrate Easter because that doesn’t keep God from remaining with us, coming back to us again in human form. Easter is finding God even in death… and therefore finding love and life even in death. On Easter the veil is torn between life and death, just as the curtain in the temple was torn on Good Friday. The veil is torn, the boundary is broken, and Jesus comes back—to life, in life, with life for all. 

The early Celtic people who lived in the British Isles believed that you could go to certain places to be closer to God. These places have long been called “thin places.” Thin places are geographic locations scattered throughout Ireland and Scotland where a person experiences only a very thin divide between the past, present, and future — even between worlds, between earth and heaven. These places spoke of meeting, of transitions from one state to another, “where the veil between this world and the next is so sheer you can almost step through.”

Have you ever experienced a thin place? The Isle of Iona, where St. Columba set up a monastery, which we’ll talk more about next week, is said to be a thin place. I found Glendalough, another monastic community south of Dublin, Ireland, to be a thin place, and Inchcolm Island in the middle of the Firth of Forth, within view of Edinburgh.  But I’ve also experienced them in the mountains of Colorado and a stream in the Adirondacks. 

Easter morning is a thin place. Our natural and ordinary world comes close to God this Sunday morning. Two thousand years ago, in ancient Israel, the tomb for a renegade prophet became a thin place. When Jesus was laid in that tomb, his friends and his family, his followers and lovers and devotees, were distraught. It appeared that hope was lost. 

So many of our weak hopes go unfulfilled. The death of those hopes is one of the most common of human experiences. But there is another hope.

On the morning of the resurrection, at the edge of night and day, at the edge of despair, in the thin place that we call dawn, God delivers hope. God says, “I have known the suffering and pain of the world, because I have known them in Jesus the Christ. I have buried that suffering and death in the grave, and I have caused a new life to arise.”

The thin place of Easter proclaims death is not the victor. We are not forever lost. God loves us too much to let death keep us from God. 

May you be drawn into resurrection hope and life this Sunday morning and every morning. May you see the life and love of God at work in the world. May you feel God’s presence in all and through all. And may the Kingdom of God come closer in and through you.