Lone Pine Christian Church celebrating 175th anniversary
Lone Pine Christian Church will celebrate its 175th anniversary with a series of social and religious events Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, the church will hold a covered-dish picnic at 4 p.m., followed by musical entertainment at 4:30 and a bonfire at 7. On Sunday, lunch will begin at noon after the worship service, with a group photo at 1:45 p.m. and a special anniversary service at 2 p.m.
The congregation was founded Oct. 16, 1841, in the home of John Frederick and Sarah Shrontz.
Lone Pine Church was one of the earliest congregations of the major American religious movement founded in 1809 in Washington by Thomas and Alexander Campbell. In their declaration and address, first published in the Reporter, the Christian Association of Washington rebelled against the narrow sectarian nature of the frontier churches.
They declared “that the Church of Christ on earth is essentially, intentionally and constitutionally one.” The irony is that what became an effort to unite all the churches resulted in the formation of another denomination.
The Christian churches believed that the New Testament church could be re-established by returning to simple Biblical practices. Disciples believe in weekly Communion, and they practice baptism by immersion, but accept baptism as it is practiced by other denominations.
One of the church’s members, Herbert Moninger, was a key leader in the development of the Sunday school movement in the United States. He pioneered teacher training and created the International Sunday School Association. Many of his books are still in print and used today.
Another member, Emma Lyon, founded the Nanking Girls School and Ginling University in China, giving women opportunities for education, support and economic opportunities that had not existed for them. The church continues to support missions throughout the United States and in many foreign countries.
The church also has a longtime relationship with Bethany College, and it founded Pleasant Valley Academy, one of the first rural high schools in the county.
Today, the church has a multigenerational and youth outreach program, called Spirit Uniting People, that involves 60 young people in the community. The congregation supports them in school, helps them find jobs, works with them through any problems they have and provides new opportunities for them.