TheThe

We shall come rejoicingbringing in the sheaves.We shall come rejoicingbringing in the sheaves.

HARVESTHOME

HARVESTHOME

Editor: Gerald A. HeebnerBusiness Manager: Joanne JalowyDesign: Robin Hepler, robindesign@rcn.comArtist: Frank BatsonPhotographer: Lee SchultzReporters:

Linda Schmidt, CentralRev. Edward O. Winslow, MissionaryKarl Nyce, OlivetKaren Kriebel, PalmDiana Weir-Smith, Perkiomen SchoolLena Johnson, In Retrospect

Publication CommitteeRev. David W. Luz, ChairJean S. Ross, Secretary

Publication OfficeSchwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center105 Seminary StreetPennsburg, PA 18073-1898

THE SCHWENKFELDIAN is published during theWinter, Spring, and Fall quarters by theGeneral Conference of the SchwenkfelderChurch, under the direction of the Publica-tion Committee, in the interest of the churches.Material presented in this magazine does notnecessarily represent the beliefs and teachingsof Schwenckfeld or the Schwenkfelder Church.

If you move, please advise us promptly, givingboth your old and new addresses to ensureuninterrupted delivery. To discontinue mailings,email info@schwenkfelder.com or call 215-679-3103.

$12.00 per year, $5.00 per copy. Free to eachSchwenkfelder Church member household.

The

2 FAL L 2013

▼BETWEEN TWO WORLDS 3Living abroad: a Dutch view ofAmerica and notes on the Netherlands.

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T R A D I T I O N S

USHERS LEAGUE CHORUS 8Remembering the Towamencinminstrel performers.

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CREATIVE CONNECTIONS 10Joining forces to serve and investin the future of the local community.

GENERAL CONFERENCE 12Fall and Spring reports from the boards and committees.

CHURCH BRIEFS 16News and updates from Central, Olivet, and Palm.

PERSONAL NOTES 18Marriages, births, and deaths from Central, Olivet, and Palm.

IN RETROSPECT 19Looking back at theaccomplishments of members.

FOLKLIFE SYMPOSIUM 20• Pennsylvania Dutch scholars.

• Lunch included.

ISSN

003

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In this Issue

F A L L 2 0 1 3 V O L U M E 1 1 3 N U M B E R 3

ABOUT OUR COVERWhen anthropologists study civilizations,one of the areas that they examine mostclosely are special acts of celebrationbecause what is remembered and howit is celebrated provides a good idea ofthe dominant values and beliefs of a cul-ture. As we commemorate the harvest,let us remember God’s material and spir-itual fruitfulness in our own lives, reactwith generosity and humility, and respondin worship and gratitude by passing onsome of our blessings to those who needthem today. Like the harvest itself, weare gathered to God.

▼COME THANKFUL PEOPLE 6Harvest home observances arerooted in German traditions.

BetweenBetweenTwo WorldsTwo Worlds

3THE SCHWENKFELD IAN

Notes On The Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country about the size of Marylandwith around 16 million inhabitants. It is situated betweenGermany, Belgium and the North Sea. The most promi-nent part of the country, Holland, gives the Netherlandsits second name.

M O R A L I T Y A N D T H E C H U R C HMany Americans are quick to identify the Netherlandsas one of the most morally progressive countries on earth.

BY HENRY WILL IAMS

TThere are many reasons for an American Schwenk-

felder to understand Western Europe; important

among them are the interdependence of the Amer-

ican and European economies, common cultural

heritage, and, of course, the historical roots of the

Schwenkfelder denomination and America as a

whole. This article, however, will aim to foster what

is perhaps the greatest benefit of knowledge about

foreign cultures—renewed reflection on one’s own

culture. To this end, I have split the article into two

main blocks: one introducing the Netherlands,

where I have lived for the past eight years, the

other presenting a Dutch view of America.

Prostitution, marijuana, and euthanasia are all legalized, and thus thestreets of Amsterdam and other cities contain, among other establish-ments, brothels and coffeeshops (for marijuana smoking). The countryhas been coming under pressure from a large amount of Muslim immi-grants to accommodate Islamic marriage practices.

These trends are directly linked to the decline of Christianity in theNetherlands. In a country once recognized as a part of Christendom,the church has lost an enormous amount of adherents, social author-ity, and political and economic sway. Church attendance has nowdwindled to around two percent per Sunday, a large proportion ofthis coming from immigrants. Despite the lack in church member-ship, the church still faces conflict from within. Differences in musicaland ethnic preferences, along with disagreements on doctrine andfocuses further beleaguer the Dutch church.

Y O U T H A N D S C H O O L I N GSince around the 1960s, many Dutch parents have effaced the notionof authority in parenting. This affects how Dutch children view theirelders (increasingly more address their parents with grammaticallyinformal pronouns), the amount of independence, sway and mobilitythat teens claim for themselves, and the focus and maturity of the Dutchculture in general. My father will often go in one day from the semi-nary, where he is addressed as “Sir” or “Dr.” by international denom-

inational leaders, to the baseball field, where he is addressed as“Drake” by Dutch ten-year-olds!

For all this, the Dutch maintain an excellent edu-cational system. Students are tested at key

points throughout their schooling career,and thereby tentatively divided into sev-

eral different tiers, which are aimedat different levels of the economy.

Many Dutch students will havegood command over several

foreign languages (almostalways English, oftentimes

German or French) by the end of their time in high school. Recently,a new group of higher educational institutions called university col-leges has become popular in the Netherlands. These provide Englishlanguage humanities education to good Dutch students, and witnessto the English capabilities and international mindsets of the currentgeneration of budding scholars.

I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O M M U N I T YI choose the word international over the word expat intentionally,because the Dutch have always been very internationally minded.Indeed, given the language capabilities of the country as a whole, itis not too far of a stretch to call the average, purebred Dutchman aninternational.

The Netherlands, as a whole, has historically been very involved ininternational business. A couple hundred years ago, the famed DutchEast Indies Company provided the Netherlands with the foundationof its current wealth. Nowadays, the Netherlands boasts several big-name international companies, such as Siemens, Shell and Philips.The country also benefits from the Schengen zone, which allows forcustoms-free import and export among select European Union nations.

This is certainly not to say that the Netherlands lacks a true expatpopulation! Immigration laws are, on the whole, more relaxed thanin the states, allowing for a significant population of western as wellas southern immigrants. A significant amount of international out-lets (including American specialty shops and a sizeable bazaar) are

available to make foreigners feel at home.

America Through Dutch Eyes

Over the eight years that I’ve lived in the Netherlands,I’ve returned to the United States for support raisingand family vacation. I’ve experienced what’s knownas reverse culture shock—rediscovering one’s ownculture after having been in another—with some regu-larity. Here are likely some of the more pertinent pecu-liarities that a European would see in the States.

C O N S U M P T I O N C U L T U R ETo the rest of the world, the United States is often rep-resented by the sheer amount of stuff that we collec-tively possess. Certainly, it is right to wonder at theamazing disparity between the archetypal well-fedAmerican child and the archetypal starving Africanchild. But what often goes overlooked is the fact that(North) Americans are not only bigger consumersthan those in the global south, but that they are big-ger consumers than the rest of western inhabitants(i.e., Europeans).

Sizes of almost everything seem to be bigger in theStates. Food portions are larger here, as well as cars(contrast the SUV, a largely American phenomenon,to the large amount of hatchbacks in the Netherlands).American houses, casinos, supermarkets, cinemas, andskyscrapers are all well larger than their Europeancounterparts. And, even though Europe is the conti-nent of cathedrals, many American church buildingsand church grounds are surprisingly large.

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5THE SCHWENKFELD IAN

There also seems to be more of everything in the States. There are more cars per household thanin the Netherlands. More after-school activities are offered to children, thus creating the largelyAmerican stereotyped soccer mom. I’ve also wondered at the greater information intake of Americans.The idea that one would, in addition to watching the featured game, keep tabs on every single sportsgame in progress, is foreign to the Dutch mind. The Dutchman might also be surprised by theamount of television–computer screens in a home, the vast amount of (local or national)newspapers and news programs available, and the massive amount of public focus given tocelebrities (and their diets, prison sentences, sleazy dresses, opinions or lack of them, faux pas,endorsements, affiliations, and so on, ad nauseum).

S P A C E A N D S P A C E M A N A G E M E N TThe Netherlands and America differ wildly in their approaches to space. According to theweb site worldatlas.com, the Netherlands ranks fourteenth worldwide in population den-sity, over countries such as Japan, India and the Philippines. By contrast, the United Statesranks at 142, under Madagascar, Liberia and Latvia.

A lot of the difference comes down to residential space management. In the Netherlands,almost all of the houses are row homes. There are few sprawling yards or private pools—andvirtually no properties that are measured in acres. Also, there are very few unused rooms; nounfinished attics or basements, because the Dutch oftentimes use every square meter, with thehelp of popular space-maximizing furniture firms such as Ikea.

As with many differences between the States and the Netherlands, the question is not whichcountry has the right approach. Reflection on space management and other issues is aided by theidea that the governments and the populace have implemented models, however imperfect, whichsuit their own geographical constraints, come from their own minds, and foster the implementationof their own distinct modi operandi.

P A T R I O T I S M A N D P O L I T I C SThe United States is a country which places notably more emphasis on patriotism than the Nether-lands. American flags seem to be ubiquitous, visible at stadiums, offices, houses and even churches.It seems that most not only quickly identify themselves as being American, but are proud of theirAmerican nationality (and perhaps their ancestral roots in Germany, the U.K., Ireland, etc.). Thiscontrasts with the Dutch attitude to patriotism; most of the Dutch only adapt any sense ofnational pride at select occasions, such as King’s Day and big international football matches(compare the annual rendition of ‘Rule Brittania’ at Britain’s famed Last Night of the Proms).

What’s more, the States seem to have integrated political thought into their society more thanthe Dutch. While there are news talk shows which treat political questions, political discussion amongmost of the Dutch is limited to a cynical “it’s all ridiculous anyways.” Coming back to the Statesthis time, I’ve been confronted by the amount of self-identification by one’s political opinions.Americans seem to want to be described as republican, democrat, independent, conservative, orliberal. I wonder if this has played a part in the creation of the two-party polarization of Americanpolitics, as opposed to the re-implementation of the European coalition model of government.

For all this, the Dutchman might still notice that there is a lack of exposure of the average Americanto global issues. This may come from the United States’ status as a world superpower, remnantsof historic American isolationism or the lack of American involvement in a strong supranationalunion (such as the E.U.).

The Challenge To Think Globally

As I have experienced in my time in Europe, understanding a new culture is a challenging thing.It can involve learning a difficult language, being confronted with new forms of human sin, and some-times suffering depression caused by the sheer difference—cultural, linguistic, religious, behavioral—between one’s own culture and the new culture.

For all this, I can testify to the fact that living abroad has been an immensely worthwhile expe-rience for me. It has exposed me by immersion to new cultures, ideas and habits. However, it doesnot take years abroad for an individual to be concerned about global opinions and issues. Thanks tothe internet, popular international news channels (such as the BBC) and the increasing popularityof international Christian leaders in the States (see Ravi Zacharias), the American church has awealth of international resources available. The time is right for it to use them. n

Schwenkfelders& The DutchAbraham, Isaac, and John Von Byuschansewere three brothers who owned a mercan-tile house in Haarlem, The Netherlands.Little has been written about the large con-tribution that they offered the Schwenkfel-ders departing Europe in 1734 on their wayto Pennsylvania. Judge Christopher Heydricknotes in his “Historical Sketch” recorded inthe Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfel-der Families that they not only refused anypayment by the small band of emigrants butinsisted such funds be spent on the poor inPennsylvania after their arrival.

The brothers gave shelter and accommoda-tions to the Schwenkfelders during their brieftwo week respite in Haarlem on the trek toPennsylvania. They may even have beenamong those who advised the Schwenk-felders that Pennsylvania would be moresuitable to their needs than other locations.The Von Byuschanse’s final act of generositywas to underwrite the cost of transportingthe Schwenkfelders to America.

Henry Williams, the son of Dr. H. DrakeWilliams, III, has had the opportunity toview both Dutch and American cultures andoffers his viewpoint of how they differ. Heprovides a look at modern Netherlands, orHolland. Henry is returning to the UnitedStates to attend Wheaton College in Illinoisthis fall.

Dr. H. Drake Williams, III, has been support-ed by the Schwenkfelder Missionary Board,and the Central Schwenkfelder and OlivetSchwenkfelder Churches. He is an author ofseveral books and a professor at TyndaleTheological Seminary in the Netherlands.

6 FAL L 2013

Tha fCome YeRaise the song of harvest home;

all is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.

7THE SCHWENKFELD IAN

BY REV. LESL IE KEARNEYhankful PeopleHarvest Home is actually a Pennsylvania German religioustradition, brought to this country by German Protestants.

It was an autumn festival held anywhere from August toOctober, in celebration of God’s goodness and plenty.

For these Pennsylvania German settlers, HarvestHome was a time of thanksgiving for the fruits of

the earth, as well as recognition of the need toshare them to secure God’s continued bless-

ings. Harvest Home services were espe-cially common among Lutheran andGerman Reformed churches, but alsoSchwenkfelder congregations.

On Harvest Home Sunday, thePennsylvania German Chris-

tians held a special servicewith a harvest sermon

(Erntepredigten), “har-vest thank offerings,” and

beautiful autumn displays.Parishioners brought thebest from their own fields,

gardens, and kitchens.

The season of harvest home is upon us. Traditionally, it is a time of decorated sanctuaries, special mission offerings, and

canned goods displayed at church altars. But what is harvest home? How is it different from Thanksgiving? The history

of this holiday is unique to the German settlers in Pennsylvania, including early Schwenkfelders.

The sanctuary was hung with wreaths and crosses made of grassesand grain. Tall cornstalks, sunflowers, pumpkins, fruits, vegetables,sheaves of wheat, and loaves of bread decorated the church altarand pulpit. The harvest items gathered for the display were usuallypresented to the minister and his family, to a church orphanage,or to a home for the aged. In addition, the harvest thank offeringsbecame common, with the monies being donated to church boards,missions, education, or other benevolences. In some congrega-tions, the Sunday school hosted a picnic consisting of a meal and“processions and recitations.”* The Harvest Home service had itsown liturgy and hymns and was a joyous time for the congrega-tion to recognize the goodness and rich bounty of God and offerappropriate thankfulness.

One should be careful not to confuse Harvest Home with theholiday of Thanksgiving. Harvest Home was not associated withwhat was then called the “New England” or “Yankee” Thanksgiv-ing. On the contrary, many early Pennsylvanians considered thePresidentially-recognized Thanksgiving holiday “pure and simplea New England custom whose purpose (in New England) was toprovide a substitute for Christmas, which was forbidden by thePuritans.”* In fact, some of our German Reformed clergy actuallyargued for a National Harvest Home Festival in early October, inlieu of the November Thanksgiving holiday! By 1900, ThanksgivingDay had become part and parcel of the Pennsylvanians’ churchcalendar. Nevertheless, Harvest Home lingered on as part of ourlocal religious experience.

Today, some of the Schwenkfelder congregations still celebrateHarvest Home. Palm Schwenkfelder Church hosts a Harvest Home

service at the end of September. Members are encour-aged to bring in canned goods for a local food pantry,

and a Harvest Dinner is held the following week. AtOlivet-Schwenkfelder UCC, the congregation commem-

orates Harvest Home in November, in conjunction withThanksgiving observances. They, too, collect non-perishable

food items for the poor, and all are welcome to attend aHarvest Home breakfast. Although not the spectacle

of harvests past, such services continue to remindthe local Schwenkfelders of their German immi-

grant roots. n

*Yoder, Don H. “Harvest Home.” PennsylvaniaFolklife. IX:4 (Fall, 1958), pages 2–11.

Ushers L

8 FALL 2013

In addition to establishing schedules for usher-ing, they assumed other duties such as removingdead tree limbs from the parking area and drive-

ways. Minor repairs were made to the horsesheds and, because the parking area was notlarge, they assisted drivers looking for park-ing spaces on special occasions and at largefuneral services.

The Ushers League also became a socialgroup. They organized deep sea fishing trips and

collected old magazines. Once a year, Elmer Reiffdelivered the collection to a Sailor’s Institute inPhiladelphia. They helped organize Sundayschool picnics which always included a base-ball game with the married men pitted againstthe single fellows. Monthly meetings, in thesummer, were held on member’s farms.

The men of Central Schwenkfelder Church

who ushered at the Towamencin and Wor-

cester meetinghouses decided that they

could increase their group size and better

serve the congregation if they would be

organized. Therefore, the Ushers League was

established more than 80 years ago. Most

of the young men were farmers working at

home on their dad’s dairy farm. The church

buildings were surrounded by farm prop-

erties owned by descendants of the exiled

Schwenkfelders.

UshersL

LRefreshments may have included watermelons or

chocolate milk cooled in a large milk can set in thefarm’s water trough.

A small group of singers from the Towamencin Ushers Leaguedecided it would be a great idea to form a chorus of men to sing atvarious church functions and perhaps put on a program for neigh-boring congregations. The small baker’s dozen of men included tenorsMorris Krauss, Robert Krauss, Ralph Kriebel, Norman Nyce, AmosRothenberger, and Curtis Weigner. The bass section consisted of EllisAnders, Floyd Hileman, Claude Monroe, Roland Kriebel, WarrenKriebel, and Raymond Stong. John Snyder became the musical direc-tor and Miss Cleta Kriebel (later Cleta Kerper) the pianist. EveryTuesday evening, they rehearsed in the Sunday school room of theTowamencin Meetinghouse. It is presumed that was also the site oftheir first public musical performance held on November 1, 1936.

By 1939, they held concerts at the Bethel Hill Methodist Churchand at the Lansdale Youth Alliance. They also performed at the ChristReformed Church in Mainland, Phoenixville Reformed Church,Zion Mennonite Church of Souderton, St. John’s Reformed Chapelin East Greenville, plus several other places in the local area.

From the very beginning, many other singers joined the groupincluding from the Central Schwenkfelder congregation: BurtonAllebach, Harold Allebach, Herman Bobb, Daniel Courter, JohnFisher, Curtis Heebner, Rodger Heydt, Ellis Kriebel, Floyd Kriebel,William Kriebel, Abram Kulp, Merritt Overholtzer, Earl Price, andRolland Reiff. The Lansdale Schwenkfelder Church contributedCharles Ellis, Paul Rosenberger, and Paul Snyder.

From the surrounding area, Jonas Kriebel and Lester Kriebel ofWentz’s Church and Samuel Smith of Bethel Hill Methodist Churchwere added. They welcomed Edward Leight and Orvis McKendrickfrom Kulpsville and Oliver Shelly came down from East Greenville.

Eventually, two additional pianists accompanied the group—Esther Allebach and Doris Bobb. Robert Krauss took on the job ofAssistant Musical Director.

9

BY ELL IS W. KR IEBELLeague ChorusTo raise money for the organization it was decided early on to put

on concerts in a school or other public buildings. The music portionwould include well-known songs from operettas and ballads frompopular radio programs of the day. A humorous portion was addedby including comedians who were to tell amusing tales—funny, butuntrue stories, about local individuals or members of the congre-gation. The good, clean ribbing, or teasing was not to be offensive.

The public programs began in 1934 in the Worcester CommunityHall and continued there annually up to World War II. The Hall wasnot large enough to handle the crowd, so, from 1941 to 1948, theshows were held in the Lansdale Public School on York Avenue. Sell-out crowds forced them to finally move to the Senior High Schoolon Penn Avenue, in Lansdale, for the performances.

There were instrumentalists in many programs. Floyd Hilemanand Curtis Weigner played saxophone duets and Ralph Kriebel andWarren Kriebel played musical saws. Gerald Kriebel played solos onhis cornet and Randall Kriebel performed accordion pieces. Currentballads of the day were sung by Bob Krauss. Songs from operettaswere sung by Norman Nyce and Raymond Stong. Raymond alsojoined Doris Rothenberger in singing duets with her. Humoroussongs were sung by Norman Kriebel and Ellis Anders, and four“end men” sang their own lyrics to “Sioux City Sue.”

On March 12, 1936, Raymond Stong gave his first performanceof “Old Man River” from the musical Showboat. The resultingstanding ovation lasted for such duration that it became a fixturein every show through 1948. It was the high point of the show andthose who heard his rendition of the song remember it to this day.

Bob Krauss conducted about a dozen remaining members forone last singing of the male chorus at a church service held inthe current Central Schwenkfelder Church.

The Ushers League faded out of sightand was eventually replaced by the Menof Central organization. n

See page 19 for a photograph of the 1947Ushers League chorus members who per-formed at one of the organization’sannual minstrel shows.

THE SCHWENKFELD IAN

FAL L 201310

Over the years, the lives of many have been enriched. Lessons havebeen learned and strong bonds formed—not only with the seniorswho reside in an Advanced Living Community, but with those wholive and work in Lansdale and the surrounding North Penn region.The vision of Advanced Living continues to take on new meaningand direction with a focus this year on collaboration, partnership,and fostering creative community connections. The greatest exampleof this is evident as the dream of constructing the North Penn Com-mons has now become a reality.

The vision for this unique project began several years ago when theNorth Penn Community Health Foundation (NPCHF) approachedprominent agency leaders to discuss a potential collaboration whichwould add both value to Lansdale Borough’s revitalization plan andstreamline community support and services. A joint venture partner-ship was formed among Advanced Living Communities, the PEAKCenter, Manna on Main Street, and the Lansdale Area Family YMCA—bringing together four nonprofit organizations to share their exper-tise and resources in order to serve a broader population.

North Penn Commons, which will accommodate all of the partnersunder one roof, will offer 60 units of affordable housing on the formerLansBowl site on Main Street, now owned by the YMCA. The PEAKCenter and Manna on Main will fully relocate their programs andservices to the $18 million, four-story facility and the YMCA, whichwill undergo extensive renovations, will link to the other organizationsvia a shared public space. While each partner will clearly benefit from

the economies of scale, they will also be able to share vital resources,such as volunteers, and will support their constituencies from whatpromises to be a vibrant community center.

Advanced Living was recently awarded PHFA tax credits which willcover nearly $12 million of the total project cost and a collaborativefundraising campaign entitled One Four All is currently underway tosecure an additional $5 million which will close the funding gap. Otherfunds have been raised through private donations, grants, gifts, andpledges from generous supporters.

According to Bill Brown, Advanced Living’s President and CEO,“We believe that the business model for North Penn Commons willserve as a blueprint for others to follow in the future. The concept ofinvesting beyond your own organization, to join forces with others andinvest in your local community for the greater good—that is actuallyquite consistent with the work of Advanced Living. We are excited toplay a role in this innovative partnership and remain equally commit-ted to the work we do each day to provide services and support tothose already in our care.”

“Construction for Derstine 2 is nearly complete with a wait list ofmore than 250 seniors in need of affordable housing. Advanced Livingcontinues to grow to meet the changing needs of our aging population,”said Brown. ALC will host a ribbon cutting to announce the grandopening of Derstine Run 2 in late September and residents shouldbegin to move in shortly thereafter.

Now a licensed home care provider, the organization launched its

A dvanced Living Communities (ALC) has firmly established its presence in Montgomery County as an accomplished and com-

passionate provider of affordable residential housing for seniors. The organization has built upon the strong foundation laid

over fifty years ago and has reached far beyond its original scope while still maintaining its commitment to its core mission.

North Penn Commons—a joint venture partnership of Advanced Living Communities, thePEAK Center, Manna on Main Street, and the Lansdale Area Family YMCA—was designedby Kramer & Marks Architects.

Creative Connect

THE SCHWENKFELD IAN 11

own agency in May 2013. Advanced Living Home Care (ALHC) wasestablished to enrich the quality of life and provide support to clientsso they can remain healthy and independent for as long as possible.These services are available not just to those who live in an AdvancedLiving property, but also to other members of the community. Theorganization is upholding a new standard of aging-in-place based onstrengths rather than succumbing to a loss of independence. In-homecare is a safe and cost-effective alternative to extended hospital staysor placement in a skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility formany who are facing a chronic illness, recuperating from surgery, orexperiencing challenges in performing routine activities.

In January 2013, Advanced Living, in partnership with MontgomeryCounty, opened 220 South Line Street—a five-unit apartment build-ing designed to provide transitional housing for individuals and fam-ilies, especially those who are homeless or at risk for homelessness.The project is a component of the County’s Roadmap for Housing

Stability plan intended to transform emergency and supportive ser-vices for those in need of affordable housing and also lets AdvancedLiving extend its reach beyond serving seniors.

Despite many changes and much growth, Advanced Living contin-ues to remain true to its deep roots. The organization recently enjoyedits tenth annual summer concert series, a community outreach event,hosted by ALC along with support of generous donors. The annualdinner, which exclusively supports the Residents’ Benevolent Fund,was another great success and the board and staff continue to gatherroutinely to work and socialize in order to strengthen the proverbialties that bind.

Advanced Living Communities manages the Schwenckfeld Manor,Schwenckfeld Terrace, and Derstine Run retirement communitieslocated in Lansdale, PA. Contact ALC’s main office at 215-362-0227or visit their web site at www.advancedlivingcommunities.org formore information. n

BY KYLE MCKESSYtions

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.

—Andrew Carnegie

12 FAL L 2013

13THE SCHWENKFELD IAN

Executive Council ReportExecutive Council has examined and approved the budget for2013. The minutes for Spring General Conference 2012 will be pre-sented for approval at the Spring General Conference in 2013.

Old Business

P E R K I O M E N S C H O O LDrake Williams briefly reviewed the history of the PerkiomenSchool question and presented handouts on the subject. Then, heintroduced attorney Tom Boulden who discussed the October 15,2012, session with Judge Murphy. Judge Murphy questioned whythe school had not gone through the Court as they had done in1916. This is one of the steps in the state of Pennsylvania. TheAttorney General was not present. The Judge expressed concernas to why the Attorney General had not already taken a position.There was discussion about reversionary funds. If this issue wouldarise these funds would have to be designated for charity. Bothsides were given the opportunity to present their positions. TheJudge will confer with the Attorney General and give a decisionin the future. Tom Boulden advised Conference that it would bewise to wait for the Court’s decision before taking any furtheraction. Attorney Tom Boulden and Moderator Drake Williamsaccepted questions from General Conference members.

Rev. Ed Winslow addressed the meeting in his capacity of Con-ference Minister. He then moved that we postpone any decisionon the two tabled motions proposed at the Schwenkfelder GeneralConference meeting held on May 20, 2012, until the Judge ofOrphan’s Court renders a verdict on the Schwenkfelder Church’spetition. Everett Tyson seconded the motion.

Moderator Drake Williams asked each Executive Council mem-ber to express his/her feelings and thoughts on this issue. LuanneStauffer declared her intention of abstaining from the vote andgave her reasons for her actions.

The question was raised whether once the Judge has made herruling would General Conference be informed and made part ofthe decision making process? Drake Williams answered that thebylaws gave Executive Council the authority to make any suchdecision. Of course, General Conference would be kept informedand part of the process as much as possible.

Darlene Jones discussed the difficulties ahead in the decisionmaking if the Judge rules for the church. Shirley Miller pointed outthat Executive Council members are elected by each congrega-tion to represent them. They attempt to keep their congregationsinformed and heed them so that they can act appropriately.

Sandy Williams called for the question and the motion waspassed unanimously with one abstention. n

M oderator Drake Williams called the Spring General Conference to order at 3:10 p.m. on May 19, 2013. The meet-

ing was held at Olivet Schwenkfelder UCC. Rev. Leslie Kearney led a period of devotion. A total of 44 people were

in attendance.

MinutesThe minutes of the Spring General Conference held on May 20,2012, appear on pages 2 through 6 of the Annual Report. Jim Faberexpressed concern over the tenth paragraph on page 4 of the min-utes. He did not recall making a motion to table a previous motion.No one present remembered anyone else making that motion. Rev.David Luz moved that the minutes be accepted as presented. BarrySimpson seconded the motion. The motion was passed.

The minutes of the Fall General Conference, held on October 21,2012, appear on pages 6 and 7 of the Annual Report. In the thirdparagraph the word “revisionary” should have been “reversionary.”Gerald Heebner moved acceptance of the minutes as corrected.Rick Jones seconded the motion. The motion was passed.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Pat McGinnis was not present. In his absence, Moderator

S

General ConferenceM oderator Drake Williams called the Fall General Conference to order on October 21, 2012, at 4:45 p.m. The meet-

ing was held at Central Schwenkfelder Church. Rev. Ed Winslow and Rev. Alfred Duncan opened the meeting with

devotions. A total of 81 people were in attendance—36 members from Central, 30 from Palm, 6 from Olivet, and

9 from Missionary.

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CHURCH STATIST ICAL REPORTSMembership (as of Dec. 31, 2012)

CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOLCentral . . . . . . . . 1,393 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312Missionary . . . . . . . . 58 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Olivet . . . . . . . . . . 192 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Palm . . . . . . . . . . . 576 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

2012 Church BudgetsOPERATING MISSSION GIVING

Central . . . . . . $ 962,166 . . . . . . . $ 174,793Missionary . . . . $ 38,000 . . . . . . . . . . $ 500Olivet . . . . . . . $ 452,252 . . . . . . . . $ 10,982Palm . . . . . . . $ 265,661 . . . . . . . . $ 32,466

GOVERNING BODIESGeneral Conference OfficersH. Drake Williams, ModeratorDarlene Jones, Vice ModeratorLeah Tyson, SecretaryPatrick J. McGinnis, Jr., Treasurer

Executive Council At-Large MembersCentral: Bruce Rothenberger, Barry SimpsonMissionary: William DillOlivet: Nadine ReiffPalm: Richard Hoffman, Shirley MillerConference Pastor: Rev. Ed Winslow

Local Moderators & PastorsCentral: Vernon Seipt, David McKinley, William

Kalajainen, Julian ScavettiMissionary: William Dill, Edward O. WinslowOlivet: Vincent Nyce, Leslie KearneyPalm: David Woodward, Nicholas Pence, Ronald E.

Krick (Emeritus)

Exile SocietyDavid W. Luz, PresidentLaura S. Heebner, Vice PresidentRebecca C. McBrien, Recording SecretarySara B. Borr, Membership SecretaryMartin L. Kriebel, Treasurer

Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage CenterGerald A. Heebner, PresidentKenneth Clemens, 1st Vice PresidentGeorge Meschter, 2nd Vice PresidentKathy Lesieur, SecretaryH. Drake Williams, Jr., Treasurer

Perkiomen SchoolJames E. Schulz, ChairmanBarry Forman, Vice ChairmanJames Nallo, SecretaryNorman Olson., TreasurerChristopher Tompkins, Headmaster

Board of Advanced LivingJerome Potter, PresidentKenneth Clemens, 1st Vice PresidentBarry Simpson, 2nd Vice PresidentShirley Miller, SecretarySteve Woelkers, Treasurer

Board of United ChoirsDennis Alderfer, PresidentVacant, Vice PresidentCheryl Walborn, Recording SecretaryVacant, Corresponding SecretaryLaurie Hart, Treasurer

Drake Williams reported that the meeting of the Auditing Committee has been rescheduledfor Saturday, May 25, 2013. The treasurer’s report and the Auditing Committee’s report willbe sent to the churches following this meeting.

Executive Council Report

Drake Williams introduced the officers and members of Executive Council. There were noquestions for Council. The report is on page 8 of the Annual Report.

Committee Reports

A U D I T I N G C O M M I T T E EThe committee will meet on Saturday, May 25, 2013. The Auditing Committee of Ron King,Karen Phillips, and Rick Jones audited the books of the various boards and committees for2012 and found them to be in order. The report was submitted subsequent to the meeting.

N O M I N A T I N G C O M M I T T E EAn additional sheet listing nominations for Perkiomen School Board of Trustees was handedout. The report is on page 10 of the Annual Report.

P U B L I C A T I O N C O M M I T T E EDrake Williams praised the Publication Committee for their excellent work bringing out tworevised projects this year. Rev. Dave Luz displayed the new publications. He offered specialthanks to the tour booklet planning committee—Linda Grisdale, Jean Ross, Luanne Stauffer,and Everett Tyson—for their work on Schwenkfelder Heritage Sites in Southeastern Pennsylvania.Rev. David Luz presented each church with a box of the new, updated pamphlets titled “ABrief Statement” introducing the churches. The report is on page 11 of the Annual Report.

Special Reports

A D V A N C E D L I V I N G , I N C .Barry Simpson discussed the fundraising dinner held recently and described how these fundsare used. The report is on page 11 of the Annual Report.

S C H W E N K F E L D E R L I B R A R Y & H E R I T A G E C E N T E RRev. David Luz spoke of the Penn Dry Goods Market, the Library’s first antique show andsale. It appears to have been a success. He discussed “Caspar’s Corner” which appears in churchnewsletters. Rev. David Luz, Dr. Allen Viehmeyer, and Dr. Peter Erb prepare these articlesmonthly. The report is on page 13 of the Annual Report.

S C H W E N K F E L D E R M I N I S T E R I U MPastor Leslie Kearney took the opportunity to describe the Mission 4/1 Earth project andinvited everyone to participate by bringing 3.5" software diskettes to the Olivet SchwenkfelderChurch on Friday, May 24, 2013. The report is on page 14 of the Annual Report.

P E N N A . C O U N C I L O F C H U R C H E SRev. Gary Harke, executive director of Pennsylvania Council of Churches, addressed the meet-ing. There were no questions. The report is on page 22 of the Annual Report.

U N I T E D S C H W E N K F E L D E R C H O I RThere were no questions or comments. The report is on page 23 of the Annual Report.

V I E H W E GRev. David Luz announced that we are close to half way to our financial goal already. It is hopedthat work on refurbishing the Viehweg monument will begin in June. The report is on page ??of the Annual Report.

M I G R A N T W O R K E R K I T SLorraine Montanez of Chester County Migrant Ministries thanked the General Conferencefor our faithfulness and help. Bob Walton described some of the trials of the past year. Rev.Nick Pence offered a prayer of dedication.

THE SCHWENKFELD IAN 15

New Business

E L E C T I O N O F O F F I C E R SRev. Karen Gallagher is retiring from Executive Council. Moderator Drake Williams thankedher for her years of service.

• Officers of General Conference: There were no nominations from the floor. Nominationswere closed. The vote was unanimous in favor of the proposed slate.

• Executive Council Members at Large: There were no nominations from the floor. Nominationswere closed. The vote was unanimous in favor of the proposed slate.

• Advanced Living Inc.: There were no nominations from the floor. Nominations were closed.The vote was unanimous in favor of the proposed slate.

• Perkiomen School Board of Trustees: A sheet listing the proposed slate had been handed out.There were no nominations from the floor. Nominations were closed. The vote was unani-mous in favor of the proposed slate.

Old Business

P E R K I O M E N S C H O O LModerator Drake Williams brought Conference attendees up to date on what has happenedsince the last meeting. He described his attendance at the Perkiomen School Board of Trusteesmeetings and his attempts at offering an olive branch. Attorney Tom Boulden discussed thelegal actions the School has taken. He pointed out that the speed with which the Judge madeher decision seemed to indicate the strength of the Church’s position.

Gerald Heebner inquired how the provisionally elected Board members would take office.Tom Boulden responded that he has been keeping the Court informed of these provisionalmembers all along. When the legal issues the School has presented to the Court are settled,the Church can petition the Court to have these people installed.

Darlene Jones expressed concern about where she stood as an elected provisional Boardmember. Tom Boulden discussed how we would proceed.

Al Koehler questioned whether the School knew of the people we had elected and askedwhat members the new ones would be replacing. Tom Boulden reassured him that he hasbeen keeping the School’s attorney informed of election results and once the Court issueshave been settled, it will be possible to straighten out the rotation.

Rev. David Luz pointed out that, in 1996 and 2004, attorneys advised us not to revise theSchool’s bylaws, indicating that the Schwenkfelder Church would permit the Perkiomen Schoolto submit eight nominees to be elected by the Church.

Jim Faber inquired if the School had sent any communications in February reaching out tous. Tom Boulden replied that the only communications received simply described the dutiesof the Trustees.

Barry Simpson suggested that perhaps Jim Faber should notify Drake Williams or Tom Bouldenif he became aware of any overtures made by the School. Drake Williams described the demandfor secrecy made by School Board officials and suggested that Jim Faber just wanted informa-tion and clarification.

Jim Faber described his feelings of responsibility for fulfilling his duties as a board memberfor Perkiomen School. He offered some thoughts on the progress the School has made andwhat, in his opinion, might be best for the School.

Drake Williams responded by describing the efforts he had made to reach out to the Schoolwhich met with no response.

Rev. Leslie Kearney, pastor of Olivet Church, led us in prayer asking for guidance and heal-ing as we dealt with this issue.

T A B L E D M O T I O N SScott Schultz had moved at last year’s Spring General Conference that the Church withdrawits petition. The motion had been tabled. This is now a moot point as the Judge has sincereached a decision. Rick Jones had submitted a written motion which had also been tabled.There was no request to take it off the table.

Rev. Ed Winslow closed the meeting with a prayer. The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m. n

Copies of the printed Annual Report, as distributed at the May 19, 2013, Spring General Conference, areavailable by request to the Secretary of Central Schwenkfelder Church. Payment of postage is requested.

F INANCIAL REPORTS2012 General Fund

Balance Jan. 1, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . $ 22,352.32Total Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 20,494.96Total Disbursements . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 25,322.05Balance Dec. 31, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . $ 17,525.23

2012 Education Fund

Balance Jan. 1, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,509.95Total Receipts (Interest) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5.72Total Disbursements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 0.00Balance Dec. 31, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,515.67

2012 Student Ministers Seminary Fund

Balance Jan. 1, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . $ 22,235.30Total Receipts (Interest) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 6.30Total Disbursements . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3,550.00Balance Dec. 31, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . $ 18,691.60

2012 Silesian Graveyard Fund

Balance Jan. 1, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,897.77Total Receipts (Interest) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 0.21Total Disbursements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 0.00Balance Dec. 31, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,897.98

2012 Conference Mission Board Fund

Balance Jan. 1, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 915.04RECEIPTSCentral . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,200.00Olivet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,100.00Palm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,480.00Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.22

Total Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 18,781.22Total Disbursements (Missionary) . . . $ 19,000.00Balance Dec. 31, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 696.26

2012 Charity Board Fund

Balance Jan. 1, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4,879.07Total Receipts (Interest) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4.90Total Disbursements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 0.00Balance Dec. 31, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4,883.97

2012 Chestnut Hill Cemetery Fund

Balance Jan. 1, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 6,093.02RECEIPTSContribution . . . . . . . . . . 8,500.00Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.13

Total Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 8,506.13Total Disbursements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3,990.00Balance Dec. 31, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . $ 10,609.15

GENERAL CONFERENCE DATESSalford Pilgrimage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 2, 2013Gedächtnistag (Missionary) . . . . . . Sept. 22, 2013School of Christ (Central) . . . . . . . . . Oct. 20, 2013General Conference (Missionary) . . . May 18, 2014

GENERAL CONFERENCEROLL CALL MAY 19, 2013Central Schwenkfelder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Olivet Schwenkfelder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Palm Schwenkfelder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Schwenkfelder Missionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

our

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Central Schwenkfelder2111 Valley Forge Rd., Lansdale, Pa. 19446610-584-4480www.centralschwenkfelder.comWorship: 9:00 a.m., 11:15 a.m.Church School: 10:00 a.m.

Olivet-Schwenkfelder United Church of Christ619 Township Line Rd., Norristown, PA 19403610-539-7444 • www.osuccpa.orgWorship: 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m.Church School: 9:00 a.m.

Palm SchwenkfelderP.O. Box 66, Palm, PA 18070215-679-5321www.palmschwenkfelder.comWorship: 10:15 a.m.Church School: 9:00 a.m.

C E N T R A LThe youth have been quite active this

quarter. Wired and Crave studentsparticipated in a teen bash, sponsoredby Christian Endeavor Mid-Atlantic,on April 13, held in our Community

Center and church grounds. Com-petitions included flag football, a

sing off, Bible quiz, cake decorat-ing, basketball tournament, as well as manyother fun and challenging activities. Youth ingrades 6 through 12 took part in a service pro-ject in Mt. Airy, PA, on April 26-28. “PhillyBlitz” was organized by Ray Garcia and thePhiladelphia Project. Joined by youths fromtwo other churches, they were housed in theMt. Airy Presbyterian Church and worked ona home of a local resident. Starting in earlyJune, the youth attended several pool partiesat Sally House’s home. SYLO (Sing Your LungsOut, Swim Your Legs Off) brought our youthtogether for fun, swimming, and singing. Agroup of 24 headed to Creation and the con-gregation happily supplied food items whichhelped defray the cost of the trip. During thesummer, all youth, starting in 6th grade, par-ticipated in a night of “Fris-tastic” fun. Frisbeesand beverages were provided.

Thirty work camp volunteers spent the weekof July 14 in Supply, NC, staying at Mt. PisgahBaptist Church. Work Camp 2013 was hostedby Christian Endeavor Mid-Atlantic. Workersbroke into groups and assisted at several siteslocated in one of the most poverty strickenareas in the North–South Carolina region.They replaced floors in trailer homes, repairedceilings and roofs, and replaced dry wall. One

group also emptied out the home of a womanwho had not thrown anything away in nearly30 years. Speaker Chuck Jewel and the musicgroup 3 Shades of Blue led worship.

Women’s Christian Fellowship (WCF) helda tea for 104 attendees on April 18 at noon.Entertainment was provided by the stringedinstrument orchestra of St. Vincent DeSalesSchool in Philadelphia. The annual mother–daughter banquet, catered by Wegman’s, washeld on May 13. Carol Spacht and CandacePerry, Curator of Collections at SchwenkfelderLibrary and Heritage Center, presented a firstperson interpretation of Flora Heebner, mis-sionary to China from 1904 to 1942. Candacedescribed what it was like to be a missionaryin China in the early 1900s and Carol gave afirst-hand account of what it was like for herto be in China. Candace brought some itemsfor show-and-tell and some of the youngerattendees participated in the presentation. Ababy shower was held on April 21 to benefitthe North Penn Resource Clinic. Monetarydonations and baby items were collected andappetizers and desserts were served. The firstannual WCF yard sale–bake sale was held inJune on the church parking lot. Participantssold items they were no longer using and thetable rental fees helped with the work of WCF.

Vacation Bible School hosted almost 100children from ages 3 to 12. The week’s themewas “God’s Big Backyard.” Bible stories, crafts,songs, and other activities provided a wonder-ful learning experience. A huge thank you toKathy Texter, Sherri McGonigle, and Amy andAndrew Ramsey for heading up this wonder-ful week, along with the many volunteers.

On Patriotic Sunday, May 26, a recognitionservice was held during the Sunday schoolhour. Veterans from all branches of the armedforces were honored during a very movingmusical rendition of theme music from eachservice organization. Special music was pro-vided and Kathy Casey had a children’s mes-sage that resonated for all in attendance.

Central’s Heebner family provided wonder-ful, familiar sacred music at the FranconiaMennonite Church on April 27, prior to thehymn sing which was led by a number oflocal churches. Each church provided specialmusical presentations, as well.

Rachel Chu was dedicated in a formal wor-ship service in April. Her parents are Williamand Kelly Chu of our congregation.

Pastor David McKinley began a sabbaticalin June during which time he will completethe necessary work for his final project for thedegree of Dr. of Ministry. During his absence,special speakers participated in our Sundayservices. We were also privileged to have Dr.Drake Williams and his family in our con-gregation once again and to hear Dr. Drakepreach. He also provided help in the office andwith some of the Friday teas. Pastor Bill hasbeen acting Sr. Pastor during Pastor David’sabsence. Pastor David is to return on Sept. 3.

A special congregational meeting was heldon June 16 regarding the purchase of a neigh-boring property on Steelman Road. In order topursue purchase of the property, a congrega-tional vote was needed. This was attained anddue diligence was begun. Closing on the prop-erty will take place on October 2. The propertywill provide additional storage space in the

sitespecificChurch Briefs A P R I L – J U LY 2 0 13

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Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center105 Seminary St., Pennsburg, PA 18073215-679-3103www.schwenkfelder.comMon.: Closed • Tues., Wed., Fri.: 9–4Thurs.: 9–8 • Sat.: 10–3 • Sun.: 1–4

Schwenckfeld Manor–Advanced Living Communities1290 Allentown Rd.Lansdale, PA 19446215-362-0227www.advancedlivingcommunities.orgOffice Hours: Mon.–Fri. 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

THE SCHWENKFELD IAN 17

sonville Sharks defeated the Philadelphia Soul55 to 53.We ended the month of April with thebaptism of Eliorah Jane Y. Thacker on April 28.The beautiful baby girl is the daughter of Davidand Xarisse Thacker.

In May, the Women’s Fellowship sponsoreda round Italian zep sale. The church also heldan electronic media recycling event in conjunc-tion with the “Mission 4/1 Earth” project. Wecollected over 800 items such as old DVDs,CDs, and floppy disks that will be recycled andhelped keep the landfills clear.

This year, the spring General Conferenceof the Schwenkfelder Church was held onMay 19 at OSUCC. The meeting began at3:00 p.m. and was followed by a light meal.The annual meeting business included theelection of officers, reports on the Conferenceactivities, and an update on the status of thelegal proceedings between the SchwenkfelderChurch and the Perkiomen School. Also, onMay 19, our own Meghan Williams performeda solo concert in the Chapel at Dock Woods.On May 28, as part of our May mission pro-ject, five volunteers painted the break roomat Habitat for Humanity in Norristown.

We opened up the month of June with theusual warm and humid Pennsylvania weath-er and our annual pilgrimage to the SalfordMeetinghouse. On June 2, attendees enjoyedan evening of fellowship at the Meetinghousefollowed by ice cream in the pavilion. Thenext Saturday, volunteers participated in ourmonthly mission project to assist in an out-reach dinner at All Saints Episcopal Churchin Norristown. We also donated 40 Bibles andprayer sheets to the Curren Fromhold Cor-

rection Center ministry.We ended another yearof Sunday school on June 9 and also celebratedthe graduation of our Li’l Angels to kinder-garten on June 14.

In July, we began our summer hours, com-bining our 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. servicesinto one joint service at 9:00 a.m. It’s a won-derful time of the year to reconnect with oldfriends and enjoy the combined service. Thefirst Sunday of July also saw the beginning ofour new confirmation class. We’re thrilled tohave two of our youth (Alex Nyce and GregBriggs) begin their journey towards churchmembership and expanding their knowledgeabout the Christian faith.

We also began a Garden Give n’ Take wheremembers can bring in extra produce fromtheir gardens to share with the congregation.Women’s Fellowship held a bakeless cake salewhere you can send a check to help out theWomen’s Fellowship instead of overtaxingyourself in the heat of a kitchen. We endedthe month by beautifying the church. OnJuly 27, Women’s Fellowship participated ina successful kitchen and sanctuary clean upproject. The church looks terrific. ✞

P A L MThe spring season started off at

Palm with a trip by our youthto a Philadelphia homeless shel-ter. The trip, taken April 5–6,took the group to the Old FirstReformed U.C.C. Our youth

helped to set up and distrib-ute clothes to the shelter

residents. Then, they prepared and served a

barn and will also provide additional meetingspace and housing for visiting missionaries andothers who may need temporary housing. ✞

O L I V E TAt Olivet-Schwenkfelder Church,the month of April brought thepromise of springtime weather aswell as a chance to make a differ-ence. Our church joined withother Schwenkfelder churches

during April and May to col-lect items for Chester County

Migrant Ministry. The CCM offers clothingand personal care items for migrant workers.The Women’s Fellowship also sponsored aCapt’n Chucky’s week from April 14–20 andreceived 15 percent of all sales generated dur-ing that week.

“Mission 4/1 Earth” began on Integrity ofCreation Sunday (April 21). For 50 days, UCCchurches across the country began in theshared resurrection witness for planet Earth.As Pastor Leslie stated, this is a “sustained,aggressive, and collective mission opportunityfor our fragile planet.”

On April 27, it was a night for spaghetti andarena football. First up, our Men’s Group helda dinner featuring spaghetti with homemademeatballs and desserts. It was a rousing success.Many thanks go out to the men, especially theMeacham family, for a job very well done. Andonce visitors were full from dinner, they wereable to take part in the Mind, Body and Phila-delphia Soul Awareness Night (sponsored byNorthern Children Services) at the Wells FargoCenter in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the Jack-

Schwenkfelder Missionary2010 Reed St. Philadelphia, PA 19146215-334-4658Worship: 10:45 a.m.Church School: 9:30 a.m.

Perkiomen School200 Seminary StreetPennsburg, PA 18073215-679-9511www.perkiomen.org

MARRIAGES

John Campisi to Ashley Krupp at Central Schwenkfelder Church on April 6, 2013. (Central)

Brandon Stauffer to Clair Sundquist in Bethlehem, PA on June 1, 2013. (Palm)

BIRTHS

Chase Matthew Lindley, son of Matthew and Megan (Stauffer) Lindley, June 14, 2013. (Palm)

Gracie Michele Snyder, daughter of Peter and Rebecca (Neff) Snyder, April 3, 2013. (Central)

Owen Michael Werley, son of Rusty and Jacklyn Werley, April 26, 2013. (Central)

DEDICATIONS

Rachel Mae Chu, daughter of William Wei-Li and Kelly Leigh Chu, April 28, 2013.(Central)

BAPTISMS

Dylan Thomas D’eramo, son of Greg D’eramo and Kara Walter, May 19, 2013. (Palm)

Michael David Kennedy, son of David and Elizabeth (Gerhart) Kennedy, May 5, 2013. (Palm)

Eliorah Jane Thacker, daughter of David and Xarisse Thacker, April 28, 2013.(Olivet)

Sheila Meredith Werth, daughter of David and Elizabeth (Gerhart)Kennedy, May 5, 2013. (Palm)

DEATHS

Stanley S. Anders, age 88, husband of the late Alice (Munro) Anders, ofLansdale, formerly of Norristown and Plymouth Meeting, April 6, 2013. Serviceswere private; interment at Garden of Memories in Worcester. (Central)

Ruth P. (Slabey) Hoffman, age 87, wife of the late Robert G. Hoffman, of Worcester, formerly of LowerGwynedd, April 25, 2013. Services May 6, 2013; interment at Garden of Memories in Worcester. (Central)

Floyd K. Kriebel, age 91, husband of the late Florence (Anders) Kriebel, of Lansdale, April 20, 2013.Graveside services April 23, 2013 at the Garden of Memories in Worcester. (Central)

Naomi R. (Shelly) Kriebel, age 90, of Frederick, May 31, 2013. Services were private. (Palm)

Wilbur Landes, age 93, husband of the late Cleta (Kriebel) Landes, of Frederick, June 23, 2013. Serviceswere private. (Central)

John F. Lawlis, Jr., age 89, husband of Patricia (Palmer) Lawlis, of Worcester, July 8, 2013. ServicesJuly 12, 2013; interment at Garden of Memories in Worcester. (Central)

Raymond J. Middleton, age 81, husband of Barbara (Householder) Middleton, of BlueBell, May 15, 2013. Services May 20, 2013; interment at Garden of Memories in Worcester.(Central)

Kenneth W. Moyer, age 62, of Bechtelsville, April 12, 2013. No services scheduled. (Palm)

Lorraine (Wambold) Pfister, age 81, wife of the late James R. Pfister, Sr., of Green Lane, for-merly of Mainland, May 7, 2013. Services May 14, 2013; interment at Towamencin SchwenkfelderCemetery. (Central)

Claire (Coleman) Schweiker, age 81, wife of Richard S. Schweiker, of McLean, VA, April 28,2013. Services May 24 and 25, 2013; interment at Garden of Memories in Worcester. (Central)

FAL L 2013

spaghetti dinner for the grateful residents.Our thanks to the youth who shared theirhearts and hands in service.

On April 13, the Palm Church Relay forLife team held a “Blue Grass for a Cure”concert at the Seisholtzville Fire Company.Two blue grass bands—the Carroll CountyRamblers and Chester Johnson and the FoggyMountain Grass—performed at this fundraising event. In addition to the concert, ourRelay for Life team held several other fundraising events during the year. The team alsodid a great job at raising money for cancerresearch and supporting the cause duringthe annual Upper Perkiomen Relay for Lifeheld on the weekend of May 18–19 at theUpper Perkiomen High School.

During the month of May, our congre-gation collected items for the ChesterCounty Migrant Ministry. Many supplieswere donated by our church members tobe distributed to the migrant workers inChester County. We thank everyone whohelped out these hard working people.

Sunday, June 2, was Youth Sunday at PalmChurch. Our young participants led the con-gregation that morning in prayer, readings,music, and collections. We are very proud ofall of the young people in our church familywho participated and did a great job! Thenext Sunday was the last day of our normalSunday School session. That day, followingour church service, we held a picnic to cel-ebrate the ending of another school season.Fortunately, the weather was perfect. Gameswere played and the aroma of great food andhot dogs filled the air!

Nine goodie boxes were compiled andmailed out this season to our young mem-bers who are attending college or serving inthe armed forces. Thanks to everyone whoincluded a personal note in the boxes andalso to those who made cash donations tooffset the costs involved.

This year, our Vacation Bible School washeld on July 14–18. The theme was “King-dom Rock, Where Kids Stand Strong forGod!” On Sunday, July 21, the children atPalm integrated some of the music fromVacation Bible School into our church ser-vice. There was also a performance of someof this music and the bible readings at theFrederick Mennonite Community on Satur-day, July 20. ✞

18

personal notes

5 0 Y E A R S A G OFuneral services were held in CentralChurch, on April 11, for Rev. HarveyHeebner, pastor of the PhiladelphiaChurch for 57 years, editor of TheSchwenkfeldian for 40 years, and sec-

retary of the Schwenkfelder Mission Boardfor 50 years.

Rev. Robert J. Gottschall, pastor of theNorristown Church for 53 years, announcedhis retirement effective May 1. Joan Huns-berger, missionary to Brazil, spoke to theCentral Church school on April 7.

Central Church presented the “Church ofthe Air” WCAU-radio program on March 3.The Dorian Choir, directed by Mrs. WilliamWolf, provided the music and Rev. Braunddelivered the sermon.

A $30,000 budget for 1963 was approvedat the annual congregational meeting of theNorristown Church. Attorney George Brecht,moderator since the first session in 1904, con-ducted the meeting

United Schwenkfelder Youth Fellowshipheld a summer outing at Perkiomen Schoolbeginning on June 21. Fifty junior and seniorhigh school students attended this first retreat.Registration was $1.00.

A planning committee to oversee the estab-lishment of Advanced Living, Inc. was selectedwith Vincent Nyce as General Chairman. Itwas hoped that Advanced Living, Inc. would

fill the needs of older people as an impor-tant phase of Christian responsibility. ✞

2 5 Y E A R S A G OOn May 22, the Lansdale congre-gation celebrated the 75th anniver-sary of the church building orga-nized as a mission church and the50th anniversary as a church in the

Schwenkfelder General Conference.On May 7, Central Church hosted the U.S.

premiere of the feature film “God’s Outlaw”which depicts the story of William Tyndalewho, in 1525, due to the passion he had toget the Bible into the hands of the commonpeople, had the first complete translation ofthe New Testament printed in England.

On Sunday, June 5, the Central Churchdedicated the new Anders Park with a dayof festivities including two softball games, asilent auction, and a picnic lunch.

Norristown Church entertained residentsof Schwenckfeld Manor with a party whichincluded a musical program presented byRev. Stebbins and James Vogelman.

In April, the Palm congregation enjoyeda slide presentation of their trip to Japan byRev. Ron Krick and his wife Joyce. They woretypical Japanese clothes during the narration.

Central Church member, Lt. Col. RobertKrauss, Jr., was serving as chaplain at ScottAir Force Base in Illinois. ✞

1 0 Y E A R S A G OOn July 23, the committee com-posed of Grant Gebbie, Rev. Dr.Drake Williams, and ChristianWilliams completed the transla-tion of one of Caspar Schwenck-

feld’s final catechisms known as “A Germantheology for the God fearing laity from theLord Jesus Christ and on the Christian teach-ing of Godliness.” The project, funded by theGeneral Conference, was initiated with thehope of raising the teachings of Schwenck-feld to a more prominent place, thus bring-ing greater unity among the churches.

Palm Church celebrated the 25th anniver-sary of participation in the Upper PerkiomenValley CROP walk. Peg Jacobs, Palm Churchorganist, led a unique Bible study during themonth of May titled “Seeing Through theScriptures.” It was a survey of the Bible mes-sage in words and symbolic illustrations.

The highlight of a pilgrimage to the Polishtowns of Osiek and Twardocice, the home ofthe original Schwenkfelder immigrants, wasthe rededication of the Viehweg monumentremembering the Schwenkfelders who wereburied there. The group of 22 descendentsand friends was led by Jerry Heebner. Thiswas the culmination of five years of work bythe General Conference Viehweg Committee.

On a chilly April night, the annual PassionPlay was presented at Freddy Hill Farm. ✞

heritageIn Retrospect BY LENA JOHNSON

19

The Ushers League of Central Schwenkfelder Church, under the musical direction of John Snyder (pictured right front) performed annual minstrel shows.First Row: Lester Kriebel, Burton Allebach, Paul Rosenberger, Floyd Kriebel, Curtis Weigner, Norman Nyce, Paul Snyder, Michael Oberholtzer, Charles Ellis,Samuel Smith. Second Row: Abram Kulp, Jonas Kriebel, Warren Kriebel, Raymond Stong, Roland Kriebel, Robert Krauss, Earl Price, Rolland Reiff, CurtisHeebner, William Kriebel. Third Row: Herman Bobb, Harold Allebach, John Fisher, Rodger Heydt. See pages 8-9 for a brief history of the organization.

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Presented by the Goschenhoppen Historians and the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.

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Folklife SymposiumThomas R.Brendle

STUDYING THE PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH Scholars of the Oral, Written & Material Culture

❖ Bruce D. BombergerThe Making of Museum Makers: The Landis Brothers

❖ Mark L. LoudenDocumenting the Pennsylvania Dutch Language

❖ Don YoderMarion Dexter: Learned Pioneer in Pennsylvania DutchStudies

❖ Linda DykeHenry Mercer: His connections with PennsylvaniaDutch Culture around the turn of the 20th Century

❖ Hedda DurnbaughAbraham Cassel: Self-Taught Historian and Bibliophile

❖ Iren SnavelySamuel W. Pennypacker: Legacy of His Writings onPennsylvania

*Registration due by Oct. 25, 2013. Make checks payable to andmail to: Goschenhoppen Historians, P.O. Box 476, Green Lane,PA 18054. Register online at www.goschenhoppen.org.

Nov. 2, 2013 • 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. $40.00 (includes lunch)*

Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, PA