Weekly Article

Thursdays are busy days in my corner of Derry Church as I finalize the eNews for you and prepare the content that’s needed for Sunday morning worship and live streaming. Thursdays are also when I look forward to two fun treats: it’s the day many of us on staff order a take-out lunch* and it’s the day I post one of Pam Whitenack’s delightful “Heritage Notes.” 

You may not know that before she retired, Pam Whitenack was in charge of the Hershey Community Archives. Now Pam spends a day here at the church just about every week, sorting and organizing materials in our church’s historical archive. Not only is she preparing for our 300th anniversary in 2024, she’s also looking for little gems of history to share with all of us. If you follow Derry Church on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve probably seen and read many “Heritage Notes.” An easy way to find them is by searching for the hashtag #derryheritage (most of the posts are ours, but you’ll also find posts from a few other sources that have used that hashtag).

As we draw closer to our 300th anniversary, these glimpses into Derry’s past have been good for me to read and ponder. Looking back across the centuries, I’m reminded that times haven’t always been easy for our church and this community. The sepia photo of “Old Derry” with broken windows and holes in the siding is just one example. There have been years when this church has had no pastor, and times when the congregation was so small that others from the community stepped in to keep the church going: when “Old Derry” was torn down In 1884, a group of people, many of them descendants of early church members and former pastors, came together to support the construction of the Presbyterian Memorial Church of Hershey (our current Chapel). It would be many more years before Milton Hershey returned to this area and not only the town, but our church, grew and prospered.

It has helped me to reflect on Derry’s history as we live into this post-pandemic time. In the past two years, much has changed in all of our lives, and that includes our church family. There has been sadness and loss. Ways of doing things have changed. Not everyone has been excited about technological advances and hybrid meetings. I know who’s missing when I scan the pews and see empty spaces instead of familiar faces. I have to be honest and say there are times I walk these halls and my heart just hurts. 

Then a note from Pam pops into my feed to remind me that the long arc of Derry Church history always bends back toward hope. I know we have been here before, and it’s not the end but a new beginning. I have faith in this church, this congregation, and the God who has seen us through the past three centuries, and I can’t wait to see where God takes us next. 

* Long-time readers will remember that the staff used to get pizza every week. I’m happy to say we’ve branched out to other local restaurants: let me know if you have a favorite place we should check out.