We have offered a witness in the Keezletown community for 229 years.
A History of Trinity Lutheran Church
1787-2012
written by Janet Armentrout Cooley for the 225th Anniversary Celebration - August 12, 2012
On October 31, 1769, German-immigrant Lutherans in this community signed a document of Union agreement between Reformed and Lutheran congregations to form the Peaked Mountain Church located in McGaheysville. However, due to the time required to travel “around the mountain”, folks here desired a church in their own community. In the year 1787, Ermentraudt's Church (a union church) was organized at the home of Heinrich Ermentraudt with Abraham Gottlieb Deschler serving as lay preacher. They continued to meet in homes such as Mr. Schram, Heinrich Ermentraudt, Mr. Wolf, and Casper Hahn for a number of years. The Rev. Paul Henkel would stop periodically and provide pastoral care/services, as well as some other itinerant preachers passing through, but there was no regular pastor from 1791-1806.
Construction was begun on a church building in 1787, but there was an accident where a log fell and killed young George, the 16-year-old son of Heinrich Ermentraudt, and this halted construction for a time. The church, located near present-day Bethel Church of the Brethren just off Mountain Valley Road, was not completed until 1806. The Rev. Paul Henkel became the first ordained pastor to serve Ermentraudt's Church (also known as “Old Dutch Church”). The first deacons were: Phillip Ermentraudt, Sr.; Casper Hahn; Heinrich Fluck; and Heinrich Ermentraudt.
In 1825, the congregation was renamed St. Phillips. Around 1850, records began to be kept in English rather than German. In 1857, a new church building was erected at the current site on land given by the Hayne family. Around 1864, the name was changed to Trinity. A narthex and bell tower were added in the 1930's. At that time two wood stoves were removed and a wood/coal furnace was installed (and in 1960 it was replaced by an oil furnace). It was not until 1941 that electricity came. In 1953, the church was redecorated inside and out to include the addition of beautiful stained glass memorial windows. An additional 2.18 acres was added to the east side of the property, as a gift from Lillian Armentrout in 1957. The following year, a Sunday school classroom addition was dedicated. In 1969, major renovations were completed: pews were painted and rearranged to form a center aisle, chancel was rebuilt, kitchen and basement were remodeled, restrooms added, exterior was painted, and front steps rebuilt, all made possible by a generous bequest from the Lula May Armentrout estate. The main part of the building was insulated and aluminum siding added in 1977. Also that year, James Cooley gave the lighted church sign in memory of his wife Linda. In 1981, we received the bell from St. John's Lutheran Church, Singers Glen, and it was moved to Trinity's bell tower on a cold January day. Of note, St. John's church was later moved to Caroline Furnace to serve as a chapel there. There have been many other improvements/additions through the years: The Luther League purchased the five-piece brass altar set in 1959; the LCW added pew cushions in 1976; a dossal curtain was purchased in 1987 with funds left to the LCW by Ruthene Armentrout; a crocheted Lord's Prayer by Mary Hoskins was dedicated in 1987; chancel furniture in memory of Owen Armentrout and built by Robert “Bud” Armentrout was dedicated in 1995; ceiling fans were added for our comfort in 1987 and 1990; the Bill Hoffmeyer Memorial Garden was blessed in 2000; new furnaces and air conditioning were installed in 2004; and a beautiful Pentecost banner, designed and painted on canvas by Verenta Martin, was dedicated in June of this year.
As stated in the beginning of this history, the congregation began with limited pastoral care. In the early years, they were dependent upon the occasional visits from Rev. Paul Henkel as he came down from New Market to preach, instruct, baptize, etc. and upon others who passed through and would stop in to hold services. Often catechetical instruction would be held on Saturday. An entry from Paul Henkel's journal from November 8-13, 1813 reports that “he spent this time in the Ermentraudt community giving catechetical instruction to a large class. On Friday of that week he baptized a grown boy with his three young sisters. On Saturday he confirmed a class of twenty and held the preparatory service. On Sunday he administered the communion to fifty-three.”
I am not clear on when we became strictly a Lutheran congregation, perhaps when the name changed to St. Phillip's in 1825. One reference stated that “the Reformed drifted away during the 19th century.” Throughout most of its history, Trinity was a part of a multiple-point parish (Rockingham Lutheran Parish), sometimes having as many as five churches served by one pastor. That meant that Trinity had worship services only twice a month. Worship might be on Sunday morning, afternoon, or evening, or even a week night. In the early 1950's, and again in the early 1960's, there was a period of several years that we were vacant and depended on Sunday supplies, with seminary students serving as summer supplies. It was not until the fall of 1980, that Trinity began having worship every Sunday. At that time we began a vicar program (for three years), under the leadership of Pastor Ray Hatcher. The interns (vicars) were able to provide worship leadership so that all three congregations of the parish could have services every Sunday. In 1985, we became a two-church parish, then in 1995, we became a single point church/parish and have been served by half-time pastors since that time.
Over the years, Trinity has remained a small rural congregation. Although worship was not held weekly until late in the history of the congregation, Sunday school was always a part of the weekly schedule. During those times, the attendance was greater for Sunday school than for worship. In the 1950's, Christmas pageants were presented, with the cast memorizing their lines. Vacation Bible School was strong in the 1930's-early 1940's, then we later joined with St. Jacob's for a joint endeavor for some years. In the 1980's we began holding our own again, which continues to date.
Auxiliary organizations:
Outreach includes synod/churchwide appeals (e.g. World Hunger, disaster relief, Mission Partners); local efforts (e.g. food pantry, free clinic, regional food bank, helping needy families through local organizations); and a yearly offering to provide Christmas gifts for less fortunate families in the area. Members have also helped to build three houses for Habitat for Humanity and have worked with Rebuilding Together to make house repairs/improvements for elderly/disabled in the wider community.
LIST OF PASTORS
Abraham Gottlieb Deschler 1787-1806 (Teacher) T. A. Graves 1939-1941
Paul Henkel 1806-1823 George S. Derrick 1943-1945
Ambrose Henkel (son of Paul) 1823-1855 T. A. Graves 1945-1947
Henry Wetzel 1855-1861 Paul M. Counts 1948-1951
James E. Seneker 1863-1867 Hensil B. Arehart 1955-1956
Irenaeus Conder 1867-1894 H. Belk Leonard 1957-1960
Polycarp C. Wike 1895-1899 Jay M. Bohn 1960-1962
Ernest H. Kohn 1900-1901 L. Crockett Huddle 1965-1975
J. W. Hausenfluck 1901-1913 D. Ray Hatcher 1976-1984*
C . K. Rhodes 1913-1920 Richard Umberger 1985-1991
H. D. Chapman 1921-1925 Sharon Israel 1992-1994
Henry E. H. Sloop 1925-1931 Bill Hoffmeyer 1996-1998
Arthur Blank 1931-1936 Karen Church 1999-2012
K. Y. Huddle 1936-1938
*Vicars:
John Hoffmeyer 1980-81
Kerry Maurer 1981-82
Bruce Wilder 1982-83
Thanks to the foresight of those few men in 1787 who worked diligently to have a church in this community and to all who have continued this ministry throughout the past 229 years, we celebrate with thanksgiving today. Thanks be to God for his guidance and blessings in the lives of all these saints. May Trinity Lutheran Church remain as a gathering place for future generations – to worship and hear the Gospel proclaimed and in turn to go forth and serve our neighbors. Here are some words (appropriate in 1787 and still in 2012) from the hymn “Gather Us In” -- “Here in this place, the new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away; see in this space our fears and our dreamings brought here to you in the light of this day.”
Information contained in this history has been gathered from church history documents, Naomi Koontz's diary from 1939-1942, Robert Howell's book Ehrmentroudt's, my personal record-keeping/memories, and various other sources.
1787-2012
written by Janet Armentrout Cooley for the 225th Anniversary Celebration - August 12, 2012
On October 31, 1769, German-immigrant Lutherans in this community signed a document of Union agreement between Reformed and Lutheran congregations to form the Peaked Mountain Church located in McGaheysville. However, due to the time required to travel “around the mountain”, folks here desired a church in their own community. In the year 1787, Ermentraudt's Church (a union church) was organized at the home of Heinrich Ermentraudt with Abraham Gottlieb Deschler serving as lay preacher. They continued to meet in homes such as Mr. Schram, Heinrich Ermentraudt, Mr. Wolf, and Casper Hahn for a number of years. The Rev. Paul Henkel would stop periodically and provide pastoral care/services, as well as some other itinerant preachers passing through, but there was no regular pastor from 1791-1806.
Construction was begun on a church building in 1787, but there was an accident where a log fell and killed young George, the 16-year-old son of Heinrich Ermentraudt, and this halted construction for a time. The church, located near present-day Bethel Church of the Brethren just off Mountain Valley Road, was not completed until 1806. The Rev. Paul Henkel became the first ordained pastor to serve Ermentraudt's Church (also known as “Old Dutch Church”). The first deacons were: Phillip Ermentraudt, Sr.; Casper Hahn; Heinrich Fluck; and Heinrich Ermentraudt.
In 1825, the congregation was renamed St. Phillips. Around 1850, records began to be kept in English rather than German. In 1857, a new church building was erected at the current site on land given by the Hayne family. Around 1864, the name was changed to Trinity. A narthex and bell tower were added in the 1930's. At that time two wood stoves were removed and a wood/coal furnace was installed (and in 1960 it was replaced by an oil furnace). It was not until 1941 that electricity came. In 1953, the church was redecorated inside and out to include the addition of beautiful stained glass memorial windows. An additional 2.18 acres was added to the east side of the property, as a gift from Lillian Armentrout in 1957. The following year, a Sunday school classroom addition was dedicated. In 1969, major renovations were completed: pews were painted and rearranged to form a center aisle, chancel was rebuilt, kitchen and basement were remodeled, restrooms added, exterior was painted, and front steps rebuilt, all made possible by a generous bequest from the Lula May Armentrout estate. The main part of the building was insulated and aluminum siding added in 1977. Also that year, James Cooley gave the lighted church sign in memory of his wife Linda. In 1981, we received the bell from St. John's Lutheran Church, Singers Glen, and it was moved to Trinity's bell tower on a cold January day. Of note, St. John's church was later moved to Caroline Furnace to serve as a chapel there. There have been many other improvements/additions through the years: The Luther League purchased the five-piece brass altar set in 1959; the LCW added pew cushions in 1976; a dossal curtain was purchased in 1987 with funds left to the LCW by Ruthene Armentrout; a crocheted Lord's Prayer by Mary Hoskins was dedicated in 1987; chancel furniture in memory of Owen Armentrout and built by Robert “Bud” Armentrout was dedicated in 1995; ceiling fans were added for our comfort in 1987 and 1990; the Bill Hoffmeyer Memorial Garden was blessed in 2000; new furnaces and air conditioning were installed in 2004; and a beautiful Pentecost banner, designed and painted on canvas by Verenta Martin, was dedicated in June of this year.
As stated in the beginning of this history, the congregation began with limited pastoral care. In the early years, they were dependent upon the occasional visits from Rev. Paul Henkel as he came down from New Market to preach, instruct, baptize, etc. and upon others who passed through and would stop in to hold services. Often catechetical instruction would be held on Saturday. An entry from Paul Henkel's journal from November 8-13, 1813 reports that “he spent this time in the Ermentraudt community giving catechetical instruction to a large class. On Friday of that week he baptized a grown boy with his three young sisters. On Saturday he confirmed a class of twenty and held the preparatory service. On Sunday he administered the communion to fifty-three.”
I am not clear on when we became strictly a Lutheran congregation, perhaps when the name changed to St. Phillip's in 1825. One reference stated that “the Reformed drifted away during the 19th century.” Throughout most of its history, Trinity was a part of a multiple-point parish (Rockingham Lutheran Parish), sometimes having as many as five churches served by one pastor. That meant that Trinity had worship services only twice a month. Worship might be on Sunday morning, afternoon, or evening, or even a week night. In the early 1950's, and again in the early 1960's, there was a period of several years that we were vacant and depended on Sunday supplies, with seminary students serving as summer supplies. It was not until the fall of 1980, that Trinity began having worship every Sunday. At that time we began a vicar program (for three years), under the leadership of Pastor Ray Hatcher. The interns (vicars) were able to provide worship leadership so that all three congregations of the parish could have services every Sunday. In 1985, we became a two-church parish, then in 1995, we became a single point church/parish and have been served by half-time pastors since that time.
Over the years, Trinity has remained a small rural congregation. Although worship was not held weekly until late in the history of the congregation, Sunday school was always a part of the weekly schedule. During those times, the attendance was greater for Sunday school than for worship. In the 1950's, Christmas pageants were presented, with the cast memorizing their lines. Vacation Bible School was strong in the 1930's-early 1940's, then we later joined with St. Jacob's for a joint endeavor for some years. In the 1980's we began holding our own again, which continues to date.
Auxiliary organizations:
- Luther League was very active in the 1930'-50's. It later evolved into a congregational youth group that was active in the 1980's, and then in the 2000's there has been another active group with significant participation in Synod youth events and ELCA Youth Gatherings.
- The women formed a group named “Helping Hands” in 1960, and in 1965 became the LCW (Lutheran Church Women), when we affiliated with the churchwide and synod organizations. When the church merged in 1987, and became the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), LCW changed its name and became “Women of the ELCA”.
Outreach includes synod/churchwide appeals (e.g. World Hunger, disaster relief, Mission Partners); local efforts (e.g. food pantry, free clinic, regional food bank, helping needy families through local organizations); and a yearly offering to provide Christmas gifts for less fortunate families in the area. Members have also helped to build three houses for Habitat for Humanity and have worked with Rebuilding Together to make house repairs/improvements for elderly/disabled in the wider community.
LIST OF PASTORS
Abraham Gottlieb Deschler 1787-1806 (Teacher) T. A. Graves 1939-1941
Paul Henkel 1806-1823 George S. Derrick 1943-1945
Ambrose Henkel (son of Paul) 1823-1855 T. A. Graves 1945-1947
Henry Wetzel 1855-1861 Paul M. Counts 1948-1951
James E. Seneker 1863-1867 Hensil B. Arehart 1955-1956
Irenaeus Conder 1867-1894 H. Belk Leonard 1957-1960
Polycarp C. Wike 1895-1899 Jay M. Bohn 1960-1962
Ernest H. Kohn 1900-1901 L. Crockett Huddle 1965-1975
J. W. Hausenfluck 1901-1913 D. Ray Hatcher 1976-1984*
C . K. Rhodes 1913-1920 Richard Umberger 1985-1991
H. D. Chapman 1921-1925 Sharon Israel 1992-1994
Henry E. H. Sloop 1925-1931 Bill Hoffmeyer 1996-1998
Arthur Blank 1931-1936 Karen Church 1999-2012
K. Y. Huddle 1936-1938
*Vicars:
John Hoffmeyer 1980-81
Kerry Maurer 1981-82
Bruce Wilder 1982-83
Thanks to the foresight of those few men in 1787 who worked diligently to have a church in this community and to all who have continued this ministry throughout the past 229 years, we celebrate with thanksgiving today. Thanks be to God for his guidance and blessings in the lives of all these saints. May Trinity Lutheran Church remain as a gathering place for future generations – to worship and hear the Gospel proclaimed and in turn to go forth and serve our neighbors. Here are some words (appropriate in 1787 and still in 2012) from the hymn “Gather Us In” -- “Here in this place, the new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away; see in this space our fears and our dreamings brought here to you in the light of this day.”
Information contained in this history has been gathered from church history documents, Naomi Koontz's diary from 1939-1942, Robert Howell's book Ehrmentroudt's, my personal record-keeping/memories, and various other sources.