While updating our library holdings for our new Website, we discovered the following interesting article. Here is a brief portion of that article. If you are interested in reviewing it in its entirity, please stop by the library or call and request a copy.
History of the Peace Evangelical and Reformed Church dated August 1, 1957:
It is possible at this time to reconstruct only a very brief history of Peace Church. There is some indication that a congregation was organized or existed, as early as 1836 when Rev Mashopp served as pastor for 2 years or more. A date in the oldest Kerchenbuch (church record) now existing that possibly the year 1830 may have seen some group worshipping in a church.
In the years of 1840, a grant of land was made to the congregation and it is from that time, that we date the history of the church, the church was part of the circuit supplied by Bucyrus.
The first baptismal record, dated January 3, 1841, shows the name of Peter, son of Michael and Rebecca Willman, and Henry, son of John and Hannah Shaffer, as being baptized on the day.
Then on the 17th day of July 1841, we have a record of Twelve Communicant members under the pastorate of Rev L.B. Huffman. The members were namely as follows: Jacob Garberick, Jacob Henney, Jonas Bortner, Emanuel Smith, Adam Smith, Sarah Henney, Mary Smith, Lidia Ehrman, Catherine Hetter, Elizabeth Sell Christinia Wellover.
The pastorate of J Leiber was a critical period of the history of the congregation. In 1862 when he came to the pastorate, the congregation was divided by the slavery question and Civil War. Most of the members found themselves in bitter opposition to their fellows. Some hint of the strife, which came into the congregation during this unhappy period in our Nation’s history comes from the records of the year 1868. All records of the four preceding years, except vital statistics were ordered destroyed by an unanimous vote of the Consistory in order that the “Love of Jesus Christ might prevail” and all strife be forgotten.
This church exists today on County Road 57, near County Road 46.