The United Church of Schellsburg United Church of Christ 1646 Market Street (S.R. 96) P.O. Box 108 Schellsburg, Pennsylvania 15559 (814) 733-4811 HOME PAGE

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The History of a Most Remarkable Church

The United Church of Schellsburg was born in 1806 when town founder John Schell deeded land for a church building (the Old Log Church) to house a Reformed congregation and a Lutheran Congregation. Within 40 years, a Presbyterian church and a Methodist church had also been established in Schellsburg to suit the worshipping needs of the growing settlement and surrounding area.

In the 1940's, as church attendance began to shrink and old buildings began to deteriorate, the four congregations found themselves reaching out to each other for education programs, worship opportunities, and mission projects. Out of this cooperation emerged a vision to unite the four separate churches as one congregation for worship, education, mission, and fellowship.

On November 22, 1964, each congregation voted on the proposed merger as well as a denomination with which to affiliate as the new church. The merger passed and the United Church of Christ, the youngest denomination of the four available, was chosen as the home of the new congregation. The congregation worships in the Reformed Church building; the Presbyterian and Lutheran buildings have been converted into private homes while the Methodist building is no longer in existence.

This event was a milestone not only for Schellsburg and Bedford County but for ecumenical relationships across the country. The merger was featured in several national magazines in the months that followed, including Redbook and Time Magazine.

Over the years as this congregation has learned to speak to and with each other, the United Church of Schellsburg has become an open and welcoming place for people of all walks of life. We celebrate the vision of the United Church of Christ, "That they all may be one", by living out this vision as a congregation every day.