Month: April 2023

There is nothing permanent except change. These words are true today as we witness changes occurring in almost every aspect of our lives including religious practices, economic and governmental systems, educational focus, social values, cultural norms and of course physical structures. Our physical church is no exception and this article seeks to briefly explore the evolution of our church buildings over the past 300 years. 

Worshiping in this place occurred around 1724 as frontiersmen and women gathered near a spring and pool of water. Other local churches were founded near a spring, so this watering source must have been an important location to gather and perhaps refresh themselves and their horses. Minutes of New Castle Presbytery in 1729 record a request from Derry Church for a supply pastor and Rev. Anderson was appointed to minister these settlers every fifth Sabbath. An actual building did not appear until Derry called its first minister, Rev. William Bertram (1732-1746). The Session House was built in 1732 and served the church and the local community in a variety of purposes including as a pastor’s study and meeting place for church officials, a classroom, a lending library, and community post office. By early 1741, Rev. Bertram and some Derry Church members petitioned the sons of William Penn for the land upon which Derry Church would be built.

Our second pastor, John Elder, became pastor in 1746 and served until 1791. As the congregation grew, the need for a larger structure was recognized and “Old Derry” was built in 1769 and later underwent repairs in 1831 costing $500. This structure served the congregation until 1883.  We have seen photographs of this clapboard structure with the communion table and chairs located outside the building, along with a pewter communion set. Today the pieces of furniture have been in continuous use and are used in our Chapel. The pewter communion set is still present at our worship services. When “Old Derry” was renovated in 1831, a new pulpit was installed. That 1831 pulpit is now restored and hanging on the wall of the east transept in the sanctuary.

In the 1870s, after the Civil War, church attendance began to drop. Frequently Derry was without a pastor and very few services were held in the church building. Maintenance on “Old Derry” was minimal at best. The church leaders decided that it was too expensive to restore the building, so in 1883 “Old Derry” was demolished. With a very small membership, future looking church leaders organized a Sunday School. Classes were held weekly and attendance began to increase with an average of 59 students per class. But, since there was no main church building, the church records were relocated to Paxton Presbyterian Church’s manse for safekeeping, but that backfired. In August 1894 there was a fire at the manse and most of Derry’s records were destroyed.

Since membership at Derry was very low in 1883 and there was no pastor, the building of a stone church was truly an act of faith. The community recognized the historical importance of Derry Church, so the Dauphin County Historical Society was instrumental in establishing a building committee for a new church building. The cost of this endeavor was estimated to be $7,000.  To raise funds for this project, Mrs. Charles Bailey of Harrisburg and Mrs. G. Dawson Coleman of Lebanon, along with descendants of former members, led this effort with assistance from Henry B. McCormick, member of Pine Street Presbyterian Church and a member of the Harrisburg Historical Society. Neighboring churches also contributed by donating funds for the Chapel’s stained-glass windows.

Derry broke ground in 1884 and by October of that year the cornerstone was installed. Construction delays were common due to slow fundraising, but the leaders persisted and the church was dedicated on January 6, 1887 during an 11 am worship service led by Rev. Albert Williamson. 

The original Chapel consisted of a bell tower, a west transept which held the choir, a sanctuary with chancel and a rear entrance. Beneath the Chapel (on a lower level) was a furnace room and classroom. Later in 1917, the women of the church (Ladies Guild organized in 1910) paid for the first indoor toilet located on this lower level. By 1928 the church leaders began to make plans to expand the Chapel. Plans included breaking through the east wall and adding an east transept and four classrooms on the first floor (our present Hammond Library and John Elder Classroom) with an assembly room and kitchen on the lower level.

Plans went forward but the stock market crash of 1929 temporarily suspended this project. In October 1934 Henry McCormick again stepped up and offered Rev. John Corbin a donation of $5,000 to help with the expansion plans. Non-member friends of Derry also donated over $6,000, so with construction loans from the Presbytery and Synod and pledges from the congregation, money was raised to cover the entire project’s cost of over $25,000. In addition, in 1935 Milton Hershey gifted each of the community’s five churches $20,000 each to help defray financial difficulties caused by the Great Depression. Since Derry was already expanding, the gift from Milton Hershey allowed Derry to add a vestibule to the Chapel entrance as well as improvements to the chancel and choir section, new chancel furniture, new carpet, and furniture and equipment for the newly added classrooms. A new pulpit was also built, its design inspired by the original pulpit from “Old Derry.” On December 8, 1935, Derry Church conducted its first worship service in its newly renovated and expanded building, now called the John Elder Memorial Chapel.

By 1950, the church Sunday School was well established and well attended. Church growth resulted in the need to expand the church building. Rev. Sheldon Blair was called to serve Derry (1950-1959) and during his tenure ground was broken on October 29, 1950 for an addition to the east of the Chapel. On November 11, 1951, the Christian Education Building was dedicated. This building added a new entrance and foyer, a nursery and children’s classroom, and office space on the main floor. The new lower level included a large social room with a raised platform at one end and a modern kitchen at the other. Today this space is known as rooms 6 and 7.  Additional classrooms filled the rest of the lower level.

When Rev. Ira Reed was called as pastor (1959-1987), the need for a larger sanctuary was soon evident. The Chapel had room for 135 congregants and membership was growing. Although a new sanctuary was a few years away, improvements to the Chapel were made. Rev. Reed did not like preaching at the existing pulpit as his back was to the west transept and choir so a lectern was installed at the back rail in the center of the chancel and space for 40 more seats was found. This brought the total number that the Chapel could hold to 175 people. This expansion was still not sufficient, so a Building Committee was established. Groundbreaking for this Sanctuary occurred on March 7, 1965 and on February 13, 1966 the Sanctuary was dedicated along with its new organ. Significant features of this new building were an A shaped rear entrance facing East Derry Road and a long rectangular sanctuary with a center aisle. The chancel area was raised and faced with wood. The choir loft and organ were located above the chancel. The pulpit could be in the center of the chancel or moved to one side. This large sanctuary allowed Derry to grow its membership and church programs.

Rev. Dr. Richard Houtz was installed as pastor on May 6, 1990, and shortly thereafter the church leaders began considering how they might enlarge and improve the church facility. Rev. Houtz thought there were so many nooks and crannies and stairs connecting the various areas of the church due to additions and renovations over the years. He felt that there was room for improvements that would facilitate better use of the building. Before anything could be built, more land was needed so the manse had to be demolished. This three-story home with 18” limestone walls was used as a residence for ministers since 1924. Demolition was accomplished in 1993.

After rejecting one architect’s proposal, the architectural firm of Alexander/Muelken Studio submitted a proposal for the expansion. The church accepted the proposal and Chuck Alexander, son of church members Bill and Marion Alexander, served as design architect for the job. As someone who grew up at the church, he was able to keep the original orientation of the sanctuary, adding east and west transepts and a larger chancel area to facilitate Derry’s investment in its numerous music programs. The choir loft and organ were lowered to the chancel floor, a narthex area was created before one entered the front of the sanctuary, the main entrance to the church building was relocated to this narthex area and a lounge was added to the west transept. This expansion also included new offices, choir room, bathrooms, nursery, the atrium and a new Fellowship Hall. Interior designs were also implemented to accommodate this larger sanctuary. This remodeled sanctuary was dedicated on January 29, 1995.

Since then there have been additional interior and external cosmetic redesigns. In 2015 interior design renovations and a new exterior courtyard and walkways were added to our main entrance. Rev. Dr. Stephen McKinney-Whitaker was installed as pastor in 2017. The need for a larger, more powerful organ for the sanctuary was soon recognized. A new-to-Derry 1951 Aeolian-Skinner Organ was installed and dedicated in 2021.

As Derry approaches its 300th anniversary, it is important to remember the history of the people who worshiped here and the buildings that they created. Derry’s history is filled with productive times, and times when as a church it almost folded, but dedication, faithfulness and strength of our early friends and congregants have given us a legacy that we should cherish, uphold and adapt to our changing times. Our church is steeped in history and tradition, but it is also flexible, warm and welcoming, reflective of those who now call this our church home.

Editor’s note: To learn more about the evolution of Derry Church’s buildings, join members of the Heritage Committee at 9:15 am Sunday, April 30 in the John Elder Classroom and streaming.

Have you ever experienced a “God Wink”?  What’s that, you say? It is a message from God that comes through life circumstances, and that we can choose to learn from, if we open our hearts and minds to the fact that God has a hand in the circumstance.

Once I had a very dear friend who gave me a book about “God Winks.” This simple but enlightening book opened my eyes to a powerful concept that I had been experiencing for a long time, but to which I had not given a title.  

“God winks” happen when you open your mind to the concept that God speaks to us and shows us how God’s guiding principles become real in our lives, as we are faced with everyday situations and circumstances. Through these situations we are “nudged” into contemplating what message God is trying to give us, and how we can best live our lives in service to God and to each other, if we follow that message.

“Give me an example,” you say. Well, one that happened to my husband and me in the summer of 2021 involved Derry Church.

Our good friends, Susie and Dean Haine, asked us if we wanted to go with them to the Mt. Gretna Tabernacle to hear Dean’s pastor, Stephen McKinney-Whitaker and members of Derry Church lead worship that Sunday evening. Since the Mt. Gretna Tabernacle holds a special place in my heart from the days when I went to church camp there — plus the fact that we enjoyed sharing in activities with Susie and Dean — we said “sure.” We were blown away by the service, Pastor Stephen, and the friendliness of the Derry pastor and members who introduced themselves to us. They responded to our compliments on the service by inviting us to join them at Derry for other worship experiences.

It wasn’t long after that when Dean called and said, “Do you want to go along to Derry next Saturday night to participate in a worship service utilizing the songs of Billy Joel?”  “How intriguing” we thought, and we joined them in that adventure as well. After those two experiences (God Winks), Ron and I decided that we needed to more intently explore a “pull” that we were feeling from Derry Church (a fellow Presbyterian church of the Synod which is located four miles from our home rather than the 20 miles from our home church at that time).

We attended Derry Church on a Sunday morning and didn’t even sign the visitor registry because we wanted to remain “anonymous.” However, we did greet Pastor Stephen as we were leaving that morning and reminded him that we were Dean’s friends, to which he replied, “I remember.”

Much to our surprise, the next day when coming home from an errand, we found a loaf of Irish soda bread and a welcome package from Derry on our doorstep, with a note from Linda Chidester. The next day in our mail was a note from Pastor Stephen inviting us to call him for a “getting to know you” chat!  We hadn’t even given them our name or address, and here Derry was, giving us an invitation to get to know the congregation better. How could we deny the opportunity? Another God Wink! 

A visit with Pastor Stephen, an invitation to join the choir for at least the Christmas season, and regular attendance and interactions with the Derry choir and other members of the church – including Linda, who lives in our neighborhood and always greets us warmly when we see each other on Sundays – slowly led us to make the decision to take the New Member Classes in April 2022, and ultimately change our Presbyterian membership to Derry Church.

“God Winks” don’t just happen to Ron and me. They can happen to everyone, in all aspects of their lives if they choose to embrace this concept. If we are open to seeing how God provides us with opportunities, through real life circumstances that impact our lives — and many times the lives of others with whom we interact — we constantly can receive spiritual uplifts (“faith boosts”) through these “winks” from God.

Since 1993, Derry Church and its members have been the cornerstone of my faith. My family and I are so thankful for the friendships, support and Christian leadership that Derry has provided us.

Hard work and faith were the cornerstone of life in the small West Virginia community where I grew up. Blue collar jobs in the mining or oil and gas industry provided income that supported our families. We learned early in our lives that hard work would usually bring positive results, success that carried over to the athletic field, wrestling mat and in the classroom.

Church life was very important.  We attended church services faithfully every Sunday morning, Sunday evening and prayer meetings on Wednesday night. We were taught that even in tough times faith in God and God’s plan for us would carry us through. My life has always been a balance between these two principles. I worked hard and had much success in sports and academic endeavors through high school, college, medical school and professionally, but encountered times when I had to rely on God’s plan for me.

There have been times in life both personally and professionally that hard work just wasn’t enough. I failed my first major medical school exam and thought this just was not going to work. Our son was born prematurely and had only a 20% chance of survival. Professionally, as an orthopedic oncologist, I cared for patients, who no matter how hard we worked, succumbed to their diseases. When my father and then my wife were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease within five years of each other, we searched high and low for treatment options even though we knew there was no cure.

It is in these most difficult times that my faith, even if I could not understand it, carried me and I was confident that everything would be ok. Professionally, as an orthopedic surgeon, I can objectively see the results of the work I do. Faith is a bit of a mystery to me because it cannot be seen or touched. I cannot explain why it brings me peace in difficult times but I am so thankful for my faith. It has brought me to a very happy place in life.

Since 1993, Derry Presbyterian and its members have been the cornerstone of my faith. My family and I are so thankful for the friendships, support and Christian leadership that Derry has provided us.

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month (or close to it), the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In April we’re lifting up community involvement and the good work of Love INC of Greater Hershey. 

I became involved with Love INC over the past few years. The first time I volunteered was with the Sneaker Drive for students at Derry Township and Lower Dauphin school districts. I helped with the children’s sizing and trying on sneakers. The kids were so excited that it gave me joy just watching their reactions as they tried on new sneakers that they would have to start a new school year. 

God puts us where we are needed, but God also lets us be a part of a miracle. One of the students was so excited that he told me he looks forward to this week every year, otherwise he wouldn’t get new sneakers for school. Someone once said that it is better to give than to receive and I sure got a lot from giving in this situation – it was very rewarding. 

I have been helping with the Sneaker Drive for a few years and look forward to helping again in August. I enjoyed helping the students and their families so I decided it was time to look for more work with Love INC. I wanted to help at other times during the year. I checked with Scott Ramirez, also a Love INC volunteer, and was able to add the Personal Care Closet (PCC) work to my duties. 

I began helping with the PCC work last year and continue to support this ministry. We stock shelves with supplies and make bags for each family from the food bank who has requested personal care items. The PCC items include toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, body wash, deodorant, band-aids, cleaning supplies, diapers, trash bags, etc. Whatever the family has requested on their checklist, we put it in their bags and the bags are grouped together by food bank locations and taken there.

This year I have extended my commitment to Love INC to include being on the Board of Directors. I look forward to giving my input and helping out as part of a team to lead Love INC and working toward their goals throughout the year. I will also work with the board to make sure their vision and mission are known by the area communities. As a member of the Board of Directors I will continue supporting the programs of Love INC with my time, expertise, resources and commitment. 

Please continue to pray for Love INC, their staff and volunteers, and programs. If any of this information sounds like something you would like to be a part of, please contact me or Dale Forshey, Executive Director (717-835-0101).

UPCOMING EVENTS:

LACE UP WITH LOVE INC SNEAKER DRIVE provides new, name-brand sneakers to qualifying school-aged students at Derry Township and Lower Dauphin school districts. Sneakers collected June 4- Aug 2.

RUN YOUR RACE 5K + 1K FUN RUN on Saturday, June 24

LACE UP WITH LOVE INC SNEAKER DISTRIBUTION Thursday, Aug 3- Saturday, Aug 5

LOVING OUR COMMUNITY ONLINE AUCTION Thursday, Oct 5-Tuesday, Oct 10

Love INC of Greater Hershey serves people in need who either worship at one of its partnering churches or who live within Hershey, Hummelstown, or the Dauphin County portion of Elizabethtown. Programs include:

• THE CONNECTION CENTER: Receives, validates, and refers clients to appropriate services) Over 1,400 requests for assistance in 2022!
• THE PERSONAL CARE CLOSET: Supplies items not covered by food stamp benefits to those certified with the Hershey Food Bank, Hummelstown Food Pantry, and the Hershey Free Food Bank.
• HOMES OF HOPE: 24-month transitional housing program for those facing or at risk of homelessness.
• PARSONAGE MINISTRY: A warm place to stay at no cost to family members of adult patients at the Penn State Health Medical Center who travel 50+ miles to receive care.
• FAITH AND FINANCES: Financial mentoring through a 10-week course offered twice a year.
• TRANSPORTATION:  Coordinating necessary rides for those who need it.
• LACE UP WITH LOVE INC SNEAKER DRIVE: provides new, name-brand sneakers to qualifying school-aged students at Derry Township and Lower Dauphin school districts

Needs unable to be met by these programs may be referred to a local agency or a partner church, depending upon the circumstances of the request and the resources available.