According to information found in "The Oley Reformed Church Records" concerning the history of the Oley Reformed and Lutheran Congregations taken from the Berks Historical Society, we quote:
"John Lesher, on the thirteenth of April, 1734, deeded 131 perches of land to Gabriel Boyer and Casper Griesemer 'in trust for the society of Christian people holding to the doctrines and tenets of John Calvin'."
Today the Salem United Church of Christ is erected on the same plot of ground which was donated by John Lesher 224 years ago.
A small meeting house was first built in 1735, in which preached the visiting German Reformed ministers, and occasionally a Lutheran minister. In 1736 the Reformed congregation was organized by the Rev. John Phillip Bomehn.
A new meeting house was built in 1754, and in May 1822 the present edifice was built. In 1880 some remodeling was done, but in 1901 a more complete renovation project was carried out. A basement was built for Sunday School purposes, a vestibule and tower were added, and many other improvements were made. The cornerstone of the new addition was laid May 5, 1901 and was dedicated Nov. 12, 1901.
Practically all the Reformed and Lutheran people of the Oley Valley worshipped at the Spangsville churches until 1830, when the people living in the western section around Friedensburg withdrew and organized a union church at that place. It should be remembered that in the early days of the Oley Valley there were only three churches in the area: Spangsville Churches, Spies Union Church and the Hill Union Church.
Before 1821 the Lutherans at Spangsville worshipped in the old church where the present Salem Reformed Church stands. The following information about the Oley Churches at Spangsville is recorded in the Berks Historical Society, Reading:
"The Lutherans worshipped in the old church (Salem Reformed Church) until 1821 when they became a district body and erected a place of worship on the adjoining lot, with the Reverend Conrad Miller as their first pastor in the new church."
Thus, it was early in 1821 that the Lutherans decided to build their own church alongside the old edifice and to conduct their worship and business as a distinct, exclusively Lutheran organization. They called themselves Christ Lutheran Church of Oley.
The ground on which the present Lutheran Church is erected was given by Frederick Spang and his wife to Jacob S. Spang and Samuel Fisher for the sum of $1 on Aug. 11, 1821.
On May 27, 1821 the cornerstone of the new Lutheran Church was laid and the first worship service was held on Christmas Day of that year.
In 1908 the church was torn down to the ground and then rebuilt and enlarged as it is today--a brick Gothic church. On Pentecost Sunday, May 30, 1909, the congregation met at the Salem Reformed Church and went in procession to the new Lutheran Church. The dedication service was in the German language and the new edifice was consecrated by the Rev. Dr. E.S. Brownmiller, the pastor.
The 125th anniversary of the organization of the church was celebrated in November of 1946.
A call was extended to the present pastor, Lawrence R. Troop Jr., on July 1, 1955. During the following two years both congregations of the parish increased in membership and church attendance.
During the spring of 1958, Christ Lutheran Church decided to fulfill its decision to make the necessary repairs to the fifty-year-old church.
The dedication service and celebration of the 50th anniversary of the church building took place Sept. 21, 1958.
Submitted by Betty.
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