Celebrating 50 years of Helping People Find and Follow Jesus

Devonshire 50

 

Dear friends,

This September 14 at Devonshire Church, there is a very special story that we want to celebrate.

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A Story Begins

In 1964, some of the stories in the national headlines were about The Beatles taking America by storm, about boxer Cassius Clay becoming Muhammad Ali and the heavyweight champion of the world, of President Lyndon B. Johnson being in office, and about how Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins was releasing. But here in Harrisburg, 1964 was the beginning of another story: It was the year that the Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the United Brethren in Christ launched a new mission church, purposed with proclaiming Christ in our changing world.

Under the pastoral leadership of Ray Seilhammer, Devonshire’s story began on August 28, 1964, with the dream of being a church that would be relevant and creative in proclaiming the redemptive message of God’s love.

The Story Continues

Now, 50 years later, you and I are also a part of its story, and what began in a small home with a big dream is now a growing and vibrant congregation through whom lives are being changed by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Jesus is everything to us! He remains the content of our message, and our mission is still the same as it was half a century ago: “to help people find and follow Jesus.” Christ is still being proclaimed, believers are being baptized, and we are telling and showing the love of Jesus in our local community and all around the world, from Honduras to Sierra Leone to Southeast Asia.

A Time to Celebrate

So to thank God for all He’s done, we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary this September 14. As we celebrate, our desire is to bring back some precious memories (make sure you click on the SHARE YOUR STORY tab above) to those who have ties to Devonshire Church and its story. We hope to paint a beautiful picture of God’s faithfulness, and to pause to give Him all of the glory.  So mark your calendars and invite your family and friends to join us!

Sincerely,

Derek

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“Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.”
– Psalm 145:2-4, ESV

 

 

The Psalmist writes of commending God’s works from one generation to the next. This fall, that’s exactly what we want to do as we pause to celebrate and give thanks to God for the past 50 years of His faithfulness to the Devonshire Church family.

But we can’t do it alone! Here’s where you come in:

We need your stories! Maybe it’s about the Sunday school teacher who first prayed a salvation prayer with you. Or it’s that life group member who put his own busy schedule on hold to help you with a crisis you couldn’t have tackled alone. It could be the VBS volunteer who finally got your kids excited to be at church, or the pastor who faithfully preached God’s word, making it strike a chord in your heart each week.

The stories we’d love to hear from you are ones of God’s faithfulness – stories of God’s provision and stories of how, through the ministry of Devonshire Church, lives have been given hope and changed by his grace and his mercy. Maybe it’s your life that was affected, maybe it’s how you saw someone else’s life impacted through the church’s ministry: the preaching of God’s Word, a VBS, a weekend retreat, a life group, a Sunday school class, a worship service, a special event, etc.

We’re looking for stories from all 50 years of how you’ve experienced and seen the Lord work in and through the Devonshire Church family.

God is working in wonderful ways all around us, and He will continue to, but let’s pause and give Him the glory on Sunday, September 14, and celebrate the past five decades of helping people find and follow Jesus.

Please share your stories with Pastor Derek by August 31 by emailing them to [email protected]

 

 

Sunday, September 14 50th Anniversary Worship Service with Guest Speaker Pastor Ray Seilhammer (10:30 am)
Sunday, September 14 Celebration Luncheon (following the morning service)
Sunday, September 21 Looking Forward – Vision Message (10:30 am)

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The establishment of this church started during the 174th session of the Pennsylvania Annual Conference, when the delegates passed the following resolution on August 23, 1962: “In fulfillment of the Great Commission go into all the world and in tribute to those whose sacrifices have made this Pennsylvania Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ what it is: Be it resolved, that the 174th session of the Annual Conference charge the incoming Conference council of Administration with the responsibility of a suitable site and provide for the establishment of a new church extension project during the anniversary of the sessions of the 175th session of the Annual Conference.”

Possible sites were sought through the work of the church extension committee in the Harrisburg and York areas. The firm of Buchart Consultants in York was approached, and shared information with the committee concerning the demographics and trends in the Harrisburg-York area. The conference trustees were authorized on April 25, 1963, to negotiate a house and lot at the corner of Devonshire and Devonshire Heights roads.

Master plans for the use of available grounds were drawn and approved. Groundbreaking took place on April 5, 1964. The initial building, contracted by Welbilt Construction Company of Mechanicsburg, PA, was completed at a cost of $75,862.

The Annual Conference appointed Rev. Ray A. Seilhamer as pastor, and a vacation Bible school was conducted on August 10-21 in the parsonage, with 48 enrolled. Public worship services were first held on Sunday, August 30, 1964. Service were held in the parsonage for the first eight weeks. The congregation moved to the new structure on Sunday, October 25, 1964. That first building was functional, practical and attractive, with a temporary sanctuary downstairs and Christian education facilities upstairs. That original building is the Christian education building today, housing classrooms, the nursery and offices.

In 1977, the expansion of the church dictated the need for a new sanctuary and fellowship hall. An architect was contracted late in 1977, and the groundbreaking for the new addition took place on July 10, 1978. Mr. Harry Smith was the general contractor, with the men of the church aiding in some of the work. Extensive renovation was also done to the former structure.

In 2008, an additional entrance was added to the facility as a result of the Legacy of Faith Campaign. Along with this entrance an elevator and classroom were created, as well as another room, which currently holds the offices for our Little Lamb Preschool ministry.

Buildings are not churches, though: People are the church. And we are thankful for the gifted, faithful, Spirit-filled people who God has placed at Devonshire. Through the various ministries of the church, we continue to seek and equip God’s people to be ministers for Christ. All ministries are focused on helping people find and follow Jesus, bringing the redemptive message of grace through Jesus Christ to our community and the world. Join us in prayer that God may be glorified in and through the ministry of Devonshire Memorial Church in the days ahead.

 

Dr. Ray A. Seilhamer – 1964 to 1969

Seilhamers

Dr. Seilhamer was the founding pastor of the Devonshire Church. Following his five years of ministry here, he was assigned as pastor of the College Park United Brethren Church in Huntington, IN. With a continued interest in church planting, Dr. Seilhamer started and pastored a second successful new church while also pastoring College Park. In 1982, Dr. Seilhamer was appointed president of the Evangelical School of Theology in Myerstown, PA. After serving Evangelical for 11 years, he then served as the Bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. Dr. Seilhamer has also been an adjunct professor at Winebrenner Theological Seminary, Asbury Theological Seminary, and Huntington University, where he also served as the dean of the Graduate School of Christian Ministries and director of the counseling ministry program. Dr. Seilhamer currently pastors the New Hope Church of the United Brethren in Christ in Huntington, IN.

Dr. Kirby Keller – 1969 to 1976

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During his years of pastoral ministry at Devonshire, Dr. Keller had an interest in and taught part-time at the Evangelical School of Theology in Myerstown, PA. In 1976, he took a full-time teaching position at the school in the area of Christian education and worship. He has carried on his ministry through the training of other pastors. In the years that followed, Dr. Keller continued to teach and served the seminary in the roles of academic dean and president. He is an instrumental part, together with Dr. Seilhamer, of the progressive growth and direction of Evangelical. He, too, has served on various denominational and organizational boards throughout the years.

Pastor Thomas S. Mellott – 1976 to 1985

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Pastor Mellott came to Devonshire in a transitional growth period in the life of the church. In 1976, the church took on its first associate pastor, and in 1977, plans were made to build the new sanctuary and fellowship hall. Pastor Mellott served as a conference superintendent during part of his pastorate at Devonshire and on various conference level boards. Upon leaving Devonshire in 1985, Pastor Mellott began and pastored the Agape Fellowship Church here in Harrisburg.

Dr. Daryl Elliott – 1985 to 1988

Elliotts

Dr. Elliott came to Devonshire directly from Evangelical School of Theology. Even while he was still in seminary, he sensed that God may someday call him into a teaching ministry on the college or seminary level. A special area of study that he enjoyed was and is United Brethren Church history specifically, and church history in general.

Near the completion of his second year at Devonshire, an opportunity came for Dr. Elliott to enter a graduate program at Drew University in the area of church history and systematics. Sensing the Lord’s leading, he took advantage of that opportunity and pursued his doctorate. Upon completion of his doctoral studies in 1992, Daryl pastored at the United Brethren churches of Dillsburg and Mount Pleasant in PA, before serving as pastor in Florida at the Lake Brantley UB church. Dr. Elliott currently pastors Fountain Church of the United Brethren in Christ in Keyser, W.V., where he has been since 2002.

Pastor Pat Jones – 1988 to 1991

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Pastor Jones came to Devonshire in the summer of 1988. It was a stable time in the life of the church, and a major emphasis was placed on grounding people in the Bible through the Grow Discipleship ministry and freeing people in ministry. Out of those two things, people were reached and the church grew close to its highest average attendance, and around 75 percent of the people were involved in serving on a regular basis in ministry. Three years later, Pastor Jones was reassigned to take the senior pastor role at the King Street Church in Chambersburg, PA. During his time at Devonshire, he also served as a conference superintendent and on a number of conference boards or committees. Pastor Jones currently pastors at Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church in Williamsville, NY.

Dr. Anthony L. Blair – 1991 to 1994

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Dr. Blair came to Devonshire after serving several smaller United Brethren Churches in Adams and Franklin counties. During his tenure, the church continued its growth to the point where a second worship service was required and a church plant was seriously contemplated. The work among adults and children was frequently stimulated by the intentional, energetic youth ministry led by Brian Kramer. The church was known for its dramatic productions, fine worship music, and commitment to service.

The Blairs’ daughter Rachel was nine months old upon their arrival, and their second daughter, Alia, was born just prior to their departure. Dr. Blair currently serves as president and professor of the history of Christianity at Evangelical Theological Seminary, in Myerstown, following in the footsteps of Dr. Seilhamer and Dr. Keller. He also co-pastors a vibrant nondenominational congregation in Lititz, Lancaster County, where the Blairs make their home.

Pastor Todd H. Fetters – 1995 to 2013

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Pastor Todd served as pastor for 18 years of ministry, and Devonshire benefited from the leadership continuity. Pastor Derek Thrush served with Todd for 16 of those years. Devonshire’s ministry was built around our new mission statement: “Helping people find and follow Jesus Christ.” Our ministry structure was streamlined so we could make decisions and engage ministry at the speed of everyday life.

In the late ’90s, Devonshire took critical steps to address its significant land-lock issue. With a desire for future facility expansion, several key properties were purchased around the church. Through the Legacy of Faith Capital Campaign, renovations to the main facility in 2007 saw the creation of new bathrooms, enlarged meeting spaces, and accommodations that increased accessibility for everyone, especially those with special needs.

In addition to a growing international missions reach, Devonshire invested time, money and personnel in a local community outreach initiative that brought key partnerships with Community Aid and Safe Harbor Counseling. Little Lambs Preschool was also created and launched as part of this initiative.

Pastor Todd and his wife, Lisa, currently live in Huntington, IN, where Todd serves as the director of national ministries for the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. He focuses his energies on clergy and church health.

 

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Sitting in a room with 10 founding members of Devonshire Church is daunting: With 50 years of congregational history under their belts, these faithful, God-fearing people have literally lived the church’s ups and downs, setting the example for current members. Asking them to relive their memories brings stories of triumphs, tribulations and, most importantly, the faithfulness of the God who is the same now as he was then.

It also brings laughter: For Martha Malakin, reminiscing about her childhood at Devonshire Church means memories of handmade choir robes too complicated for her and her childhood peers to get into alone.

“In the early years, they wanted to have a children’s choir,” she said. “I don’t know who came up with the idea for these gowns, but they were the most atrocious things! They had a black skirt, and an ornate, fluffy white smock – it looked like something out of a Victorian Christmas carol. That’s what they dressed us up in.”

Fluffy frocks – and all joking – aside, Devonshire’s success has been built on the same principles that fortify it to this day: church leaders who follow God’s calling, a strong sense of community, and preaching and teaching stemming only from the Word of God.

 

Location, location, location

When you’re building a church brick by brick – or, more accurately, person by person – where you are just may be the key to success. For many founding Devonshire Church members, for example, joining the congregation was a combination of proximity – plus the tireless outreach of the inaugural pastor, Rev. Ray A. Seilhamer.

“Seilhamer came down and knocked on my door,” said Thelma Beshore. “He couldn’t find me, because I was out hanging sheets. He said, ‘I didn’t know anybody does that anymore!’” After introducing himself, Pastor Seilhamer explained that he was the new preacher, that the church would meet in the now-torn-down parsonage, and that he’d love for her to attend. The rest, as they say, is history.

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And this was pretty typical for the pastor of the not-yet-built Devonshire Church: Ted and Shirley Hershberger also received a knock on the door from Rev. Seilhamer, but decided to wait until the group moved from the parsonage to a church building. Still, Shirley said, “We’ve been there ever since.”

But not everyone was so easily convinced, despite Rev. Seilhamer’s outreach. JoAnn Gardner, for example, tried to keep geography out of her decision to attend Devonshire, only to give in to God’s calling for her to be a part of the church after all.

“I came about September of the first year,” she said. “We had just moved to the area, and we were looking for a church. I saw Devonshire – the building was up at that time. It was the closest to me – we only lived a few blocks away – so I started looking elsewhere, because I didn’t want to take the closest one right away. I thought I’d be more adventurous.”

In the midst of looking for a church home, she, too, received a visit from Rev. Seilhamer. “I think the Lord’s spirit was there, because something touched me, and I started going there the next Sunday.”

The joy of service

While the most important aspects of life at Devonshire Church – preaching a Christ-centered message, for one – hasn’t changed, for the small group of charter members, which, in the early days, may have swelled up to 30 or 40 in the first five years or so, meant some more practical ways of keeping the church going.

A smaller congregation, for example, equaled more responsibility – for everyone. Many original members remember gladly taking on tasks from cooking Sunday suppers to setting up for outreach events – and not necessarily volunteering for the job.

“Whenever Rev. Seilhamer – and we always called him ‘Reverend’ – came to our door, he said he knew what he wanted us to do,” said Shirley Hershberger. “He pointed to Ted and said, ‘You will be the Sunday school superintendent.’” And this, she said, was usually before he got to know a person well. “That was part of his characteristics,” said Shirley. “He never asked. He told you what he wanted you to do. And, of course, we were all willing.”

After all, notes JoAnn Gardner, when you have upwards of 25 jobs and only 12 people to do them, being willing to trust that God would give you the skills to complete the task was crucial. Thelma Beshore remembers being the all-important babysitter, while Delores Smith found her niche as the go-to crafts person, which also inspired her love of ceramics. Betty Bennett, who had no former experience with playing the piano in public, happily gave of her time playing the piano.

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“That was the joy of my life to be the pianist,” she said. On Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings and Wednesday nights for the next 40 years, Betty counted her part in the music ministry as one of her greatest blessings.

A family of faith

But why was this group so willing to give of time, talent – at times, the lack thereof – and resources to a small church with barely a foundation?

“Back in those days, we were a family,” said Shirley Hershberger. “The church was our social life, our spiritual life, and we really grew together. The people who gathered together really worked together. And we really worked.”

Two-week Bible schools, for example, followed by a program at the end, meant a huge amount of responsibility for all involved – whether they were experienced teachers or not.

“Ray was a taskmaster, and he works just as hard,” said JoAnn Gardner. Still, as hard as Pastor Seilhamer worked, he also knew how to have fun – and so did the rest of the congregation.

“He had a black Volkswagen, and he would get up on the top of the Volkswagen and throw peanuts for the kids,” said Shirley. That same VW would become the source of a wild practical joke, when the kids at Rhodes Grove Camp picked it up and hid it from their pastor.

Since the church provided such a source of camaraderie and friendship, parties were common among the members, many of whom were raising families together. Whether it was an impromptu dessert night or a cookout featuring steaks from Nagels – now Karns – on the grill, the small group of members was tightly knit, and always felt welcome to drop in on each other.

For Martha Malakin, this sense of community among the church members is something she can’t forget. “Quite a few years ago, it was one of those winters where we had a freeze and a thaw,” she said. The wrought iron on the family’s breezeway tilted from the weight of the snow and ice on the roof. “I don’t know who they called, but about 6 or 8 men came and dug that roof off, and made such a pile that it was up to the eaves of the house. Just one phone call, and everyone was out to help.” Knowing there was this family of support – there for each other at a moment’s notice – was priceless.

Added Junita Hannold, “They worked really hard, but they could throw together an ice cream social in a second – with homemade ice cream.”

Helping all people find and follow Jesus

For many founding families, the commitment their children still have to their faith proves to be the sweetest byproduct of attending Devonshire. “There was not one Sunday that they said, ‘I don’t want to go to church,’” said Shirley Hershberger of her own children. “To see that they’ve been brought up in the faith and stuck close to the faith says a lot for Devonshire.”

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And, according to that first generation to grow up in Devonshire Church, attending Sunday school and youth group, and getting to watch their parents be a part of the church, set an example that was difficult to ignore: “To watch them study and grow in their faith and then go have fun – they would have parties where they would pull the curtains down because they were playing cards – being able to watch that were great times,” said Junita Hannold.

Added Pam Bennett, “Having been part of Devonshire since before I was born – literally – it’s been my home my entire life. It has been formative to who I am as a person, as a believer. In a sense, I am a testimony to the faithfulness of those who laid the foundation at Devonshire.”

Whether it was swimming at Rhodes Grove or Bible study during youth group, Junita treasures the investment that the first pastors made in the young people’s lives as well. “We followed in our parents’ footsteps,” she said. “We’ve gone through hard times, and we’ve come around.”

But serving and hospitality extended so much farther than taking care of each other’s families: Devonshire Church also was quick to offer help and the message of Christ to those in other communities as well. In 1974, for example, the church family provided aid to Vietnamese refugees who had been living at Fort Indiantown Gap. In fact, after splitting the family – which included 10 children – to stay with several church families so they could leave the Gap, the church bought them a house to live in while they got on their feet.

Other instances include exchange students and missionaries supported by the church to truly fulfill Jesus’ great commission to spread the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. “There’s that ripple effect, if you will, of impact,” said Pam Bennett.

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Leaders with character

Fifty years ago, though – back when the Harrisburg area consisted of an Acme store, barns, a diner and very few houses – at the very first meeting, a dozen or so founding members of Devonshire pushed back Rev. Seilhamer’s small TV, set up a couple of rows of folding chairs, and had church – right there in the parsonage, which would later become Pastor Derek and Kristen Thrush’s home as well. But before there was a brick-and-mortar building, Devonshire Church was still a God-serving congregation.

“The church was a place to be reverent in,” said Shirley Hershberger. “Whenever you went there, you went for your spiritual learning. The wonderful thing about it is, all these people – we’ve remained friends all these years.” The emphasis on Christ hasn’t wavered over the five decades of the church, and, especially when passages from the Bible were read, the whole congregation was extremely respectful.

Although she doesn’t remember as many early sermons, Martha Malakin does still recall Rev. Seilhamer’s final one as Devonshire’s pastor, about Abraham’s call from God to move to another city. “We began to realize that he was talking about himself – that he was being called to leave,” she said. “I remember tears going down my face.”

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Still, in a time when pastors were assigned to churches in the denomination, Malakin’s relief was immense when she learned that one of her Rhodes Grove counselors, Kirby Keller, was assigned to Devonshire. And while Rev. Keller had a different leadership style, he, too, followed in Rev. Seilhamer’s footsteps in terms of keeping Christ as the center.

In fact, the ministers of Devonshire have all proven to be a blessing to all those who have contact with the church – and have been instrumental in helping the congregation grow. In addition, three of the church’s ministers have gone on to be presidents of a seminary, while others have made contributions to the denomination on a national level.

“They were very good with youth programs,” said JoAnn Gardner of the church’s first two leaders. “It’s always important to have a good VBS, a good youth program.” Both Seilhamer and Kirby had a gift for visitation: just stopping by and popping out of their car to, for example, play baseball with the kids. “They had a way of really bringing people in,” said Harry Smith.

The road ahead

For those pillars of Devonshire Church – those whose hands helped to build it and who have spent their lives watching it change and grow – staying the course is key to seeing Devonshire flourish over the next 50 years, whether that’s as society changes, as pastors come and go, or when you don’t necessarily agree with all the decisions made by those in leadership.

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“It’s a different world today,” said Harry Smith. “This ministry is every bit as important today as it was then. As a ministry, we have to preach the gospel, give them the truth, and hope they hold onto it.”

It also means continuing to intentionally build up friendships and to reach out to the community, as the original members did decades ago: welcoming people at the front door, providing avenues to connect such as Life Groups, and being the friendly, Jesus-centered congregation Devonshire set out to be.

“We had a good ministry, and we still do,” said Harry Smith. “We still give the opportunity to accept Christ.”

Although putting the value of the church into words proves difficult, for JoAnne Gardner, thinking of Devonshire as a family sums things up most completely. “It was our entire social life at one point, with the kids,” she said. “The family, the personal touch of Christ, and the constant teaching of his love, which is so unbelievable – that was spread among us as his followers, all working together to promote his glory. It’s a pearl of great price.”

 

 

early folks

CHARTER MEMBERSHIP – DECEMBER 20, 1964

  1. Albert, Mrs. Frank
  2. Albert, Mr. Frank
  3. Bennett, Mrs. Maxwell
  4. Bennett, Mr. Maxwell
  5. Bennett, Ms. Donna
  6. Bennett, Mr. Dave
  7. Brewer, Mrs. Charles
  8. Brewer,  Mr. Charles
  9. Decker, Mrs. Jesse
  10. Decker, Mr. Jesse
  11. Hershberger, Mrs. Ted
  12. Hershberger, Mr. Ted
  13. Hershberger, Ms. Jody
  14. Hershberger, Mr. Duane
  15. Powell, Mrs. Carl
  16. Powell, Mr. Carl
  17. Proper, Mrs. Hiram
  18. Proper, Mr. Hiram
  19. Seilhamer, Mrs. Ray
  20. Seilhamer, Mr. Ray
  21. Smith, Mrs. Harry
  22. Smith, Mr. harry
  23. Smith, Mrs. Paul
  24. Smith, Mr. Paul
  25. Wagner, Mr. Joe
  26. Wagner, Mr. Mike
  27. Wagner, Mr. John
  28. Bennett, Ms. Martha  (Junior Member)