St. John Lutheran Church in Mount Wolf to celebrate 100 years

By Rebecca LeFever

rlefever@ydr.com @ralefever on Twitter

In early 1913, a young seminarian named Paul Y. Livingston went door-to-door in Mount Wolf to reach out to the Lutheran and unchurched residents.

Because of his work, on July 26, 1914, St. John Evangelical Church started with 20 members.

As the decades passed, the membership would grow, the building would change, and the descendents of those 20 would become examples of the strong community bond created a century ago.

The church, at 23 N. Third St. in Mount Wolf, will be celebrating its anniversary with activities, including services used throughout the years and a website featuring historical facts about the church.

Members of the congregation will participate in a Cornerstone Opening Service at 10:45 a.m. May 18. Cornerstones, often a significant stone placed during the construction of the building, sometimes contain newspapers, coins or church artifacts. No one knows what's in the 1914 cornerstone, said Dawn Brenner, co-chair of the 100th anniversary celebration, but it is one of three to be opened this year.

At 9:30 a.m. June 8, all the children of the congregation will participate in a special service.

Churches in York County are not short on well-kept histories. Some instances about St. John that stand out are:

On May 23, 1915, the congregation decided to build a church. The Cornerstone Laying took place in November 1915. The mortgage was less than $7,000 and was paid in full four years later.

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St. John Lutheran Church in Mount Wolf to celebrate 100 years