Our History

Formed from the Harbaugh and St. Paul’s Reformed Churches, Church of the Apostles has deep roots in Waynesboro’s history.

 

The Waterloo Schoolhouse

The members of the Harbaugh Church originally belonged to the German Reformed Church of Waynesboro. In April of 1845 they organized a new congregation with a regular pastor as part of the Cavetown Charge, meeting at the Waterloo Schoolhouse.

 

 

 

    

The Original Harbaugh Church

 

Their new church was built in 1846 at the site of the present-day Harbaugh Church, which is now owned by the Waynesboro Historical Society.                Interior of the Original                              Harbaugh Church        

    

                                                                 

St. Paul's Church

 

The St. Paul congregation was organized in August 1873 with sixty-two members of the Trinity Reformed congregation who had withdrawn and formed a new congregation of the Reformed Church. They met first in the Elder’s home, the YMCA, and the Town Hall until they joined with the Mont Alto congregation to form the Mont Alto Charge and built their new church building on West Main Street.

Interior of St. Paul' s Church

                                                           
                                    

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

 

New Harbaugh Church

 

The members of the Harbaugh Church originally belonged to the German Reformed Church of Waynesboro. In April of 1845 they organized a new congregation with a regular pastor as part of the Cavetown Charge, meeting at the Waterloo Schoolhouse. Their new church was built in 1846 at the site of the present-day Harbaugh Church, which is now owned by the Waynesboro Historical Society. 

                                                  Interior of new Harbaugh Church

 

 

 

                                                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The St. Paul congregation purchased a lot on South Potomac Street  in Waynesboro and began building a new church in 1902, holding  their first service in the new church on January 17, 1904.

                                                         Interior of new St. Paul's Church

 

 

 

                      

 

 

In 1957, the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian Church to form the United Church of Christ.

 

Architect's Drawing

Both congregations needed to expand their facilities by 1962, and began discussing the possibility of merging the two congregations in 1965. The Uniting Service between Harbaugh United Church of Christ and St. Paul United Church of Christ took place on the night of March 26, 1967 at Trinity United Church of Christ in Waynesboro.

        

Church of the Apostles

 

The site for the new church was purchased in July 1967 in the growing community of Wayne Heights, and the new congregation held their first service in the new church building on May 27, 1969.

                                                                      

                                                                                 

Church of the Apostles maintains the record books from the former Harbaugh and St. Paul’s Churches. Genealogy information from the record books is available by contacting the church office at 717-762-4113 or apostlesucc@gmail.com.