MESSIAH LUITHERAN CHURCH
The German Reformed and Lutheran Church of Fisherville, Pennsylvania, was organized in 1848 A. D. on land donated by George Fisher, Esquire. Shortly afterwards, the sum of $1,00 was paid to Squire Fisher for the legal transaction and the cornerstone was laid on September 9, 1849. However, it is interesting to note that the church basement, needed for additional classrooms, was not dug until1941, over eighty years after the building was erected.
Berrysburg pastors served the new Fisherville parish until 1855 when it became an independent pastorate. At this time, it became a member of the Fisherville Charge of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Other members of the Fisherville Charge included St. James (now St. James Independent Church in Carsonville), St. Paul’s (Enterline), Straw’s Church also known as Zion’s (also Independent in Enders), Star of Bethlehem (now dismantled in Enders), and St. Peter’s (Halifax).
No records can be found to show when the church officially became known as Messiah Lutheran Church although reference to this name is given in several Church Council minutes of the 1870s. The reformed membership was not strong and eventually dwindled out by the late 1800s. However, it wasn’t until 1988, when title searches were needed to expand the church building, that the Reformed membership officially relinquished its claim to Messiah.
Messiah Lutheran Church Sunday School was originally known as the Fisherville Union Sabbath School and had a large membership (80 to 140 people), for a small country church. Also, in addition to regular Sunday School, German Bible classes were taught for the German-speaking people of the area.
With an ever-growing church school, a committee was formed in 1986 to look into repairing and remodeling house adjacent to the church grounds. It was decided that this would be too costly. Therefore the church was presented with plans for an Education Center consisting of a basement and two levels including a pastoral/secretarial office.
In the summer of 1988, construction of the education Center took place. all of the labor was being done by members of the church, both young and old. It is this type of devotion and fellowship which first built the Messiah Lutheran Church in 1849. And it is this same fellowship which strengthens our faith today and tomorrow.
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The above was taken from the Halifax Area Bicentennial Book, 1994, as written by members(s) of the church.
The photograph of the church was taken in 2019.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.