Reformed Presbyterian Church to El-BethEl Temple: Over the Years

Mrs. Belle Henning Wills writes in 1924,

The Reformed Presbyterian Congregation of Wilkinsburg was organized in the year 1848. . .

Previous to that time there was in the village of Wilkinsburg what was known as “the Society of the Covenanters,” meeting occasionally and holding services wherever they could find a place; sometimes in the school house; sometimes in the Methodist Church; sometimes in James Kelly’s barn and often in Jefferson school house out in the country. There was at that time an old church in the country about 8 miles from Wilkinsburg which belonged to the Covenanters. The church stood about one mile from Monroeville, some distance from the public road. The recent survey of William Penn Highway is quite near.

The lot of ground upon which the church stood contains about three acres—comparatively level. An old resident in speaking about this church and the property told me this: Some years ago your father (Samuel Hemming), a Mr. Dougherty and perhaps some others, acting as trustees of your church sold this property to a Mr. Anderson. At that time there were forest trees on the land, but it has since been cleared. The stone slabs marking the graves have been destroyed, but Mr. Anderson (to his credit) planted apple trees on the four corners surrounding the graves, and that part of the ground has never been cultivated or disturbed. The trees have apples on now.

The church was torn down because the coal was taken out nearby, and it was in danger of falling.

I have often heard my parents, who were members of The Society of the Covenanters, tell about riding over to that church on horseback. That must have been just prior to 1845. It was quite evident that the great need of this society was a church house.

Mr. James Kelly who owned the greater part of the vacant property in Wilkinsburg at that time, came to their rescue by donating a large piece of ground, upon which the present church stands. Mr. Kelly was a kind and generous man, frequently giving property to churches and other organizations, but it was difficult to secure a title from him.

Mr. Hugh. Boyd (uncle of . . . Jane Boyd and Mrs. Mary Boyd Duff) a most spiritual man, and one of the most influential in the early history of the church, is the man to whom the Congregation is indebted for the title to the property.

One night Mr. Boyd, in company with someone else, went to Mr. Kelly’s house and stated that they intended to stay there until they got a deed. He went home with the deed in his pocket. Steps were at once taken to erect a house of worship.

. . . .

Besides donating the lot Mr. James Kelly was the largest contributor toward the building fund (Amount $50.00). Some who could not give much money; gave of their time, their teams and lumber.

This was in the year 1845.

Some of the prominent ministers who preached up until this time were—

Rev. J. R. Willimas
Rev. J. Gabbreath
Rev. Thos. Spraull
Rev. Wm. Sloan.

. . . .

The first sermon in the new church was preached by the Rev. Josiah Dodds. (There was yet no organized congregation.)

The account in The Nugget calls the three years between the building of the church in 1845 and the formal organization of the church by the Pittsburgh Presbytery in 1848 “an adventure of faith.”

Rev. Thomas Hann was the supply minister. The congregation “also enjoyed the labors of the young men of the church.”

The church installed Rev. Joseph Hunter in April 1852. His ministry with the church continued for 30 years.

Mrs. Belle Henning Wills writes,

Rev. Joseph Hunter was the first regular pastor of the Wilkinsburg congregation. He was a kind and tender hearted pastor, affectionate, sympathetic, often moved to tears in the pulpit. He was a friend of the children. A present member of the congregation remembers how when she was a little girl, Mr. Hunter would pat her on the head, and tell her she had done well when she recited her psalms and questions.

South Avenue and Franklin Avenue and Center Street and Mill Street formed the boundary of the land donated by James Kelly. An unidentified author writes,

All of Franklin Avenue and Mill Street frontage and a large part of the South Avenue and Center Street frontage consisted of low ground. On the South Avenue and Mill Street corner, there was an excellent spring of water. A portion of the lot was used for a graveyard. In this were interred the bodies of quite a number of the members of the families of the congregation and also of the members of Wilkinsburg families who were not worshipers at the old church. Before the construction of the new church building was begun, the bodies were removed to other cemeteries.

The original church building was torn down in 1892. The congregation dedicated the new building in July 1893.

The congregation expanded the building in 1911 to have a better Sunday school.

The Covenant Fellowship Reformed Presbyterian congregation moved from the Reformed Presbyterian Seminary in Point Breeze near Wilkinsburg to the Reformed Presbyterian Church building in the early 1980s before moving to the the Calvary Presbyterian Church building on Swissvale Avenue.

A church listing for 1983 shows the Reformed Presbyterian Church at the 800 South Avenue location.

Shiloh Apostolic Church acquired the building in 1985.

Shiloh Apostolic Church transferred the church building to El-BethEl Temple in 2008 for one dollar.

An internet page describes,

El-BethEl Temple Church, which is an apostolic church, was established by Elder Monty Grinage on April 4, 2004. El-BethEl Temple Church was first a small church on top of a hill. On top of this hill El-BethEl Temple tried to be a light to the community of Elizabeth, PA. Elder Monty Grinage always said that he could start but we would have to continue to go on with his vision and make it greater in order to bring people into the Church. El-BethEl Temple stayed in Elizabeth for four years, but it was a decision that was made to move to Wilkinsburg, PA in 2008. So the church that was once on the hill became the church on the corner.

Since 2008, El-BethEl Temple is trying to be a light to the community of Wilkinsburg.

. . . .

______

Melancthon Glasgow, History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in America. Baltimore: Hill & Harvey, Publishers, 1888, supply minister: p. 304.

Marjorie Michaux, editor-in-chief, Historic Wilkinsburg 1887–1987, One Hundred Years of Pride. Wilkinsburg Centennial Publication Committee, 1988, p. 107.

“El-BethEl Temple Church.&ldquo
https://trucio.com/organization/el-bethel-temple-church/

Wilkinsburg Public Library Digital Archives:

Mrs. Belle Henning Wills, untitled handwritten manuscript with transcript, October 29, 1924.

“Wilkinsburg Reformed Presbyterian Congregation,” handwritten manuscript with transcript, 1930s.

“Churches in Wilkinsburg Area,” 1983.