St Paul's History

Ancestry of St Paul's

 St. Paul’s traces its origin to the beliefs and principles of the leaders of the 16th Century Protestant Reformation, to Germany and England where pioneers of the present united Church established freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience. Coming to America, the descendants of these democratic religious groups became the Pilgrims and Puritans of new England and the German Reformed settlers of the Middle Colonies. In 1776, their churches served as meeting places for fomenting the American Revolution. The Liberty Bell had been hidden for safekeeping in one of these churches in Allentown.

 

Union of Two Churches

As a member of the United Church of Christ denomination, St. Paul’s is an offspring of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches. The union of these two great denominations was established in 1957, becoming the first modern merger of major Protestant denominations in the U.S.A.

Local Historic Roots

St. Paul’s “mother church” is the historic Peace Church, located at the intersection of Trindle Road (PA Rt. 641) and St. John’s Church Road near Camp Hill, PA. In 1863, our congregation’s first home was located at the corner of Frederick and Locust Streets in downtown Mechanicsburg.  In 1975, St. Paul’s moved to its present location with a membership of more than 300. It has continued its steady growth as new persons and families join this friendly congregation.