New Hope United Church of Christ

New Hope United Church of Christ. Trinity Reformed Church of Perry County. , The early years: From 1777 to 1819, pastors from the Reformed congregation in Carlisle preached among German Reformed families in Sherman's and Fishing Creek valleys. Residents established the first churches of what became known as the Sherman's Valley Charge. As the number of Reformed families increased and the long distance took their toll on itinerant pastors, the Sherman's Valley Charge divided in 1839, with the western part of Perry County becoming the Landisburg Charge., The Rev. Charles H. Leinbach, who served six congregations in the Landisburg Charge from 1843 to 1859, gradually transitioned his churches to English and introduced Sunday Schools. In 1859, the Charge split again into the Landisburg and the Blain Charges, with the Landisburg Charge including Lebanon (Loysville), St Peter's (Spring Township) and St John's - Ludoph's (Elliotsburg)., Trinity established: In 1851 members of St. Peter's and Lebanon churches living in the Landisburg area decided, after a prayer meeting at the home of George Elicker, to build their own church on land donated by General Henry Fetter. The brick church was dedicated on April 17, 1853. Assistant minister Theodore P. Bucher (1856-1859) established Mt. Dempsey Academy to prepare young men and women for higher education. It operated in the lower level from 1856 until 1864 when the Civil War drew young pupils away., Coming together: After several denominational mergers, the German Reformed Church became part of the United Church of Christ in 1957, and the Landisburg church became known as Trinity UCC. In 2001, Lebanon, St. Peter's and Trinity churches united for worship under one roof. Reflecting a new hope in the region, the reconstituted congregation named itself New Hope UCC., The mission of New Hope UCC is to Glorify God and to grow fully in Christ by: welcoming and ministering to all people through worship, fellowship and Bible Study, equipping people for ministry to teach others, involving people in the work of Christ in the world, and helping people in need.