Historical Firsts About our Church |
1. One of the oldest Lutheran congregations west of the Alleghenies (founded 1777).
2. Earliest record of a Lutheran Pastor west of the Alleghenies, Rev. Litzel, 1777.
3. Served by the first ordained Lutheran pastor west of the Alleghenies, Rev. Litzel.
4. First official report to the Pennsylvania Ministerium of Pastoral work west of the Alleghenies, Rev. Lange, 1796.
5. Sent Clerical Delegate to the first meeting of the Ministerium of the Western Pennsylvania Synod, Rev. Lange, 1801.
6. Served by first home missionary of Pennsylvania Ministerium, Rev. Steck, 1788.
7. Served by first catechist from Pennsylvania Ministerium to serve west of the Alleghenies, Rev. Tideman.
8. First known record of monies given to treasury of Allegheny Synod from Berlin charge -- Rev. Criegler, 1820, $15.76 from five congregations, 624 communicants.
9. Had one of the first published Lutheran Pastor west of the Alleghenies, Rev. Criegler, 1819.
10. Berlin charge sent first lay delegate to any Synod from Somerset County, John Gephart, 1824.
11. First prayer meeting of Lutherans west of the Alleghenies, Rev. Criegler, 1820.
12. First Sunday School of any denomination in Somerset County, Rev. Criegler, Peter Lane, John Fletcher.
13. Sent delegate to organizational meeting and first convention of new West Pennsylvania Synod, Rev. Criegler, 1824, 1825.
14. Berlin charge sent lay delegate to first meeting of new West Pennsylvania Synod, John Trostle, 1825.
15. Site of the first meeting on territory of Allegheny Synod and first meeting west of the Cumberland Valley of new West Pennsylvania Synod, 1826.
16. Sent delegates to first meeting of Somerset Conference, Rev. Wincoff and Nelson Walker.
17. Site of the first conference of Sunday Schools of any kind, 1877, Rev. Poffenberger.
All first facts gleaned from the History of the Allegheny Evangelical Lutheran Synod, 1918, by Rev. W.H. Bruce Carney, Lutheran Publication Society, Philadelphia, Pa.