In 1860, a group of people first gathered in Bucks Valley to dedicate a building for the Lord. They desired to have a place in which to sing and pray, a place to hear Bible preaching, and a place where where their children and young people might receive instruction. This continued until 1902 when the original building was tragically destroyed by fire. The present building was constructed in 1913. Rev. George I. Straub, who was General Superintendent of God's Missionary Church at that time, had a burden to start a work in the Bucks Valley area. His first thoughts were to conduct a tent meeting. God had other plans.
One day while Rev. Russell Herr was walking on the square in Newport, PA, he heard his name called from across the street. He saw two men standing on the sidewalk looking his direction. The one was Associate Judge of Perry County, Mr. James Billow; the other was a business man from Newport. After approaching the unfamiliar men, they inquired if he was a minister and asked him if he would be interested in re-opening the old Center Union Church in Bucks Valley. The judge said the building was to be offered for sale and the buyer had plans to convert it into a chicken house or hay shed. As long as a congregation met there, however, the building could not be sold. The judge confessed that the thought of this church, which he had attended as child, being used in this way troubled him so much that he could not sleep at night.
Rev. Herr then contacted Rev. Straub, and together they went to see the church. They knelt and prayed and claimed it for God. Next they arranged a meeting with the members of the existing board of the church. Satan put forth every effort to shut the doors, but God gave Rev. Straub wisdom to answer every question wisely, and the church doors remained open. Rev. Herr somewhat faded out of the picture for a short time, while Rev. Straub's family and Rev. Marlin Moore pursued possessing the property. They went into the old building, cleaned out the cobwebs, killed the bugs and spiders and painted all the walls. The building had no electric lights. The two old stoves, one on each side of the building, were much better at trying to burn down the place than heating it. They were, however, still in use in the fall of 1957 when Rev. Herr came to pastor.
Rev. Straub and those with him reopened the church with a revival meeting that lasted for several weeks, despite various types of opposition. Their faithfulness resulted in the conversion of Bradley Halter, who joined the God's Missionary Church conference in 1968, became an ordained minister in 1971, and has been serving since 1973 as a missionary to Taiwan. God wonderfully moved! Some of the meetings were so well-attended that the people had to stand as far out as the street.
In the fall of 1957, Rev. Straub approached Rev. Herr and said, “Brother Herr, I want you to take Center Union and see what God will do.” By the time Rev. Herr arrived as pastor, the congregation had dropped as low as 10-12 in Sunday school. The Lord graciously helped the church, and in time the attendance grew to the 50’s and 60’s. Rev. Herr served the church until the fall of 1982, at which time he retired from pastoring. During the years he pastored, the congregation experienced glorious meetings. Rev. Herr said the Center Union people became to him more than just a congregation, more like his own children. In fact, the night of his farewell sermon, Rev. Herr said, “It felt like I was allowed of God to see my own funeral or either theirs. Yes, I loved those dear ones.”
After Rev. Herr, Rev. Eugene Winter assumed the pastorate and continued until 1985. On Wednesday, December 4, 1985, Rev. Timothy Cooley, Sr. began his ministry to the people of Bucks Valley.
The church family worked together nearly every Saturday from summer 1986 through summer 1988 on an extensive renovation and expansion of the church. They dug out a basement in which to build Sunday School rooms, moved the main entrance to the west side of the building, installed rest rooms, remodeled the sanctuary and installed new pews and pulpit furniture. Finally on July 24, 1988, they rededicated the building with a grand celebration including the Lebanon Valley Gospel Band. Because of faithful giving, on October 7, 1990, they ceremonially burned the loan papers because the money borrowed to finish remodeling was paid off! On September 22, 1991, the congregation dedicated a newly installed, interior-lighted sign.
A good number of the congregation volunteered their assistance to host an annual Vacation Bible School. Mrs. Ruth Cooley’s creative expression in VBS theme, storytelling, songs, scripture memory and fun learning activities sparked interest in the children. With a bus to transport the children to the church, attendance ranged into the 80’s. Each year after VBS had ended, a number of the children usually wanted to start attending children’s church. The bus ministry averaged about 20 children.
More coming soon...
One day while Rev. Russell Herr was walking on the square in Newport, PA, he heard his name called from across the street. He saw two men standing on the sidewalk looking his direction. The one was Associate Judge of Perry County, Mr. James Billow; the other was a business man from Newport. After approaching the unfamiliar men, they inquired if he was a minister and asked him if he would be interested in re-opening the old Center Union Church in Bucks Valley. The judge said the building was to be offered for sale and the buyer had plans to convert it into a chicken house or hay shed. As long as a congregation met there, however, the building could not be sold. The judge confessed that the thought of this church, which he had attended as child, being used in this way troubled him so much that he could not sleep at night.
Rev. Herr then contacted Rev. Straub, and together they went to see the church. They knelt and prayed and claimed it for God. Next they arranged a meeting with the members of the existing board of the church. Satan put forth every effort to shut the doors, but God gave Rev. Straub wisdom to answer every question wisely, and the church doors remained open. Rev. Herr somewhat faded out of the picture for a short time, while Rev. Straub's family and Rev. Marlin Moore pursued possessing the property. They went into the old building, cleaned out the cobwebs, killed the bugs and spiders and painted all the walls. The building had no electric lights. The two old stoves, one on each side of the building, were much better at trying to burn down the place than heating it. They were, however, still in use in the fall of 1957 when Rev. Herr came to pastor.
Rev. Straub and those with him reopened the church with a revival meeting that lasted for several weeks, despite various types of opposition. Their faithfulness resulted in the conversion of Bradley Halter, who joined the God's Missionary Church conference in 1968, became an ordained minister in 1971, and has been serving since 1973 as a missionary to Taiwan. God wonderfully moved! Some of the meetings were so well-attended that the people had to stand as far out as the street.
In the fall of 1957, Rev. Straub approached Rev. Herr and said, “Brother Herr, I want you to take Center Union and see what God will do.” By the time Rev. Herr arrived as pastor, the congregation had dropped as low as 10-12 in Sunday school. The Lord graciously helped the church, and in time the attendance grew to the 50’s and 60’s. Rev. Herr served the church until the fall of 1982, at which time he retired from pastoring. During the years he pastored, the congregation experienced glorious meetings. Rev. Herr said the Center Union people became to him more than just a congregation, more like his own children. In fact, the night of his farewell sermon, Rev. Herr said, “It felt like I was allowed of God to see my own funeral or either theirs. Yes, I loved those dear ones.”
After Rev. Herr, Rev. Eugene Winter assumed the pastorate and continued until 1985. On Wednesday, December 4, 1985, Rev. Timothy Cooley, Sr. began his ministry to the people of Bucks Valley.
The church family worked together nearly every Saturday from summer 1986 through summer 1988 on an extensive renovation and expansion of the church. They dug out a basement in which to build Sunday School rooms, moved the main entrance to the west side of the building, installed rest rooms, remodeled the sanctuary and installed new pews and pulpit furniture. Finally on July 24, 1988, they rededicated the building with a grand celebration including the Lebanon Valley Gospel Band. Because of faithful giving, on October 7, 1990, they ceremonially burned the loan papers because the money borrowed to finish remodeling was paid off! On September 22, 1991, the congregation dedicated a newly installed, interior-lighted sign.
A good number of the congregation volunteered their assistance to host an annual Vacation Bible School. Mrs. Ruth Cooley’s creative expression in VBS theme, storytelling, songs, scripture memory and fun learning activities sparked interest in the children. With a bus to transport the children to the church, attendance ranged into the 80’s. Each year after VBS had ended, a number of the children usually wanted to start attending children’s church. The bus ministry averaged about 20 children.
More coming soon...