2026-05-16T20:31:13-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer http://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories http://shenandoahstories.org 2016-06-07T16:42:30-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/110 Shenandoah County Library The congregation St. John’s United Church of Christ was formed on October 6th, 1849 at the Hudson’s Crossroad community. This church, originally aligned with the German Reformed denomination, met in the area’s schoolhouse along with the older Lutheran congregation. During the 1850s conflict between these two churches flared. Members of the Lutheran congregation expressed disaffection over sharing their house of worship with another congregation. Therefore, members of the Reformed Church decided to build their own church. That building was built on land donated by Benjamin Hudson. It was completed in 1852. Approximately 120 people pledged to provide support to the building fund during the dedication service. St. John’s was determined to ensure the moral compass of the community was attune to the church’s standards. During the late 19th century, the church records indicate several individuals were brought before the church consistory on charges on various charges. While the ruling of the church had no legal weight, the social implications of being convicted meant the individuals involved were often forced to leave the area. The adjacent Hudsons Crossroads Community Cemetery began as St. John’s Cemetery when the church was founded. Some of the earliest graves here date to the 1850s. A Ladies Aid Society was formed in 1931. It hosted social events for the church and community to raise money for charity. These events were often the center of community life. They often worked alongside their sister organization at the Lutheran Church. As the 21st century dawned, the members of St. John’s realized they could no longer support a church due to dwindling membership. So they decided to close and the building was donated to the Lutheran Congregation who today rents it to the Crossroads Bible Baptist Church, a nondenominational congregation. For more (including 3 images), view the original article. 2016-06-03T13:32:03-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/95 Shenandoah County Library Christ Church UCC traces its history back to 1838 when it, acting under the German Reformed denomination, agreed to share a church building with St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church. This arrangement lasted until 1887 when Christ’s Congregation built a separate church building in Conicville. It was dedicated in May of that year. Since 1892, this congregation has been a part of the Mill Creek Charge. As such it and St. John’s UCC church in Hamburg share a minister. Like Conicville, the church has seen a declining membership as individuals leave the area. In 2008 the UCC yearbook indicated the church had lost 5% of its members and 36% of its budget. The church currently associates itself with the “Faithful and Welcoming” group of UCC churches that espouses conservative, evangelical theology. For more (including 5 images), view the original article.