Trinity Lutheran Bethany Lutheran
The 1700's
The story of any congregation is the story of
families, in this case the Berger (Barger) and Keinadt (Koiner) families. Both
had their beginnings in Germany, had probably been influenced by William Penn
who had traveled extensively in Germany giving glowing accounts of America; both
had first emigrated to Pennsylvania, and then to the Shenandoah Valley of
Virginia.
The
Shenandoah Valley, whose name means "Daughter of the Stars", had been
inhabited by Native Americans and explored as early as 1669 by John Lederer, a
German who made his way to the crest of the mountains with three Native
Americans, and when he saw the expanse of the green valley, prostrated himself
upon the ground, saying: "God is nigh!"
In 1716 Governor Spotswood and his party
made their passage through the mountains and traveled through country described
as so fertile and rich that the grass which sprang from the limestone soil could
be tied across the saddles of the travelers.
The
town of
This, then, was the Valley to which the
Berger family came early in the 1700's, and where Jacob Berger was born in 1745.
This Jacob Berger is referred to as the patriarch of the congregation. He
married Elizabeth Hedrick, whose father owned 625 acres," and their first
child, Anna Margaret, was born
The
record of this child's baptism on
Michael Keinadt, whose name has been
traced back to the Reformation, and whose name is now spelled Koiner, Coiner,
Coyner, etc., came to America in 1740, lived in Pennsylvania until the close of
the Revolutionary War, when he and his wife Margaret, nee' Diller, bought 303
acres of land on the South River and moved with 12 of their 13 sons to the
Shenandoah Valley, (one son remained in Pennsylvania).
The Keinadt's sixth son,
These early settlers brought with them
copies of Luther's Bible, his Catechism, and their hymnbooks. As soon as a cabin
had been built and their crops planted, they usually sought out others of their
faith, gathered several families in a house, barn, or schoolhouse for devotional
meetings, the laymen among them conducting simple services when a minister was
not available. As far as is known, a Rev. A. Naumann was the first man who
preached here. He was killed by a falling tree about the year 1788.
Congregations in existence during this era seldom had the services of a Pastor,
probably no more than once or twice a year.
After the end of the Revolutionary War,
new settlers came into the area and conditions improved. In the summer of 1794
Jacob Barger, Casper Koiner, Nicholas Busch and Kasper Clemen built a log
church, the first
Before this first log church was finished,
Jacob Berger died in his 49th year, and is buried in Trinity cemetery. His wife
lived another 47 years.
At this point, we might wonder about the
origin of the cemetery. According to the Rev. E. T. Coyner in the Keinadt
history,
".
. . it was used as a cemetery about 1730 or 1740,
beginning in the northeast corner where the graves were arranged in rows facing
the east. There were several graves outside the present fence about 1880, which,
like the first hundred graves inside the fence, were marked only with rough flat
stones . . . mostly with no dates on them . . . This cemetery was possibly the
first cemetery of the whole section of South River."
Pastor Coyner continues,
"
. . . The conclusion is inevitable that either there was some sort of church
organization long before the log church was built, or that the church acquired
the cemetery from some private parties long before 1796.”
He concludes that it was originally a part
of the old Jacob Slagle farm which adjoined it.
During the period 1794-1797 the Rev. Paul
Henkel of the eminent Henkel family of New Market served as pastor, He started
many churches in
"If
the now rising generation, many of whom the writer . . . has instructed and
confirmed, will study Luther's 'House Postil' as their grandfathers did Luther's
Church Postil', then is the future of this congregation secured; for then verily
the blessing of the Lord will not depart from it.”
We see how the providence of God used this
publishing firm to recover the almost forgotten treasures of the Reformation and
revive and preserve the faith of our fathers.
We might add here that one of the
congregation's treasures is the small German pulpit Bible used in the log
church. On the back page, written in German, probably by Pastor Paul Henkel and
signed by the two elders of the church, we read:
"This copy of the Holy Scriptures was
bought for the use of this congregation and is to be kept for that purpose. We
as elders of this church attest this with our own hands.
(signed)
Nicholas Busch
A pewter plate (London) used in the early
communion services, a wooden chest which housed the Communion ware, and the
first record book bound in pigskin, pages with royal imprint, with entries made
between 1772 and 1845, are also in the congregation's possession. It is very
likely that the record book was procured about 1790 and the oldest baptismal
records then copied from private family records.
There is some indication that the Rev.
Adolph Spindler preached here again between 1797 and 1800. He died in 1837 at
the age of 85 and is buried in the
1800-1850
The
Rev. John Foltz served the congregation from 1800-1810. A native son of the
Valley, he was licensed in 1796, ordained by the Pennsylvania Ministerium in
1802 and died in 1810. The minutes of a meeting held in 1804 call for the
construction of benches in the church. In his Journal of
"I reached the church in
The Rev. George Henry Riemenschneider
served faithfully for thirteen years, 1810-1823, the congregation testifying
that
". ..we are entirely satisfied both
with his doctrine and personal behavior, and would have wished to retain him
longer.”
Pastor Riemenschneider had studied at
About the year 1824 a popular speaker, the
Rev. M. Meyerhoffer, sought to intrude himself into the congregation, causing a
division among the people, resulting in the forming of
In 1823 because of the
"unsoundness" of the Pennsylvania Ministerium, Koiner's congregation
applied to the Tennessee Synod for a minister. The Rev. Ambrose Henkel, the
third son of Paul Henkel, was assigned to the congregation, was ordained by the
Tennessee Synod at Koiner's Church in 1824, and spent his ministry in
The Rev John N. Stirewalt served two years
from 1831-33, and the only record available of him is his confirmation of 11
people in 1831 and baptisms performed during this time.
The Rev. Ambrose Henkel was Pastor again
from 1833-37. Of him it is said that
". ..he is so faithful in his labors,
especially in teaching and leading the young that he is considered one of the
three fathers of the old church, Pastor Paul Henkel and Casper Koiner being the
other two".
In 1823 the congregation had defeated a
motion to have English preaching, but in 1837 the last communion service in the
German language was held and by 1838 all records were kept in English.
The
transition to English is evident on one page of the first record book where, in
German script and language, the entry reads: "1824 May 9 Holy Communion
held and offering money received, three dollars, 75 cents paid out of it for
wine. Kasper Keinadt". Immediately following in English is another entry
"Dhe offerf 3 dollers was payt to printing for the Sinnot (Synod) books for
the yore 1824. Kasper Coiner".
The Rev. J. Killian became Pastor in 1837
and served 28 years. He was born June 18, 1818 in Lincoln County, North
Carolina, was ordained at the age of 18 into the Tennessee Synod at Koiner's
Church May 11, 1836, and married Julia Ann Koiner a great-granddaughter of
Michael Keinadt.
In 1838 the original log church, Spindle's
Meeting House, was replaced on the same spot in the graveyard by a new brick
building 36' x 40', called Koiner's Church. John Leonard, a member of the
congregation, was the architect. Also during Mr. Killian's pastorate, a
congregation was established near
Some of the names found in this first
record book before 1845 include: Aylor, Brennaman, Branaman, Braunfield,
Blakemore, Bernhard, Balsly, Baze], Baker, Burns, Coyner, Craig, Campbell,
Coiner, Coinard, Doom, Engleman, Everding, Faber, Franzman, Forbes, Freusinger,
Fellers, Fischborn, German, Georges, Gfeller, Gonoway, Groh, Guttman, Henser,
Hubert, Hippert, Hilbert, Herscher, Hiserman, Hofmeyer, Hi]debrand, Imboden,
Jost, Kleman, Kainadt, Kroh, Leonard, Lang, Mayer, Moser, Maurer, McLanahan,
Noll, Nehs, Nieckey, Nicho]s, Orebauch, Paff, Rubert, Renner, Rosenbarger,
Schlege], Staudt, Staubus, Steckly, Speck, Schind]er, Schmaltzhafen, Schmidt,
Stein, Traut, Ulrich, Vogely, Wetzel, Wemich, Wonderlich, Vost, Zerfas.
Of the 69 adults who communed
1851-1900
In
1856 Casper Koiner died at the age of 92, having worshipped for 62 years, during
7 pastorates, in the churches he helped build. His life in
The period 1861-1865, the country's
darkest hour, saw the garden spot of
The Rev. J. E. Seneker took charge in 1866
in that difficult period of reconstruction following the Civil War, and during
his pastorate a parsonage was built on three acres to the northeast of the
grove.
Pastor Seneker was born
An unpleasant incident occurred in 1871
when a Presbyterian minister, while preaching a funeral sermon in Koiner's
Church, preached against Lutheran doctrine. This caused the congregation to
adopt a resolution to admit only Lutheran preachers to its pulpit. However, some
members disagreed and withdrew, building Mountain View Chapel to the north of
the parsonage.
For the convenience of some older members
who could not attend at Koiner's Church near Crimora, a small frame church,
Bethany, was built one mile north of Waynesboro in 1874 on the hill a short
distance north of the old District Home not far off the present day Hopeman
Pkwy. Services were then held at Bethany and Trinity on alternate Sundays.
Pastor Seneker resigned in 1875, died
January 4, 1884, and he and his wife are buried in
After Pastor Seneker's resignation, there
was a vacancy till 1877, when the Rev. P. S. Swinehart took charge for two
years. Pastor Swinehart was born in
It was 105 years after the initial entry
in the first record book before Martin Koiner, Jacob Koiner, Major Hahn and.
Pastor Swinehart were appointed to draft a constitution which was adopted March
31, 1878, revised in 1880, and read twice each year to the congregation until
1904, and there after read at each annual meeting. Among the 70 signatures
appended to we find 36 Coyners, 6 Bargers., 6 Leonards and 3 Freeds. .
In a meeting in January 1878 it was
resolved:
"to make an effort to establish a
parochial school, the location of the house to be on the extreme right hand
corner of the Bethany Church lot, the size of the house to be 18' x 24' with 10'
pitch; committee to draft a constitution to regulate the working of this
institution being Pastor Swinehart, Marion Coyner and Cornelius Coyner".
The Rev. Frederick Kuegele of 
In April of 1880 the congregation voted
that instead of Sunday School, catechetical lectures would be given by Pastor
Kuegele every Sunday morning at
It was recorded in January of 1880 that
"Coyner's church was in such a condition as to make either repairs or a new
building necessary; it was resolved that a committee be appointed to make
calculations as to the feasibility and cost of repairing the old as well as the
costs of a new building". A new church was agreed upon and a strip of about
an acre of land was bought from Mr. Saint Clair Koiner. This new brick church
was located outside the cemetery at the southwest corner of the grove and it was
decided that
"the new church be built 45' long,
35' wide, walls to be 13" thick with pilasters; a steeple of corresponding
height; a square ceiling 16' high; 3 windows on a side with glass 10' x 16'; 2
single doors with arched transom". Building Committee was Franklin Barger,
H. Hahn, and Irenius Coiner.
After a severe winter, the new church was
dedicated in the Spring of 1881, the speaker being the Rev. E. L. S. Tressel of
Baltimore, President of the Concordia District of the Joint Synod of Ohio. (In
1878 the congregation had sent money to President Tressel to purchase altar
vessels for Bethany). The name "Koiner's Church" was dropped and the
new church called "Trinity". The full title of the congregation became
"The Coyner's Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Augusta County,
Virginia, worshipping at Trinity and
The responsive service with some changes
was adopted for use at Trinity in 1881; the ladies "were allowed the
privilege of staining the floor of
The celebration of the 400th anniversary
of Dr. Martin Luther was recorded in 1883.
In 1884 a monument was erected in memory
of Pastor Seneker and is located on the spot in Trinity cemetery where the
pulpit of the first log church and the first brick church had stood. The Pastor
was granted permission to preach every 5th Sunday in
Teacher F. Schroeder, educated at the
Teacher's Seminary in
The October 7th edition of the Lutheran
Witness in 1886 carried an account of the English Lutheran Conference which
assembled in
"The great zeal shown by our lay
brethren down there in Virginny for good and true Lutheranism, and the kindest
of hospitality to which we Missourians were treated, has certainly left a
lasting impression on us all".
In January of 1888 the congregation
considered how much money could be raised for building a new Bethany Church, and
when Mr. Elijah Coiner reported $1685 subscribed by February, a motion to build
a new brick church at Bethany was unanimously carried, stipulating that it cost
not less than $1500 or more than $2000. Elijah,
Marion, S. C., and Theodore Coyner, Ezra and M. L. Leonard were the building
committee. At the same meeting a motion to use wafers at communion was voted
down, and the teacher's salary for 1889 was raised to $400. Permission was given
the young men of the congregation to organize "a society for the promotion
of useful knowledge.”
The new
We read in the minutes of 1891:
“Whereas certain persons spread reports
that this congregation does not desire strangers to attend its services, the
Pastor is allowed the privilege of publishing the time and place of each meeting
in the local papers".
The year 1892 saw the erection of a
suitable monument to Michael and Margaret Keinadt in Trinity cemetery to replace
the original sandstone marker, and a reunion of the family a
"Upon the long tables aggregating 300
feet, and after the multitude had feasted to fullness, there was left enough of
choice food to supply a hungry regiment, and yet there were baskets and boxes of
supplies in waiting to supply more than the 2000 persons present".
In 1892 the congregation was given
a detailed report on the
That same year witnessed the enlargement
of Trinity cemetery with the addition of a plot 80' x 188' and a map of the
cemetery made by the Rev. A. A. Hahn.
The commemoration of the one hundred years
since the .building of the first log church was held on
Two ladders to be used in case of fire had
been purchased in 1892 for the teacher's residence at
During 1901 and 1902
1901-1928
Pastor Kuegele's 25th anniversary was
celebrated
In the congregation's minutes of January
8, 1910 we read that a motion carried to "grant privilege to the Ladies of
the congregation to organize an aid Society" and on February 17th the
ladies met to organize, Mrs. E. L. Eakle being elected President; Mrs. R. N.
Page, Vice-President; Miss Nettie Coiner, Secretary; and Mrs. Casper S. Coiner,
Treasurer.
In 1912 an iron fence was recommended for
the cemetery and a wooden one at the parsonage for a total cost of $1,126.42.
Pastor Kuegele preached occasionally in
Pastor Kuegele, who had resisted accepting
this congregation's call because he preferred to continue preaching in German,
became a pioneer in English work. Many of his sermons were first published in
the Lutheran Witness and then in book form, his sermons serving as a model or
guide for men just entering the ministry and older German men faced with the
necessity of preaching in English. (A list of his books is appended.) The entire
stock of the books "Country Sermons" together with the plates was
destroyed in a fire at the Lang Printery in
During his years at Coyner's congregation
Pastor Kuegele declined calls to Conover, NC., and
Mr. E. J. Buerger, a student at Concordia
Seminary, had come to serve as assistant during Pastor Kuegele's illness, taught
1916
The Rev. E. J. Friedrich accepted the
World War I drew eight young men of the
congregation into the military services of their country and all returned
safely. The ladies of the congregation became involved in Red Cross work and
relief work for French and
In 1917 the young people met at the C. J.
Barger home to form an organization, and at the next meeting elected Harry
Coiner, president; Wilbur Coyner, vice-president; Edgar Buerger, Secretary;
Frank Leonard, treasurer. Three years later the society became a member of the
International Walther League.
After the Friedrichs had lived in the
Trinity parsonage about two years, it was decided to buy the house at
The use of the individual communion cups
was introduced in 1919 and has continued to, the present time. That same year it
was voted to "investigate the best interest of the congregation as to
moving to
In 1923 a great step was taken when it was
decided to move to
Despite the considerable opposition to
forsaking the old Bethany Hill site, work was begun on the new Bethany Church in
the Fall of 1923, and the cornerstone of the old church was laid at the new
church on Palm Sunday,
Pastor Friedrich accepted the call to
“Whereas, We are on the eve of a final
separation of pastor and people, Be it resolved that we hereby express our
sorrow and ask God's blessing on him, his family, and his labors in the field to
which he goes, and may God give us strength to remember and practice the good
things he has taught us".
After serving in
During the vacancy in the Fall and Winter
of 1923, the Rev. George Thomas, of
1924
The Rev. Herbert E. Plehn, of
Pastor Plehn was born in
After two years of steady work the church
was completed at a cost of $63,000. The Sunday evening sermon was preached by
the Rev. 0.C. Kreinheder, who later served as President of Valparaiso Lutheran
University. (Dr. Kreinheder had taught at
In October, 1925, it was voted to permit
the minister to wear a clerical robe in the new church, but the robe was not
worn at Trinity.
Through the efforts of Senior Walther
Leaguers, Pauline Coiner, Frank Leonard and Mrs. E. L. Leonard, a Junior Walther
League was organized in 1925, with Rudolph Freed, president; Fillmore Coyner,
vice-president; Josephine Coiner, Secretary; Russell Coyner, treasurer; Lillian
Coiner and Hawsie Weaver, entertainment committee. In June of that year the
Senior and Junior Walther League Societies were host to the Eastern District
Convention, housing the guests in Fishburne and Fairfax Hall dormitories, paying
all food and other expenses, with an outlay of about $1000.
That same year it was voted to have 6
communions each year, and the envelope system for receiving church offerings was
adopted.
Three years after Bethany Church was moved
to
At the meeting held
Until a successor arrived, Mr. Walter Nau,
a vicar from Concordia Seminary, who had been teaching
1929-1949
On
Pastor Maier was born in
Postwar prosperity came to a dramatic end
in the stock market collapse in October 1929, followed by an economic depression
of greater severity than at any period in American history, having a profound
effect in this area as well as in the rest of the country. But efforts to reduce
the church debt continued, District and Synod were supported, while money and
clothing were sent to the Immigrant Mission Board to aid the Russian refugees
emigrating to
The Senior Walther League purchased a
mimeograph in 1932, making it possible to begin the publishing of "The
Bulletin" which appeared monthly until October 1966, after which a bulletin
was printed weekly.
The tenth anniversary of Bethany Church in
Pastor Maier was a pioneer in audio-visual
work in the
In "The Bulletin", November
1938, we read that Mrs. F. G. Harper had been received by transfer, with the
comment "though we have received a goodly number into membership, this is
only the third time in ten years that we have received a member by
transfer",-this, inspite of the fact that the duPont Co. had begun
operations in Waynesboro in 1929.
Because of the need for larger school and
Sunday School facilities, an auditorium with a stage, two basement rooms,
lavatories and a kitchen were added to the
Services were still being held at Bethany
and Trinity on alternate Sundays, and in 1938 it was voted to conduct Sunday
School in
Sunday evening services were held
regularly at Bethany, including the summer months; in 1942 evening services were
discontinued because of gas rationing, but were soon started again and held
every Sunday evening except during June, July, and August.
In 1941 the constitution and by-laws were
revised and the name "Coyner's Congregation" was changed to "
During World War II 31 men and women of
the congregation served in all combat areas, and all returned safely except
Lieut. John Henry Miller, Jr. who died in
A Trinity Cemetery Trust Fund was
established in 1941 to provide for the perpetual care of the cemetery.
Also in 1941 a daily
The Waynesboro Red Cross used the
In 1945 the 20th anniversary of the
building of Bethany Church in
A Men's Club was organized in 1945,
affiliated with the Lutheran Laymen's League, and elected Fillmore Coyner,
president; Leland Baker, vice-president; Albert DeValve, secretary; Frank
Foster, treasurer; and Will Leonard, membership chairman. One of their projects
was providing a $500 scholarship yearly for a ministerial student from
The 175th anniversary of the Congregation
was observed in 1947 with the former Pastor, Dr. E. Friedrich returning
to preach at the
Foreign relief and displaced families were
one of the concerns as the aftermath of World War II, followed all too soon by
the Korean War and the relief efforts it necessitated.
1972-2003
Rev.
Karl K. Schmidt became pastor of
After
a relatively short period a call was issued to Rev. Jon T.Diefenthaler by the
congregation and he was installed April 6,1975.Pastor Diefenthaler was born in
Milwaukee, WI, attended Concordia (Junior) College in Milwaukee and received his
B.A. from Concordia Senior College, Ft. Wayne,IN in 1965and a M.Div. from
Concordia Seminary, St.Louis, MO. in 1969. He also attended
For
the next 22 years Pastor Diefenthaler with the congregation planned, developed
and managed many new changes and ministries. All were accepted well and the
transitions went very smoothly. The adoption of the Lutheran Book of Worship
caused a little disturbance but the change was made gradually and it was finally
adopted
Membership
increased. Members volunteered to deliver Meals on Wheels in 1974 and have
continued to this day. The youth group, now called Bethany Youth For Christ, was
organized and became a vital part of the congregation supervised by Brian
Shirley. A visitation program to elderly non- members in the community was
coordinated with the Lutheran Council. Member teams made periodic visits to all
members and the every member canvas was held for many years as an integral part
of the Stewardship Program. An annual Time and Talent survey was taken and a
report issued. Members participated in the annual Crop Walk and several other
community actions.
As
part of his call arrangements Pastor Diefenthaler was granted a semi-sabbatical
in 1981for a post-doctoral fellowship with Professor Timothy Smith at Johns
Hopkins University for purpose of revising his doctoral dissertation for purpose
of publication. During this period Rev. Howard Shoenfeldt filled in very nicely.
The
In
1979 the lot across
During
Pastor Diefenthaler’s term, with the cooperation of Rev. Robert Humphreys of
From
1986 to 1995 a weekly program of the Sunday worship service was taped and
televised over a local television station and was well received by the public.
Also tape recordings of worship services were provided to shut-ins. In 1994
Linda Diefenthaler, Pastor’s wife, died of cancer after eight years of
suffering. She had been a light in the congregation and had been a firm
supporter of his work. The congregation mourned her death.
For
several years an inter-generational Sunday School was in operation bringing all
ages together during that time each Sunday. Also
Because
worship attendance increased to near capacity in the sanctuary in 1988 a
committee was formed in 1988 to study the need for more space in
Although
well supported by pledges and gifts for this project the church was left with a
debt of nearly $200,000. A member, Miss Priscilla Koiner, left a bequest in her
will which paid off the debt completely and added a substantial amount to the
Bethany School Endowment Fund--a most welcome and timely gift. It was voted to
name the Library-Archives Room the”Priscilla and Paul Koiner Room.”
Since
1997 was the 225th anniversary of the congregation special events and
worship services were planned and carried out. Several programs of the history
of the congregation were presented. A special collection for Mission
For
the next three years Rev, David Luecke and Rev. Don Morthole, both retired
Lutheran ministers, served the congregation faithfully. During this time the
call committee worked hard and as a result issued a call to Rev. Philip Ressler.
Rev. Ressler, born in Rockford,IL,Received his B.A. degree from Concordia
College, St.Paul, MN and received his M.Div. degree from Concordia Seminary in
St. Louis,MO He graduated in May and was installed as Pastor July 14, 2000 by
the Rev James Kleinfelter with Rev Carl Schmidt (with whom he had his vicarage)
preaching.
Pastors
And Synods Who Showed The Way
I
believe we have had 18 pastors in our 231 year history. What background did they
have, and to what church bodies did we belong? From the first, Rev. A. Nauman
before 1772, until Rev. Ambrose Henkel, all pastors were licensed and/or
ordained in the Pennsylvania Ministerium, as it was the only Lutheran church
body south of
Also,
a great religious revival swept across the
In
1803, a North Caroline Synod had been formed, (the first Lutheran body south of
Virginia) but with it becoming too “liberal” and did not adhere closely to
the Lutheran Doctrines, Rev. David Henkel and others walked out and in May 1820
formed the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod which became the most doctrinal
Lutheran church body in the US.
Our
congregation was closely associated with this Synod from 1823 to 1866. Rev. Paul
Henkel was a major participant in this Synod and, in fact, one of its most
active members. Most annual meetings of this Synod were held in
Now,
some information about the foremost Lutheran missionary in
His
roots were from a tong line of Lutheran ministers. Several of his ancestors
worked closely with Martin Luther. Five of his sons became Lutheran ministers
and all were active in the churches in
The
Henkel Press was established originally to make religious publications available
to the German-speaking people of the Valley. As people began to speak English,
the Henkel Press became the first Lutheran press in
During
all this time, there were other Lutheran Synods. The
In
1868 the Concordia Synod of Virginia, which we joined, was organized at Trinity
primarily by our Rev. Seneker and two others but this only lasted a few years
and then became part of the Concordia District of the Joint Synod of Ohio. The
third meeting of the Concordia District of the Joint Synod of Ohio Synod was
also held at Trinity in Oct. 1878.
Withdrawing
from the Ohio Synod in 1881 we severed our connection from the Ohio Synod and
were not connected to any synod until 1888.
In
1879, Rev. Frederick Kuegele came through a school in
About
this time the grandson of Paul Henkel, Rev. Polycarp Henkel (who had helped
start, with his uncles Ambose and David,
As
a result of this meeting the English Lutheran Conference of Missouri was
organized. (Remember, most members in