History of Methodism in Leola PA

The year 1838 is generally regarded as the beginning of Methodism in Leola, PA.  1838 was the year Cyrus Batten was converted to Christianity at Bird-in-Hand at the age of 27, two years before a church was built there.

Cyrus Batten was a Bible agent and he sold religious books. Often he walked up and down “the Pike” (now Route 23) talking religion to the people of the community.

Later his mother had a religious experience, and her home in Leola became a “preaching place.” That home was a log cabin on the northeast corner of the present Route 23 and North Maple Avenue. It was then, and still is, known as Batten’s Corner. It was the custom of the early Methodists to meet at preaching places such as this. It was truly the nucleus of Methodism in Leola.

From 1838 on, “brethren”, as they were referred to, from Bird-in-Hand came to this area and held prayer meetings.  Among those converted during a meeting at the home of John Weidler Bender were Mr. Bender himself and his wife Annie W. Bender, who became the founders of the very first church which was built in 1861.

From mid 1800’s until 1860 there is very little of historical significance recorded on the development of Methodism in Leola. But in the summer of 1860 a Sunday School under Methodist auspices was started in what was then the Bareville School House. It was started as the beginning of a society by a group of local people, and before starting it they canvassed “the pike” for children.

There had been Sunday Schools, called “unions” held here before. However, Dr. H.V.Givler writes that “when the Methodists took charge, a number of people stood aloof for fear of contagion as there was an impression that the Methodists practiced hocus-pocus to entrap people into their belief….A report went out that when a man and his family ‘jined’ the Methodists then the preachers, like the Egyptian locusts, came and ate up all their substance.”

Such were the stories as Methodism began to take root in Leola, Pennsylvania.

On April 2, 1861, John W. Bender purchased an acre of land from Amos Batten, located diagonally southwest across Route 23 from our present church. On this one acre lot was to be built the first Methodist church in the Leola area. Signers for the deed were Rev. Abram Hook, Samuel R. Trainer, Joseph Cooper, John Binkley, Lewis C. Light, William Hoar, Cyrus Batten, John W. Bender and William K. Bender.

William Bender hauled brick and lumber to the site with his own four-horse team. The brick were made in Leola. William Kreamer was the carpenter. Much of the building was paid for by Mr. Bender himself. A portion of the land in the rear of the church was used as a small cemetery.

Those in attendance at the little church in its early days would gather for Sunday afternoon service of preaching and Bible class. In the evening young people would come from all around the neighborhood because it was the only place of in the area where they could meet to socialize.

It was a small group in these early days of the 1860’s, but it was growing.

The church built on the land purchased by John W. Bender was a plain red brick building similar to a one-room schoolhouse. There was no center aisle, but, rather, an aisle on each side. Large stoves made of cast iron stood on each side. Large cardboard signs warned: “Tobacco Prohibited.” However, it is recorded that one tobacco user always used the coal bucket while others spat on the floor. During this period the women sat on one side of the church and the men on the other.

June 11, 1864 is the first recorded date of the Methodist Church of Leola being represented in a Quarterly Conference. That Conference was held in Georgetown. Other churches of the circuit  represented at the Conference were Soudersburg, Bird-in-Hand, Intercourse, New Holland and Hinkletown. The preacher in charge of this Circuit was paid $650 a year and the Junior preacher received $300. This was called the “Enterprise Circuit.”

On September 17, 1864 the Second Quarterly Conference was held at the Bareville Church. The Bareville Church was the name used for what was to become the Leola Methodist Church. This was the first  Quarterly Conference of the Enterprise Circuit of record that was held at our church.

In 1895 Rev. Robert E. Johnson was appointed to our Circuit, and a fall revival was held to revitalize the church and to encourage growth. People drove by horse and buggy as far as 10 miles to attend this revival which ran every night for a period of six to eight weeks. Records show that during this revival the church was often filled, and the doors were opened in spite of cold weather so the people standing on the outside could also take part in the services. Children were often seated on the pulpit steps when all of the seats were filled.

The church continued to grow and in May 1897 a class of forty people joined the church. Three different pastors served the Circuit from 1895 through 1904. In March 1904 a decision made at the Philadelphia Conference, our church was transferred from the Bird-in-Hand Circuit and became known as the Leola and New Holland Circuit. Rev. E. W. Rushton was appointed as the first minister of this new Circuit. Since this new Leola - New Holland Circuit had no parsonage, it was required that any pastor appointed be single.

It was in 1904 that plans were formulated to build a new and much larger church building. The last worship service was held in the old church on June 9, 1907.The new brownstone church constructed across the street on the north side of the “pike” was dedicated June 16, 1907, and with additions and renovations remains there in 2011