History
The River Brethren church (Brethren in Christ) had its origin in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the late eighteenth century. The new denomination grew out of the Pietist movement of the same period and the spiritual awakening which influenced the German immigrants living along the Susquehanna River prompted these people to start anew. They organized the group of spiritual believers who would become known as Brethren in Christ by the mid-nineteenth century.
It was not long until some of this group immigrated to other areas including Franklin County, Pennsylvania. By 1825 enough people had moved to the area or joined the group so that they established a new administrative unit or District as it was then known. The membership within the District elected their own leaders (bishop, ministers and deacons.) Rev. Christian Lesher was elected bishop and served his local District and brotherhood well for many years. In another forty years there were enough members to establish a second District in the county and the areas were designated as the South Franklin and North Franklin District. Rev. Aaron C. Wingert served as the first bishop in the newly created North Franklin District which included Air Hill.
Most of the members were farmers or were employed in agricultural related industries and they practiced the house-church concept of worship for nearly one hundred years. Individual families would volunteer to host the monthly worship service in their home or barn. The idea of building and worshiping in meetinghouses caught on slowly but with talking, planning, and raising money, the North Franklin District built its first meetinghouse (Air Hill) in the summer and fall of 1881 on the site adjacent to the Kryder Cemetery. The architectural style was patterned after the houses and barns found on their homesteads. The Air Hill church, for a time also known as Brechbill Meetinghouse, was a 40′ x 60′ limestone and brick structure. It was completed and the first service was conducted on November 13, 1881. The total cost of the meetinghouse was $3,241.26. By this time Rev. Martin H. Oberholser was serving as the bishop and John Gayman, Martin Oberholser and Henry Wingert were elected to serve as trustees.
The twentieth century was a time of change and growth at Air Hill. The congregation was interested in providing religious instruction for children, youth and adults which impacted them for the rest of the century. The Sunday School was started in 1906, first as a part-time program which operated weekly from April through September, and then expanded to nine months of the year and, in 1932, to twelve months.
The first major renovation of the meetinghouse in 1950 was seen, in part as necessary to accommodate the Christian education ministry of the church. Ten years later the education building and parsonage were added to provide space for the expanding ministry which included a ministry for youth, and a summer vacation Bible school. A children and youth club program was added a little later. Also a part of the 1960 building program was a small meeting room for the Junior Sunday School which was also used to host social activities. The administrative structure of the denomination encouraged a change from a bivocational minister to a salaried minister which created a need for the parsonage.
The last building program of the century was a two-phase program which involved the relocation of the parsonage and the addition of a multi-purpose building. The first phase, a multi-purpose building, was designed to accommodate a variety of athletic activities along with a kitchen which could adequately host congregational fellowship meals. This phase was completed in May, 1987. The second phase was the building of a new and larger sanctuary, additional classroom space and the renovation of the original building into a nursery, offices, library etc. This project was completed September, 1990.
Changes inaugurated in the twentieth century had wide ranging effects on these pious people. However, our congregation continues to search the scriptures as we endeavor to live the Christian life within our society.
Church History provided by Avery Zook (2002)
It was not long until some of this group immigrated to other areas including Franklin County, Pennsylvania. By 1825 enough people had moved to the area or joined the group so that they established a new administrative unit or District as it was then known. The membership within the District elected their own leaders (bishop, ministers and deacons.) Rev. Christian Lesher was elected bishop and served his local District and brotherhood well for many years. In another forty years there were enough members to establish a second District in the county and the areas were designated as the South Franklin and North Franklin District. Rev. Aaron C. Wingert served as the first bishop in the newly created North Franklin District which included Air Hill.
Most of the members were farmers or were employed in agricultural related industries and they practiced the house-church concept of worship for nearly one hundred years. Individual families would volunteer to host the monthly worship service in their home or barn. The idea of building and worshiping in meetinghouses caught on slowly but with talking, planning, and raising money, the North Franklin District built its first meetinghouse (Air Hill) in the summer and fall of 1881 on the site adjacent to the Kryder Cemetery. The architectural style was patterned after the houses and barns found on their homesteads. The Air Hill church, for a time also known as Brechbill Meetinghouse, was a 40′ x 60′ limestone and brick structure. It was completed and the first service was conducted on November 13, 1881. The total cost of the meetinghouse was $3,241.26. By this time Rev. Martin H. Oberholser was serving as the bishop and John Gayman, Martin Oberholser and Henry Wingert were elected to serve as trustees.
The twentieth century was a time of change and growth at Air Hill. The congregation was interested in providing religious instruction for children, youth and adults which impacted them for the rest of the century. The Sunday School was started in 1906, first as a part-time program which operated weekly from April through September, and then expanded to nine months of the year and, in 1932, to twelve months.
The first major renovation of the meetinghouse in 1950 was seen, in part as necessary to accommodate the Christian education ministry of the church. Ten years later the education building and parsonage were added to provide space for the expanding ministry which included a ministry for youth, and a summer vacation Bible school. A children and youth club program was added a little later. Also a part of the 1960 building program was a small meeting room for the Junior Sunday School which was also used to host social activities. The administrative structure of the denomination encouraged a change from a bivocational minister to a salaried minister which created a need for the parsonage.
The last building program of the century was a two-phase program which involved the relocation of the parsonage and the addition of a multi-purpose building. The first phase, a multi-purpose building, was designed to accommodate a variety of athletic activities along with a kitchen which could adequately host congregational fellowship meals. This phase was completed in May, 1987. The second phase was the building of a new and larger sanctuary, additional classroom space and the renovation of the original building into a nursery, offices, library etc. This project was completed September, 1990.
Changes inaugurated in the twentieth century had wide ranging effects on these pious people. However, our congregation continues to search the scriptures as we endeavor to live the Christian life within our society.
Church History provided by Avery Zook (2002)