The Episcopal Church of the Mediator

History of the Church of the Mediator

Since a church is not built first and then a congregation gathered around it, the Mediator was probably the inspiration of a group of people from as early at 1825.  This group seems to have been led by a Rev. Rodney of Easton and Mr. Bowman, a lay reader (who later became Bishop of the Diocese) who occasionally visited “this place” and conducted services.  There is then no record of services until 1858 when some services were again conducted in Allentown and were held in the Court House by The Rev. Pryor.

During the interval of three years (1859 to1862), occasional services were held by clergymen from Philadelphia ; Dr. Stephens (who later became Bishop), Phillip Brooks and The Rev. Messrs. Bowman and May (who was said to be an ancestor of The Rev. James Bowman May, one of the missionaries in charge of the Mediator in its early days).  At that time there were half a dozen members until eventually there was only one left.  One time during this three year interval, the services of an English clergyman were secured.  He journeyed from Philadelphia and his reading and preaching were not well understood by the people.  He had ten congregants in the morning and four at the evening service and it was speculated later by The Rev. Robert H. Kline that because he could not be understood that was probably the result of the decline in attendance, especially at the evening service.

The Church of the Mediator was officially founded in 1863 when an Episcopal Sunday School was established by a churchwoman, Miss Baum, of Reading.  Nothing more is known of this Miss Baum, so this may be the only memorial to her life.  Assisting in that venture was Mr. Levi Horace Gross, superintendent of the Rolling Mill of the Allentown Iron Works.  The project also had the assistance of Mrs. Gross and Mrs. Henry Colt.  Clerical services were supplied occasionally by The Rev. Eliphalet Nott Potter who was assigned here by the Bishop and Board of Missions of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.  At that time the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, which at a still later date was to be split into the two Dioceses of Bethlehem and Harrisburg, had not yet been formed.  Classes were held in the office of Mr. Gross in Allentown 's Sixth Ward to serve a largely unchurched local population of English, Irish and Welsh extraction.  Many of them were of Anglican heritage. 

The cornerstone was laid for the first church building on July 4, 1866 at the corner of Front and Furnace Streets in Allentown and seems to have been referred to by the diocese as the “Furnace Mission.”  That same day, The Rev. Mr. Potter resigned the work and was succeeded by The Rev. Charles E. Griffith who, while a student at the Philadelphia Divinity School , had charge of the Sunday school.  (Brief biographies of some of these people who served the Mediator in its early days can be found here.)  Mr. Griffith left after one year to take up work in Kansas and was succeeded by The Rev. Joseph Wiggins Murphy who also served for a year.  In the summer of 1868 The Rev. Jeremiah Karcher took charge as missionary appointed by the Missionary Board.  He, in turn, stayed only one year and was replaced as minister-in-charge by The Rev. F. Weston Bartlett, DD, author of one of our communion hymns (I was unable to find this hymn in our 1982 hymnal) in 1869.   He indicated in a communication, dated March 16, 1870, that “I have Catasauqua as a mission field in connection with this charge and hold services at each point every Sunday.”  He signed that report, “Rector, Church of the Mediator, and Missionary.”

On January 14, 1869, just one month before the consecration of the building, the court first received the Church’s Charter of Incorporation.  On April 17 that year the Charter was granted.  The names of Henry Colt, Levi Horace Gross, John D. Stiles, Samuel Lewis, James W. Wilson, Moses Leach, Frank S. Kent, William A. Jones, J. A. Detrich and Jacob Thomas were affixed to the document as Wardens and Deacons, and that of E. N. Potter as rector.  Henry Colt seems to have been Senior Warden in 1869.  Despite this rapid turnover of clergy – there were six different administrations within the first nine years – the church was finally built and consecrated on February 21, 1869 by The Rt. Rev. B. Wister Morris, Bishop of Oregon and adopted the name The Church of the Mediator after a Philadelphia church of the same name.  In 1872, though there were but nine communicants, the property consisted of a church and rectory.  Two years later there was in existence a very flourishing Industrial School for Girls which in 1875 numbered 155 pupils.  In addition, the church conducted for a time an evening high school for young men.   

In 1872, the Rev. Charles E. D. Griffith, who had served, first as a lay superintendent of the Sunday school while a student at Philadelphia Divinity School and then for a year, 1866-67, as minister-in-charge, was recalled as rector and served for six years until 1878 when he resigned and went to Ashland.

At times the Sunday school numbered between 200 and 300 with 50 communicant members.  (It must be remembered that at that time “communicant members” of the Episcopal Church were only those that had already been confirmed and that children in the Sunday school would not have yet been confirmed so were not on the rolls as communicant members.)  Mr. Griffith baptized nearly a hundred children during his pastorate. 

A separate building, a library and reading room, was erected in 1877.  On weekdays the building was used for reading and sewing, while on Sundays it was utilized for Church School purposes.  However, the panic of 1873-74 had a very depressive effect upon the work.  During 1876-1877 there were many months during which not a member of the parish had a single day’s work and, with the resignation of The Rev. Mr. Griffith in 1878, the Mediator started to go downhill very rapidly. 

Again there was a very rapid turnover of the clergy – three, also rectors of Grace Church, within six years.  There were also long periods of vacancy in the ministry.  By the late 1870s the iron industry was in decline, and many of the original families had left the area.  The church never again seemed to reach the prosperity it had gained in the early sixties and seventies, in that location.  Further detriment came in the 1880s when a railroad spur was laid next to the church property resulting in the church becoming so greatly damaged that services had to be discontinued. 

Although services were resumed later, they were only sporadic.  There was no rector during all of this period.  The Church of the Mediator had almost ceased to exist.   It lost its separate identity in 1886 and became a mission of Grace Church, Fifth and Linden Streets.  Under this arrangement, sermons were delivered by The Rev. Hugh Roy Scott, The Rev. Ormes B. Keith, and The Rev. Charles Russell Bonnell of Grace Parish. 

In 1906, the church building and rectory were remodeled and an attempt to build up the lost membership was made by The Rev. James B. May, who was rector of St. Stephen’s Church, Catasauqua.  A service to celebrate the re-opening of the church was held Thursday, February 15, 1906 at 7:30 in the evening.  At the service, The Rt. Rev. Ethelbert D. Talbot, DD, LL, D, Bishop of the diocese gave the principle address and the Rev. Robert H. Kline, pastor of Grace Church, Allentown, delivered an address on the history of the church.  Other clergymen who spoke were The Rev. Reginald S. Radcliffe, formerly of Slatington, and then of Allentown, archdeacon of the diocese and The Rev. May.  The music for the occasion was a volunteer choir, assisted by the choir of St. Stephen’s Church, Catasauqua under the direction of Mr. Baker of Allentown.  Sunday school was to be opened the following Sunday and was scheduled to be held regularly every Sunday thereafter at 3 o’clock.  The first organist, William Reese, and then Mrs. Alexander Keech, served the church during its most trying period.  The chalice of the church, which was used since its foundation, was presented to the congregation by employees of the Allentown Iron Works.  A parsonage located at 219 N. 17th Street was a gift from Mrs. Jennie C. Foster.  A membership of 76 and a Sunday school of 100 was the result of the re-opening of the church, but by then, there were few Episcopalians left in the Sixth Ward as the area became a settlement of European immigrants.  The cornerstone of the old church in the Sixth Ward, which was laid in 1863 by The Rev. Mr. Potter and The Rev. Jeremiah Karcher, still remains on Front Street.  The property was sold for $8,500 in 1911 to St. Mary's Ukranian Orthodox Church, which converted it into a social hall.  As a condition of the sale, services continued to be held in the building until March 1912, when the final withdrawal took place.  Part of the original church building may be seen today as a section of the rear wall of the Ukranian American Citizens Club. 

A nucleus of faithful communicants from the Sixth Ward, augmented by a substantial body of people living in the West End of town and formerly affiliated with Grace Church, met for the first time for services and Sunday school on the first Sunday in March, 1912, in the McKinley School building on Turner Street below Twelfth Street.  The new congregation continued to worship there for several months.

In the meantime, with the advice of The Rt. Rev. Ethelbert Talbot, First Bishop of Bethlehem, there was purchased for the sum of $25,000 the present site of the church at the corner of West and Turner Streets.  The small dwelling located on the property, later to be occupied as the Parish Office, was remodeled as a chapel.  Services were held there beginning in the fall of 1912 under the direction of The Rev. James B. May, of Catasauqua with the assistance of Richard Dubbs and other lay readers from Leonard Hall, Bethlehem .

The first Vestry of the new church, elected at a congregational meeting held on Tuesday in Easter week, 1912, was composed of the following men: John F. Hersh, Senior Warden; Thomas W. Milnor, Junior Warden; Charles C. Ward, David McKee, Charles W. DeRose, Alfred W. Wentz, Benjamin H. Baker, Julius C. Farenkoph, George Heiney, and John N. Troxell.

One year later, in March 1913, the Vestry extended a call to The Rev. Robert Nott Merriman, Rector of St. Stephen’s Church, Brooklyn , NY to be Rector.  He accepted and assumed office on Ascension Day, May 1st of that year and served the parish for 36 years until his death in 1949.  In the second Parish Register, begun by Mr. Merriman, 78 communicants were listed.  The first altar at the West and Turner Streets location was presented to the church by Mr. Jefferson Eberune, the Senior Warden at that location.  The altar was made by Mr. Emanuel Derr, father of The Rev. Morris W. Derr, DD, who became involved with Mediator in his later years and researched a history of the church, which may be in the library to this day.  

Mr. Merriman organized various religious groups, including the choir of 20 mixed voices.  During his tenure plans for the new Tudor-style parish house, the first floor of which was to be used as the church, were drawn by Hewit, Granger and Paist, architects of Philadelphia.  Ground was broken on September 2, 1913 and on November 12 the cornerstone was laid and the building completed and dedicated on Easter Day, April 12, 1914, with the Service of Holy Communion.  The builder was Edward F. Peters and the contract price was $14,733. 

During Mr. Merriman's time with Mediator the first Boy Scout troop in Allentown, Troop #1, was founded in 1913 and continued its charter for many, many years.  Due to changes in the neighborhood and lack of leadership the troop disbanded sometime around the beginning of the 21st Century.

It may be said of The Rev. Mr. Merriman that the Church of the Mediator owes the very fiber of its existence, the very pulse of its life to him.  He labored for 36 years, giving of his all, his time, his great talents, his infinite love for his fellow-man, made in the image of the God whom he served, redeemed by the precious Blood of his own dear Savior.  He was remembered by those who knew him for the unflagging zeal, the kindly patience, the tender care he so generously exercised in his devoted ministry.  It was due largely to his efforts that the church, in the course of time, became self-supporting.  On the First Sunday after Trinity, June 19, 1938, in a great Service of Thanksgiving, the mortgage of $9,500 on the church property was burned and the Church of the Mediator, for the first time in its existence, became free of debt. 

In 1942 Mr. Merriman started a third Parish Register, the second one of 1913 having become completely filled.  At the time of his death on Easter Tuesday, 1949, he had entered from the beginning of his ministry at the church the names of 1,152 communicants, he had baptized 588 infants and adult persons, he had presented 635 for Confirmation or reception into the Church, 200 couples had been joined in Holy Matrimony in the parish, and he had performed the last, sad rites of the Church over exactly 300 persons departed this life.  The tragic, sudden death of Mr. Merriman on Easter Tuesday in 1949 was one of shock and sadness for the parish.  He had been seen walking down Hamilton Street on the way to the radio station to deliver a sermon that afternoon. After returning home that day, Mr. Merriman suffered an attack, was rushed to the hospital and died that evening.

From February 1, 1950 to June 30, 1951, The Rev. C. O'Farrell Thompson was rector.  During the months of his ministry there were the first signs of renewed interest, reorganization of parish groups and increase in attendance and financial support.  However, personal reasons led to Mr. Thompson's resignation after a few months, halting for awhile the trend toward substantial growth that had become apparent.   

Following The Rev. Thompson was The Rev. Arthur M. Sherman, who served Mediator from August 1, 1951 until 1962.  During Father Sherman's time at Mediator a ten-day Parish Mission in Lent of 1953 was held; regular mid-week celebrations of Holy Communion were established; growth of the Church school; growth of financial support; growth of average Sunday attendance; enlargement and improvement of the kitchen; conversion to oil heat; addition of two fire exits and acoustical ceiling to the hall of the Parish House and a fire exit to the basement; and a building fund campaign in February and March, 1955.  Membership rose to 576 communicants in 1957.  Having taxed the original facilities for a number of years, a new sanctuary was needed.  On February 14, 1956, ground was broken for this new sanctuary.  An extension would link the old Parish House-Chapel with the new church, which would seat 330 in the nave.  Its imposing marble cross on a brick exterior encloses a worship space of simplicity and dignity, bejeweled by three brilliant lancet windows of stained glass which tell the story of the Mediatorial Work of Christ.  The new church sanctuary was dedicated on May 4, 1958. 

Our rector from 1963 to 1969 was David Bell Birney IV, who later became the Bishop of Idaho and then went on to become the Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts.  The Pastoral Institute of the Lehigh Valley had its beginning through the efforts of Father Birney and a core of parishioners.  The Nursery School at The Church of the Mediator began with a vision of several members of the parish and encouragement from the rector.  Christian education programs were strengthened and the Sunday School had two teachers in each class.  The Adult Forum addressed the social concerns of the 60s, the liturgical changes in the church, and personal spirituality.  The parish became involved with seminary students and an Assistant Rector was added to the staff. 

The Mediator celebrated its One Hundredth Year by hosting the Diocesan Convention.  Near and dear to Father Birney's heart was the mission portion of the Church's work.  In August of 1969, with his new bride Ginny, Father Birney prepared for an assignment in the mission field of Uganda.

After serving 12 years as the Executive Secretary of the Overseas Missionary Society where he was both author and world traveler, The Rev. A. Theodore Eastman, who later became the Bishop of Maryland, became the rector of The Church of the Mediator in 1970.  During a relatively short ministry of three years, he instituted a surprising number of far-reaching innovations and activities.  His innovations included: formation of the Commission System which remains the basic structure for involving laity; the formation of the Associated Parishes, organizing the efforts of two mission churches, St. Anne's and St. Elizabeth's, under the auspices of The Church of the Mediator; Vestry and Commission Head retreats for planning purposes; the establishment of parish neighborhood groups for discussion and fellowship; and the "Living Room Dialogues" between Roman Catholics and Episcopalians. 

It was with the help of Father Birney as a result of his experience in Uganda that Father Eastman called The Rev. Joel Nafuma, a Ugandan priest, and his wife Juliana to the Mediator several years later. 

A deepening of the spiritual life of the parish was fostered through the Bethel Bible Series, a program that provides an overview of the Bible.  The Prayer Group was also formed and continues to meet weekly.  The Prayer Group has strengthened the whole life of the parish by maintaining a prayer chain for people in crisis and conducting Quiet Days and occasional retreats.  Cursillo, a renewal movement, was given to our Episcopal diocese by the Roman Catholic community.

The Rev. A. Malcolm MacMillan was called to the Mediator from Sharon, Pennsylvania in March 1974, and remained with us until his retirement in September 1985.  During his tenure he further implemented and strengthened the Associated Parishes concept.  Under his leadership, the VIGOR program was developed to revitalize St. Elizabeth's, providing a means by which Mediator parishioners were encouraged to give of their time, talent and leadership abilities in addition to the ongoing financial support of the parish.  Today St. Anne's in Trexlertown stands on its own feet without financial support from the Church of the Mediator and St. Elizabeth's, after going out on their own and functioning without our help for several years in South Allentown later moved to Schnecksville.  After several attempts to strengthen their parish failed, they have closed their doors, most members joining St. Anne's congregation in Trexlertown.

Father MacMillan also enlarged the Commission System.  He was exemplary in pastoral care and saw outreach of the parish to the community as true Christian mission, raising the sights of the parish toward that goal through his extensive community involvement.

Together with The Rev. William Barker, Msgr. Robert Coll and other outstanding churchmen in the community, Father MacMillan was instrumental in forming Operation Rice Bowl in the Allentown area, which later became a national effort in raising money to feed the hungry.  His leadership also resulted in establishing the Hospice program in the city; strengthening of Episcopal Community Services, a program for Hispanics in Allentown; and the formation of a Covenant Relationship between The Church of the Mediator, St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church, First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, and St. Timothy's Evangelical Lutheran Church.  The Covenant, established in 1983, was the first in the nation to establish a formal relationship among four different religious persuasions.  The ecumenical relationship provided a greater awareness of and participation in the wider church for members of our congregation. 

In November 1986, The Rev. R. Bruce Birdsey arrived from the Atlanta, Georgia area to become the rector of the Mediator and served the parish until leaving to further his career in writing and receiving a call to serve as Assistant Priest at St. Phillip's Church in Brevard, North Carolina in the latter part of August 1998.   During his 12 years, a number of changes and improvements took place. 

Begun in 1992, a Growth and Renewal Campaign resulted in the expansion of the Education and Music ministries.  This same campaign saw the completion of a number of repairs to the building and the air conditioning of the Church and the Commons Room.  The Commons Room kitchen was designed and finished.  Offices and Sunday school rooms were painted and decorated.  An Assistant Priest was taken on board to expand the Children and Youth Ministry.  A new Organist/Choirmaster was hired due to the retirement of the then organist/choirmaster, Stella Nase, who had served in that capacity for many years. 

Since 1992, the Just for Kids, or "JFK" program has operated at the Mediator as an after-school ministry for students from the nearby Raub Middle School (grades 6 to 8).  JFK is designed to provide a safe, adult-supervised, place for Raub students to "hang out" and participate in wholesome recreational and life skills activities.  Staffed by a paid director and volunteers from the parish and the community, this program has recently revamped into a more organized Club format where the youth can play games, learn to cook, play basketball, and participate in other activities supported by the volunteers that are available to work with the kids.  Recently we have used students from Muhlenberg College for such things as a knitting club and a theater group. 

In recent years, the Mediator has sponsored two Vietnamese families.  Also, during this time, a social group known as the Movie Group was organized, and a Men's Breakfast group meets bi-weekly for fellowship and a meal.  In 1995, due to the generosity of a member of the congregation, a new Allen Organ was installed. 

On Monday, June 17, 1996, a roofer's torch began a dramatic fire which swept The Church of the Mediator.  The Nave, Narthex, Brides' Room and all basement areas below were flooded from hose streams and rain water.  The office area was also damaged by rain water.  Firemen used vinyl sheeting to minimize water damage to the new organ and office equipment.  The restoration plan included an opportunity for the congregation to give written suggestions.  During this time of restoration, a number of improvements were added such as providing space for wheelchairs in the Nave.  The Very Rev. Robert Schenkel was our interim rector at that time during our rector's sabbatical and, with his efforts and the combined efforts of contractors, church staff, and Senior Warden, things ran smoothly until the restoration was completed.  Our services were held during this time sometimes on the front lawn and more often in what used to be the sanctuary but had been converted to the Commons Room when the new sanctuary was built.  Volunteers from the parish, and even some neighbors, contributed roughly 3000 volunteer hours toward the restoration of the Church.  In October 1996, the Church was rededicated in a celebration service attended by the newly-elected Bishop Paul Marshall. 

In early August 1998, the Senior Choir, led by Organist/Choirmaster Dr. Douglas Himes, left for a two-week tour of English Cathedrals.  This tour was the culmination of two years of preparation.  The choir sang Evensong Services and two Holy Eucharist Services in six Cathedrals. 

Our current rector, The Rev. Maria W. E. Tjeltveit began her ministry with us on September 1, 1999.  Under her leadership, the parish has continued to grow spiritually adding such things as mid-week Bible study programs in the day and evening hours, not only in Lent and Advent, but at other times throughout the year.   Fellowship within the parish has grown to include not only the Movie Group and the Men's Breakfast, but an Under 40s Group, a Book Club, and Dinner Groups that meet monthly in peoples' homes in small group settings.

During many years of reaching out to our neighbors, we have been home to many AA groups, along with the Scottish Dancers, the West Park Civic Association, and literacy tutors.  In the most recent past we have also offered space to the Community Justice Panel and the Lutheran Academy Basketball. 

Our outreach into the community and the world takes many forms each year.  A list of those activities can be found here for your further information.