History

A Brief History Of The Antrim Brethern In Christ Church

Antrim Brethren In Christ Church congregation first met in barns with the first worship service being held on January 19, 1884. They built a "meeting house" in 1885 out of hand-made brick. The structure was rectangular and had two doorways, one for the women and the other for the men.

The first preachers were Joseph Byers and J.D. Wingert who traveled from church to church, so that a pastor came to Antrim only about once a month. In the summer Antrim had Sunday School every Sunday. The church used no musical instruments to accompany their singing, and each person had their own hymnal that contained only the words to the songs.

The Love Feast was a big event for the Brethren In Christ. It was held twice a year and was a two-day event. It was considered a time of fellowship and spiritual gathering. The meals were simple with sandwiches, soup, and other light dishes prepared by the deacons and their wives.

In 1928, attendance within the church dropped and so the decision was made to close it. During this time, the idea of each church having its own minister was circulating among the Brethren In Christ. In 1935, John and Hilda Byers were assigned to Antrim to become the permanent pastoral couple and to try to restart the church.

Older BuildingComing off the heels of the Great Depression, growth was slow and monetary giving was not in abundance. The church's growth, however, can possibly be accounted for by the returning of loyal members, prayer, outreach to the community, and the pastor's care and visitation. Not long after reopening, the building was restructured to move the pulpit, create one front door, and add classrooms and interior steps to the basement. This structure is still in existence at 9745 Antrim Church Road, Greencastle.

  • 1935 - 1962 John Byers
  • 1962 - 1967 Harvy Musser
  • 1967 - 1972 Andrew Slagenweit
  • 1972 - 1975 Charles Rife
  • 1975 - 1976 Paul McBeth

In 1976 Wilbur Benner came to be the pastor. As the church grew and more room was needed, a generous gift from Amos and Louise Hege provided the site for a new church building. The new building was constructed on their land at 24 Kauffman Road,Chambersburg, just a few miles away from the former location.

Groundbreaking was held on August 29, 1976, and the cornerstone was laid in May of the following year. On June 1977, a large motorcade of approximately 100 cars made its way from the old building to the new. This was "Dedication Day"! The sanctuary overflowed with approximately 700 people! The old building was sold to a Mennonite congregation who continue to use it to this day.

By 1986 Antrim BIC had expanded to two worship services. In 1988, a new wing was added to provide a new kitchen, fellowship hall, pastor's offices, an expanded library and more classrooms.

  • 1976 - 1992 Wilbur Benner (Senior Pastor)
  • ? - ? Joe Baer (Assistant/Youth Pastor)

Due to his declining health and the rapid growth of the church, Pastor Benner decided to go and pastor a smaller church in Williamsport, Maryland. He had served Antrim for 16 ½ years.

  • 1992-1999 Steven Munger
  • 1993-present Ky Searcy (Pastor of Care)
  • 1996-2001 Matt Sargent

With the recommendation of Pastor Benner, Reverend Steven Munger from Minnesota was asked to come and serve as Senior Pastor in August 1992. At this time the Brethren In Christ denomination was allowing pastors to provide housing for themselves if they chose to do so. Pastor Munger bought the church parsonage (still located across from the first church) and he and his family made their home there.

A new assistant pastor was also needed since the Assistant/Youth Pastor Joe Baer, who had served under Pastor Benner had also accepted the calling to become senior pastor at a smaller church near Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

For several months, Pastor Munger helped Raymond Martin, an intern pastor, gain experience before Mr. Martin went to Bunker Hill, West Virginia, to plant a church. Reverend Ky Searcy came in September of 1993 from Minnesota to serve as the assistant pastor.

Under Pastor Munger, the church continued to grow, and a youth pastor was needed. Matt Sargent was added to the staff in September 1996. In that same year the sanctuary was remodeled. New pews, carpet, curtains, chandeliers, hymnals, a larger platform for the choir, and a state-of-the-art sound system were added. The increased attendance lead way to a third Sunday morning service in September of 1997.

In 1999, Pastor Munger was offered the position as Assistant Director of Brethren In Christ World Missions. The move of Pastor Munger to this new position combined with a decrease in attendance, the middle service was dropped in September of 1999.

Pastor Ky Searcy graciously served as interim pastor until February of 2000 when Dwayne Potteiger, who had served as an evangelist with Kingdom Building Ministries, was hired as part-time senior pastor. In September of 2000 Pastor Potteiger took the senior pastor position full-time.

Under Pastor Potteiger's leadership, the church has continued to grow. Part of the growth process has required more paid staff. This began when Youth Pastor Sargent moved on to a church in Florida and was replaced by James Reaves as Youth Director in 2001. The year 2002 saw continued growth as Carl Shank was hired as Pastor of Adult Discipleship and Tom Seaman the Minister of Music.

  • 2000 - present Dwayne Potteiger (Senior Pastor)
  • 2001 - 2005 James Reaves (Youth Director)
  • 2002 - present Carl Shank (Pastor of Adult Discipleship)
  • 2002 - present Tom Seaman (Minister of Music)
  • 2003 - 2004 Karmen Reed (Director of Children's Ministries)
  • 2005 - present Tammy Weller (Director of Children's Ministry)
  • 2005 - present Dwight Myers (Youth Director)

In 2003 Karmen Reed was added to the staff as Director of Children's Ministries. This was a deliberate attempt to recognize our children as the future leaders of Antrim. By dedicating resources to bring children into Christ's presence early in life, we hope they will build a love for Him that will never falter.

The plans for the newest classroom wing and the Family Life Center (FLC) began with a Planning Committee under Pastor Munger in 1997. Groundbreaking for this facility was held June 2, 2002, and construction began soon after. Today, as we dedicate this building to the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom, there are still some remaining details which need to be completed. A faithful Building Committee, the Trustees, and countless volunteers are still bringing the new FLC to completion.



Research Credit: Christina Kopp