HISTORY OF RUHL'S CHURCH

Ruhl's Church began as a House Church about 1839. The house is on the Kline farm and to the right after you cross the Big Chickies Creek going north. The early founders of the church were John and Philip Ruhl. In  this house, services were conducted by appointed preachers traveling the Lancaster Circuit.


Both Philip and John Ruhl were strong Gospel preachers. Services were conducted every six weeks at first and later monthly. By the time the first church was erected, services were held on alternate weeks. During the summer, services were often conducted in the barn. Harvest meetings drew large congregations from the community. By the year 1867 the class member had grown to 45 and since preparing the house for worship entailed much extra work, and other churches in the community had places used for worship only, the Ruhl class gave serious thought to the erection of a special place of worship.


FIRST BUILDING ERECTED - RUHL'S ZION CHURCH

In 1867, Rev. John Ruhl donated a parcel of land directly west of the present cemetery along Elizabethtown Road for the construction of Ruhl’s Zion Church. Moving from Rev. Ruhl’s farm in Elstonville, approximately 45 members were attending at this time; mostly Ruhl families. Ruhl's Zion Church was later changed to Ruhl's United Brethren. In 1946, the General Conference merged the United Brethren and Evangelical Churches, changing the name again to Ruhl's Evangelical United Brethren Church. Until 1953, one pastor served Ruhl's and Salem Evangelical United Brethren Churches, holding services in the afternoon alternating Sundays.

  • a parsonage was built and Sunday School classes were held in the basement.

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  • an Annex was built IN 1919

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  • First church building WAS erected in 1867

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RUHL'S CHURCH RELOCATED IN 1958

A new church built on the present site - completed in April of 1958 - was made possible by a donation of $25,000 from Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Brubaker and a $25,000 annunity. In 1968, the General Conference again merged the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Churches; thus came our present name – Ruhl’s United Methodist Church.

  • PORTICO ADDITION

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  • FELLOWSHIP HALL ADDITION

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  • NEW CHURCH completed in 1958

    with average attendance of 340

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RUHL'S CHURCH AS IT LOOKS TODAY