Benchmarks of the Waynesboro Church of the Brethren

1798 - John Wallace, founder of Waynesboro, gave two lots on South Church Street for a Union Church.
1809 - 1817 - A log cabin was built by Lutheran, Reformed, and Presbyterian Congregations.
1829 - Log church torn down.
1830 - Second church built by Lutheran and Presbyterian Congregations.
1871 - German Baptist Brethren, now Church of the Brethren, bought the church property from Lutherans and Presbyterians at public auction for $1,200.00.
1872 - Sunday School began in spring with continuous Sunday School from 1878.
1888 - First youth meetings.
1893 - Missionary Association formed.
1895 - Lot purchased from Geiser Company for $300.00 for hitching horses.
1903 - Second church torn down. Third church built for cost of $18,000.00. Land north of church purchased for $2,215.00.
1908 - Name changed from German Baptist Brethren to Church of the Brethren.
1922 - Waynesboro became a congregation. Previously Waynesboro was part of the Antietam congregation which included Price’s, Waynesboro, Rouzerville, and Welty’s Churches. James M. Moore was called to be the first pastor.
1923 - Property north of the church was purchased for $7,205.00 for a parsonage.
1924 - Sunday School building erected at cost of $40,000.00. Baptistry installed, a gift of J. J. Oller.
1925 - Church got first piano at request of Men's Chorus. Waynesboro Messenger began.
1927 - Individual communion cups first used and purchased by Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Rinehart. Additional land purchased from Geiser Company for parking at cost of $225.00.
1928 - Boy Scouts first sponsored by the church.
1931 - Ground east of church given by J. J. Oller family in memory of Elder and Mrs. J. F. Oller.
1943 - 50th Anniversary of Missionary Society.
1947 - Residence south of the church was purchased for $9,500.00.
March 5 -Rev. and Mrs. Earl Snader, Jr. and son, Peter, arrived in China to begin mission work supported by our congregation.
1947 - Electric organ dedicated.
1953 - Tape ministry to shut-ins. Equipment and initial visitations provided by the young people's department.
1956 - Fellowship Hall, Widdowson Chapel, education facilities, and remodeled sanctuary completed and dedicated. Moller pipe organ installed dedicated gift of Bessie Rohrer.
1964 - Parsonage extensively remodeled.
1969 - Church and Home weekly mailing began.
1970 - Lots south of church purchased for parking space.
1971 - Second floor of Education Building renovated.
1974 - April 21 - Church offices improved (painting, new carpet, shelves).
1975 - Handbells purchased from estates of Harper and Ramona Good and Jerome and Lucy Shank.
1976 - November 21 - Radio Ministry began (15 minute meditation and music).
1981 - Fall - Tape Ministry to shut-ins resumed. September 16 - Sanctuary renovations (paint, carpet, pew cushions).
1982 - May - Prayer Wheel service began. Spring - Parsonage driveway -church and chapel landscaping.
1985 - People of the Covenant groups began. Renovations - narthex, elevator, office suite, library
1988 - Youth Club began.
1990 - Sanctuary air conditioned.
1991 - Peace Pole dedicated.
1994 - Furnace replaced. Parsonage renovation began.
1995 - Mid-week Bible Study service began.
1996 - Deacon family cluster ministry, early Sunday worship service, Jubilee and Praise Team formed. Assistance to Eastern European Aid Society in Romania started.
1997 - Living Hope Fellowship for 18-35 year olds began, new office computer and copier purchased.
2004 - Puppet Ministry
2007 - Reorganization - Plan of Organization

RESIDENT MINISTERS (at time of organization)
Rev. C. Rush Oellig
Rev. H. Mitchell Stover (transferred to Antietam Congregation 1931)
Rev. W. Clay Wertz

PASTORS (of Waynesboro Congregation)
Rev. James M. Moore (wife, Ella) 1922-1930
Rev. Levi K. Ziegler (wife, Grace died 1935) 1930-1941 (wife, Mamie Leiter, 1936)
Dr. George L. Detweiler (wife, Zola) 1941-1961
Dr. Harry M. Gardner (wife, Glenna) 1961-1962
Rev. Samuel Flora (wife, Lillie Ann) 1962-1976
Rev. Ben Simmons (Assistant Pastor) 1964-1966
Rev. A. Mervyn Wunderlich, Jr. (wife, Mary Ann) 1976-1978 (Assistant Pastor)
Rev. Elmer Gleim (Interim Pastor) 1976-1977
Rev. D. Alfred Replogle (wife, Phyllis) 1977-1978 (died April 24, 1978)
Rev. A. Mervyn Wunderlich, Jr. (Acting Pastor) June - Dec. 1978
Rev. Prudence Engle Yelinek (Assistant Pastor) June - Dec. 1978 (Interim Pastor) Jan. - June 1979
Rev. Wendell Kent (Assistant to Interim Pastor) Jan. - June 1979
Rev. Guy R. Buch (wife, Jeanne) 1979-1986
Rev. Carl Synan (wife, Kris) (Assistant to Pastor) 1980-1981
Rev. Edward & Marge Poling (Team Associates) 1981-1988
Rev. John Huffaker (wife, Sue) 1987-1992
Rev. Brent K. Driver (Associate Pastor) 1989-1998
Rev. C. Albert Guyer (wife, Hazel) (Interim Pastor) 1992-1993, 2006
Rev. Prudence Yelinek (husband, Ed)(Interim Pastor) 1992-1994, 1999 - 2010
Rev. John Paul Holsey (wife, Donna) 1994-1998
Rev. James Lucas (Pastor of Christian Nurture) 2002-2005
Rev. Amy Messler 2008- 2012
Rev. Jesse Miles (wife Kim) 2012- 2015
Rev. John Weber 2015-2023
Andrew Paterno 2024-

SUMMER ASSISTANT PASTORS
Donald M. Snider 1940
L. John Weaver 1942
Glenn H. Bowlby 1943
Earl E. Snader, Jr. 1944
J. Irvin Thomas 1951
James R. Hutchison 1974
James Beckwith 1975

INTERN PASTORS
Theodore Whitacre (wife, Margaret) 1959-1960
Willard Dulabaum (wife, Pauline) 1960-1961
Beverly B. Good (wife, Janet) 1961-1962
Forest Collier (wife, Kitty) 1962-1963

LICENSED TO PREACH (from Congregation)
David Snider July 1924-1930
Earl Snader, Jr Dec.1931 (Ordained 1941)
Donald Snider Dec. 1938 (Ordained 1939)
Donald Shank Aug. 1950 (Ordained 1952)
Robert Flory May 1958
Ronald Vinson May 1958
Timothy Monn Jan.1972 (Ordained 1977)
A. Lee Kinsey, IV Aug.1976 (Ordained 1980)
Prudence Engle Yelinek (Ordained) Jan. 1984
Joel F. Nogle July 1981
Beth Cox 1993
Duane Stremmel 1996
Jesse Miles 2009 (Ordained 2013)

CHOIR DIRECTORS
Charles D. Snider Men's Chorus & Women's Chorus 1922-1936
Rello Oller Girl's Chorus
C. Arthur Snider 1936-1939
Charles M. Cassel 1939-1956
Francis A. Nogle Sanctuary Choir, Youth & Junior Choirs 1953-1973
Handbell Choir 1975-1977
All Choirs 1956-1977
Interim Sanctuary Choir 2002
Janet Smedley Junior Choir 1970-1976
Wayne Knepper Sanctuary Choir 1977-1994
Steve Engle Interim Choir Director 1986-1987
Edna Rice Junior Choir Director 1976-1979, 1986-1991
Charlene L. Good Handbell Choir 1977- 2010
Youth Choir 1979-2001
Sanctuary Choir 1995- 2011
Sue and Nikki Newcomer Cherub Choir 2005-2016
Patty Divelbiss 2012- 2018
John Johnson 2018-

PIANISTS AND ORGANISTS
Ruth Stover Snider Piano for Chorus Work 1922-1925
Lillian Culler Snider Piano 1925-1936
Betty Snider Berlin Piano 1936-1939
Marcia Fike Piano 1939-1941
Francis Good Kuhn Piano 1941-1946
Betty Snider Berlin Piano and Electric Organ 1946-1947
Joseph Bowers, Guest Organist; Betty Snider Berlin, Pianist
Mary Jane Potter Bennett Electric Organ 1947-1948
Dorothy Dell Chalfant Koterba Electric Organ May - Aug. 1948
Betty Adams Funk Electric Organ 1949 .Jan. 1952
Jean Good McArthur, Electric Organ & Moller Pipe Organ 1952-1958
Robert S. Clippinger, Guest Organist
Dorothy Daugherty Talhelm 1958
Janet Smedley 1958-
Lee Carson 1972-2004
Margaret Behnke, Accompanist Cherub Choir 2005-
Carolyn Wolff

SECRETARIES and PARISH WORKERS
Emma Miller (Parish Worker) 1926-1933
Betty Snider Berlin (Part-time Parish Worker) 1946-1947
Mrs. Stuart (Lucille) Altland (Secretary) 1947-1952
Marcia Fike (Part-time Secretary) 1952-1954
Lillian R. Good (Secretary and Parish Worker) 1954-1959
Thelma Widdowson (Secretary) 1959-1962
Lucille Beckenbaugh (Secretary) 1962-1977
Lillian R. Good (Secretary) 1977-1986
Lucille Beckenbaugh (Assistant Secretary) 1981-1985
Arlene Kipe (Assistant Secretary) 1985-1986
Sandy Koziel (Secretary) 1986-1989
Wanda S. Rickett (Secretary) 1990-2021
Sally Shearer 2021-

CUSTODIANS
Ira L. Wingert 1922-1954
Kenneth Berlin 1955-1963
Jere Hovis 1963-2004
Emily Hovis 1963-2016
Frank Mentzer 2004- 2006
Lois Mentzer 2004-2014
Jean Harbaugh 2014-2016
Commercial Cleaning Services 2016
Joy Smetzer

LIBRARIANS
Ella Wertz, Louise Oller Biss, Mary Flory,
Olive Horst, Sara Engle, Betty Kauffman,
Linnie Bonebrake, Kathryn Oller, Nancy Kauffman,
Marcia Fike, Hazel Snively, Mary Alice Stoops
Mary Jean Bechard
Lisa Naugle

Mission and Vision Statement Approved September 2, 2007

Sources:
Archives, Waynesboro Church of the Brethren
Gleim, Elmer Q. Challenge and Change, 1940-1972.
Gleim, Elmer Q. Antietam Antecedents. 2v.
Durnbaugh, Donald F. The Church of the Brethren, Past and Present.
Willoughby, William G. Counting the Cost.