Rohlers
Assembly of God / Rohlers Pentecostal Assembly /
Rohlers Pentecostal Tabernacle
761 Rohlers Church Road
The present Rohlers
Assembly of God had its roots in the United Brethren Movement.
The church has been known by many names over the years, but
the word Rohlers has always been a part of the name. In June 9, 1799 Reverend
Christian Newcomer, of the United Brethren religion, held a meeting or service
at the home of Jacob Roller. Mr. Roller lived at what is now referred to as
6421 Bluebird Lane. Through the years, United Brethren and Lutheran
congregations shared the building for services. This log building was used for the gospel
and schooling until 1870 when the new church of sand stone was built at a cost
of $800.00 and was dedicated by Reverends Raber, Craumer and Brickley. Philip Crone and John H. Myers did the mason
work. The trustees and building
committee were Samuel Kunkle, John H. Myers and Henry S. Crone. The Lutheran
congregation decided to build their own church nearby and it was named
Prior to 1800 there had been a burial ground located here for at least a third of a century. The graveyard still remains today with its rows of sandstone markers, with names or initials cut upon them that have been ravaged with the passing of time and weather. Two tombstones are dated 1776. The graveyard contains a small pyramid shaped limestone marker that stands about twelve inches high. The person that is buried at that spot not only shaped the marker but constructed his own coffin made of walnut, according to history. His name is Samuel Fetrow.
In 1855, when
In 1920, Charles and Elmer Crone, members of the United Brethren Congregation, heard about the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and traveled to the Stone Church in Chicago, Illinois. Their life altering experience also changed Rohlers. In October 1920 Evangelist Eli De Priest held a meeting. It was reported that people who gathered in and out of the church walls witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. By that Saturday, the church officials had a change of attitude concerning the use of their church. On Sunday evening, it is recalled that the other congregation of regular worshippers were greeted with a
padlock and not a handshake. These believers hung lanterns in a chestnut tree outside the church and continued to worship their God. With these events, Rohlers became the home of the Pentecost in York County in one week’s time. During the mid to late 1920’s the church was without the service of a pastor or a place to worship. Lincoln Crone donated a plot of ground from his farm and Mr. Brothers offered trees and stones from a near-by lot. In the fall of 1921 the new church was completed. Winfield Bott, a church member, hand-carved the pulpit from which Brother DePriest was the first to preach. Mr. Emory Lemkelde, a rather tall, lanky man, built the pews and benches to his measurements much to the discomfort of the women and children.
May 16, 1943, the first Sunday school class was held with 67 persons in attendance.
1948 saw the addition of the twenty-foot annex on the east side of the church. 1950 a parsonage was constructed
The spring of 1962 was the ground breaking for the construction of the new church. September 4, 1963 the church was dedicated.
On October 4, 1987, the church observed its 67th Anniversary.
Church members support 45 missions or mission projects through out the year. At the member’s expense, yearly missionary trips to build churches or Bible Schools in different countries are performed. According to the Assemblies 1992 report, Rohlers ranks 45th out of 11,356 Assembly of God Churches in the country for its missionary work.
Dover History 250th Anniversary / Prowells History Volume 1 1907