Christ Reformed Church Hagerstown

Discussions began in 1852 when several people met to discuss their desire for services exclusively in the German language. They were members of the First Reformed Church in Hagerstown. This meeting was attended by Germans of the German Reformed and Lutheran Churches as well as persons that were not members of any church at that time. Rev. Carl Kast saw to the needs of the new congregation for several years, however, no organization was in place. There were beginning plans to build a church for the new congregation. The location was selected on Franklin Street and building began. In March, 1855, the Germans assembled in the First Reformed church and organized a new Reformed congregation..they then proceeded to their new church, where the corner stone was laid and the church received the name, ‘Christ Church’. It was popularly known as the ‘Second Reformed’.

The church was completed in a856 and dedicated that Spring. Officers of the congregation were Henry Winter, Leonard Maisack, Mark Benner, Jacob Gruber, Theobald Kiefer, William Beslard and George Steinmetz.

Several years later, a Lutheran minister took over the congregation. He was not installed as pastor because of difficulties and the Reformed church would not allow Rev. Theobald Heischman to continue. As a result, many of the German Lutherans in the congregation left and formed their own congregation, the German Lutheran Church.

It was during the term of his successor, Rev. William Culliflower, that the congregation revamped and many new congregants did not speak, nor understand German. At first, they continued with occasional German services, but eventually the German services were discontinued. This did require a change in the constitution, which changes were made in September 1877.

Improvements were made to the church in 1878.

Pastors:

· Rev. Carl Kast

· Rev. John Poerner

· Rev. Dr. George Sefert

· Rev. Henry Louis Mienard

· Rev. Casper Scheel

· Rev. Theobald Heischman

· Rev. William F. Culliflower

· Rev. C.H. Coon

· Rev. Leighton G. Kremer

Church location and contact:

Christ’s Reformed Church, UCC

130 West Franklin Street

Hagerstown, MD 21740

Phone: 301.733.4144

Fax: 301.733.4145

Website: http://crcucc.org/contact.html