Jobs were scarce in the years following World War II and so our family moved quite often during those years. When we lived in New Cumberland, Elizabethtown, and Lancaster, we traveled each Sunday and most Wednesdays to attend the Mennonite Brethren In Christ Church in Harrisburg. After my father took a permanent job in Lancaster at RCA, he desired to find a church that was more convenient for our family to attend. He found that there were a number of other families living in the Lancaster area who had previously attended Mennonite Brethren in Christ churches in Lebanon and Mt. Carmel. It was this nucleus of families that worked with the denomination to begin a mission work in Lancaster.
A young pastor, James Koch, was appointed to lead the new mission work. And, on July 22, 1950, the new congregation held its first service in a tent at the corner of Broad and Orange Streets. This was a very special time for all of us who attended. Then, on August 28, the mission held its first Sunday School in the tent with 28 attending. The teachers were Beula Koch, Parke Rankin, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Sheffy, and my father, Horace Kauffman. On September 3 the congregation held its first service in the meeting rooms of Malta Temple, on East King Street. I can vividly remember that during prayer meetings we would hear the bowling balls and pins from the bowling alley below us.
Fellowship was important in developing unity and the first church social was held at Malta on October 17. During the next few years the young congregation would often meet with the Lebanon congregation for times of fellowship and encouragement. A charter membership included 31 members and during the fist ten years the membership grew to 47 and the average Sunday School attendance grew to an average of 106. Since the death of my father in 2009, I am now the only remaining charter member who still attends Faith. We've lost contact over the years with a couple of others who, like me, were children then and might still be living.
Less than a year after their first meeting, the congregation approved a resolution to have a church building built by Benjamin Groff, at a cost of $23,177, on Hager Street. This lot was on the corner of an emerging neighborhood with open land to its south and west. Prospect St., which now borders the lot on the west, and Seymour St., to the south, were not yet extended and only woods and fields of corn were in these areas. Showing signs of new life and growth, church officers were elected on May 23, 1951, and these included the fist trustees – Raymond Snyder, Merle Lefever and Horace Kauffman. Ground was broken for the new building in July of 1951, the cornerstone was laid on August 8, and the first service was held in the basement on November 1, less than 16 months after the first service. I remember the excitement of that first Sunday meeting and though it was just in the basement, it was our new home.
Earlier, during that summer, tent meetings were again held, this time where the Lafayette Fire Company now exists on Prospect Street. During those services, a neighboring family, the Irwin family, helped our church workers and began to attend. Some of the family members were saved. A daughter, Sharon Irwin Gantz, is still an active member of our church.
I have many great memories of these years. I personally remember meeting many of the young students from the newly formed Berean Bible School who came during the summers to share in the outreach. Many of them stayed in our home on Queen St. Later, many of them became pastors in our denomination. I remember the times we went door to door sharing literature and inviting folks to visit with us. I remember the unity shown as the charter members donated many hours of labor at the new church. I especially recall the time families spent together painting the walls of the new building. Those early years taught me many lessons about God's provision and God's blessing when His children give of themselves to labor in unity, doing God's work.
(Please note - a correction. There probably were a few other small children who attended the first service. However, other than the two mentioned yesterday, none - if they are still living - have attended Faith for many years.)
Picture is the original building.
Part 3 is coming tomorrow
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