Notes by the Rev. M.A.Smith, 1867,  about previous pastor, Rev. John Weinbrenner:  In October 1820 the Rev. John Weinbrenner of Maryland became Pastor of Harrisburg and affiliated congregations, of which Wenrich’s Church was one.  He continued to serve this congregation till April 1826.  Mr. Weinbrenner was a student of Rev. Samuel Helffenstein, D.D. who died in October 1866, and was a man of respectable ability and of fair preaching talents, such as gave him considerable power over the feelings of his auditory.  As a preacher he was zealous and earnest.  Yet like all men he had his weaknesses, among which was unquestionably no small amount of vanity.  He was also self-opinionated.  During the last two years of his ministry in the Harrisburg Charge Mr. Weinbrenner began to deviate from the faith and practice of the German Reformed church, left its “old paths” and ran out into various errors and vagaries.  These things were noticed and disliked by those who were well grounded in the faith.  Finally he rejected Infant Baptism and preached against it.  This aroused the congregation who were unwilling to tolerate such gross departures from the standards of the Church of their fathers.  And accordingly an election was held in the month of March 1826 to decide whether Mr. Weinbrenner should any longer continue as Pastor or not.  The decision was given against him by a majority of one vote.  After the election was over and finding that he had lost it, Mr. Weinbrenner, walking out from the church through the graveyard, he said: “Diese Wenrich’s Kirche will zerstoren, und wenn sie mich nicht in den  Hausern (Schulhausern) predigen lassen, so predige ich auf der Strasse.”  This I have from the lips of Jacob Hicks Esqr.  Having lost the election Weinbrenner preached his farewell sermon in April 1826.  After this he preached in the Schoolhouses and in private houses in the neighborhoods, and did all he could to break down Wenrich’s Church. In several pamphlets that he subsequently issued he defended his principles from the attacks of his opponents and continued active as a preacher. In October, 1830, he established a new denomination that he called the "Church of God," whose members were at that time known as Winebrennerians. Interesting Links http://chronicles.dickinson.edu/encyclo/w/ed_winebrennerJ.htm Winebrenner Family History www.winebrenner.net/PAF_Data/pafg197.htm Back to the History Home Page