Missions and Sunday Schools

Appenzeller is a noteworthy name at First Church. We often view Henry Appenzeller’s departure for Korea as a beginning point for our mission zeal. In reality, missions were important to this congregation from its earliest years.

Perhaps the best date to mark as the beginning of a hands-on ministry is 1823. In that year the Sunday School was established with Henry Boehm as its superintendent. Sunday School has played a prominent role in our history. It has provided a major driving force behind all of our various building projects.  The Sunday School was also the center of major mission outreaches in the City of Lancaster.

The South Mission


The German St. Chapel built in 1849

Around 1848 a Sabbath-school known as the Southern Mission of the Duke St. Methodist Episcopal Church was operating in a small house on the west side of south Queen St. opposite today’s Woodward Hill Cemetery.

 


St.Paul's M.E.
1861-1916

First M.E, erected the “German Street Chapel” for this school on East German St. just east of S. Queen St. (German St. was later renamed Farnum St.) This building is still in use today, serving a Spanish-speaking congregation. By 1851 the congregation became known as the Lancaster Second M.E, Church. It was later chartered as St. Paul’s M.E. Today, the congregation worships at the corner of S. Queen and Farnum, within sight of the old German St. Chapel.


St. Paul's
1916-present

 

The East Mission
In 1854 the East Mission Sunday School was opened. Meetings were held in the East Orange St. School until the East King St. M.E Church was built on the north side of East King between Plum and Ann Sts. As late as the 1880’s this was still a mission church of First Church. Before his departure for Korea, Henry Appenzeller was appointed an assistant pastor at First Church and was assigned duties at the East Mission. The church later became the Broad Street M.E. Today it is Christ U.M.C. on East Walnut St.
former Broad St. M.E.
Christ U.M.

 

The West Mission
In 1867 cottage prayer meetings were being held on the west end of the city. This became the Western Mission Sunday-school in a building on Charlotte St. At times it was also known as the Third M.E, Church and the Charlotte Street M.E. Church. The congregation was a mission church of First M.E. until 1892 when it became the Lancaster Avenue M.E. This congregation survived until 1969 Lancaster when it merged with the Pearl St. U.M. Church. One of its former pastors is our own Chuck Yrigoyen.

Building on site of Western Mission, N. Charlotte St.
(This building was erected by the Church of the Brethren, 1897)

Lancaster Avenue Methodist (1893-1969)
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