At 232 Kralltown Road in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, Barren's United Lutheran Church grew out of a log building first used for worship in 1812 and became one of three congregations in Faith United Lutheran Parish. It is known for a history rooted in Salem's early cemetery, shared Lutheran and Reformed ministry, and a close-knit worship life marked by Sunday school, handbells, children's percussion, lay participation, and service beyond the congregation. The Lutheran congregation itself is closed. Its final worship service was held on October 27, 2019. The church building now hosts Mountainview Christian Fellowship at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. What follows is the life of Barren's: where it began, how it worshiped, what it offered families and young people, and how it carried its mission into blood drives, meals, clothing collection, and support for New Hope and other charitable causes.
From Salem's Log Church to Barren's
Barren's story reaches back before the familiar church building. Its congregation was also known as Salem, and its earliest roots lie in a small log structure with an associated cemetery. The first burial in Salem Cemetery was Barbara Shetron in 1811; the log church was dedicated in January 1812 and remained in use for more than fifty years. In its early decades, the congregation did not always have a pastor of its own. It shared Lutheran and Reformed pastors with other churches, a pattern that shaped its cooperative identity.
As public education became available, the old schoolhouses ceased serving the churches. In January 1888, an adjustment to the local Lutheran charge brought Salem, Emmanuel, St. John's Franklin, and St. Paul's together as the Clear Springs Charge, with pastors serving all four. Barren's thus grew not as an isolated congregation but within a web of neighboring Lutheran families and shared clergy. Its formal history remained tied to cemeteries, log buildings, schoolhouses, and common ministry.
The 200th anniversary of the first worship in the log building fell in 2012. The milestone was marked with Holy Communion, participation by former pastors and choir members, and memories of the church building, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and other ministries. The memory work mattered because Barren's had always been entrusted to those who came after it. Faith United Lutheran Parish framed its members as temporary stewards of the congregation's traditions and heritage, with a responsibility to pass them forward.
At its active center, Barren's was more than a Sunday building. It had adult education, age-graded classes for children and youth, a handbell choir, confirmation preparation, Vacation Bible School, social gatherings, and a church house used for meals and outreach. That combination of worship, education, music, and service gave the congregation a recognizable identity.
Three Congregations, One Intertwined Parish
Faith United Lutheran Parish brought together three separate congregations: Barren's in Dillsburg, Emmanuel in Franklintown, and St. John's Franklin in Dillsburg. They remained distinct churches while sharing clergy, confirmation, parish worship, special music events, and outreach. The relationship began long before the parish name appeared. St. John's Franklin had roots before the Revolutionary War; its first burial in Franklin Union Cemetery was Valentine Kitner in 1766, and the congregation was formally established on December 9, 1794. Emmanuel's Franklintown church was dedicated on May 16, 1886.
The Franklintown dedication drew several ministers who served all three later parish churches. The occasion raised $411, nearly clearing the new building's indebtedness. John Klugh donated the land for the church and is buried at St. John's. This shared history explains why the parish's ministries could cross town so easily: a young person might be confirmed in one sanctuary, serve music at another, and join adults from all three for worship or service.
Under Pastor Roy Stetler, who began serving in 2008, the parish entered a 50/50 sharing relationship with Mt. Zion Lutheran in Lewisberry. Stetler split his time between Mt. Zion and Barren's and continued to emphasize hospital visits, care of homebound neighbors, weddings, funerals, and other ministry. His own account of the arrangement stressed that everyone needed to share visits, help, and care because the work could not rest on one pastor. The relationship showed how a small congregation could sustain worship while joining neighboring churches to share pastoral leadership.
Barren's own role in that cooperative parish included serving as a familiar place for blood drives, shared meals, music events, and fundraisers. The church house made many of those activities possible, while the sanctuary remained the center for Word, sacrament, song, and the education of children and adults. Parish life at Barren's was thus rooted in the local congregation and connected to a wider circle of churches serving Dillsburg, Franklintown, and nearby communities.
Sunday School at 9:15 and Worship at 10:30
During its years of regular worship, Sunday began at Barren's with Sunday school at 9:15 and worship at 10:30. Adults met in the sanctuary, children in fifth grade and under gathered in one downstairs class, and middle school and high school youth met in another. The arrangement made room for all three generations in the same building before worship. A typical service lasted about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes.
The pastor opened with announcements, then lay members read the lessons, shared prayers of the people, and assisted at Communion. The pastor concluded with a blessing and closing hymn. At Barren's, children and young people came forward at the close to play percussion instruments and walked out with the choir and pastor. The congregation then heard the dismissal, “Go in peace, to serve the Lord,” and answered, “Thanks be to God.” The pattern combined a settled Lutheran order with active lay participation and a deliberately visible role for children.
Reusable bulletins followed the church-year calendar and contained most of the service and hymns. When a hymn was not printed, a hymn number and hymnal appeared on the side boards. The printed order gave visitors a clear path through the service while leaving room for song, readings, prayer, Communion, and the movement of children near the end.
No seats were assigned. Visitors could take a whole pew or choose a place with floor space for children, and the congregation deliberately tried to sit in a different pew each week under the invitation, “I've Had A View From Another Pew, Have You?” A greeter or usher offered a bulletin, and a guest book might be available, but no visitor was required to speak or singled out for special attention. Dress was equally relaxed: T-shirts, jeans, and sandals appeared alongside coats, ties, pantsuits, and dresses. The parish's guidance was simply to wear whatever felt comfortable.
Communion at the Center
Communion was one of the two sacraments Lutherans recognize, the other being Baptism. At Barren's it was received on the first Sunday of the month, at parish worship, and on many feast days. The pastor gave the bread with the words, “The Body of Christ given for you.” A Communion assistant then offered the cup with the words, “The blood of Christ shed for you,” and communicants dipped the bread or wafer into the wine and could respond, “Amen.” Those who preferred only bread could receive it. A person who chose not to commune could step aside or come forward for a blessing.
Anyone who had difficulty walking could ask an usher to commune at the seat, and the pastor would bring Communion after others had received it. Children could commune at any age, with the parent or caregiver indicating whether the child should receive Communion or a blessing. These details made the role of the congregation particularly practical: hospitality was expressed through clear options for mobility, age, and participation.
A Nursery, Activity Bags, and a Place for Young People
Children were explicitly welcome at all services, and the church did not treat noise as a problem. Ushers could offer activity bags with quiet activities. Families could use extra floor space, take a whole pew, or make room for children who needed to move. A nursery with a changing table and toys occupied the downstairs back-right corner of Barren's, near the men's and women's bathrooms. Children could remain with their families or use the nursery during the service.
Formation continued beyond the nursery. Barren's had a Sunday school class for children through fifth grade and a separate class for middle and high school youth, along with an adult class. The parish organized Vacation Bible School with crafts, food, Bible stories, and many adult helpers. It also offered youth lock-ins once or twice a year and guided young people through confirmation, where adults were asked to walk with youth as partners in faith development. Confirmation celebrations included affirmation of Baptism, music by the youth and their families, and a shared meal.
Family life also had places beyond worship. The annual Mother/Daughter Banquet, shared with Christ Lutheran at Filey's and commonly held at Wellsville Fire Hall, centered on a meal, special music, entertainment, and fellowship. A women's banquet offered another evening of food, fellowship, and entertainment. These recurring gatherings connected children, mothers, daughters, and women across the parish's cooperating churches.
Handbells, Choir, Percussion, and Parish Music
Music was one of Barren's most visible gifts. Its handbell choir had existed for many years and was directed by Dawn Grib. The broader parish music tradition included choirs, soloists, an organ, contemporary Christian groups, gospel ensembles, and performers in seasonal music festivals. Those festivals paired music with practical support: free-will offerings went to New Hope Ministries, while musicians and vocalists gave their time without reimbursement.
The parish's music events were deliberately varied. Gospel, Christian, bluegrass-flavored, and contemporary selections appeared alongside handbells, choir, percussion, and special pieces by young people. The music at Barren's closing ritual gave children and youth an active role, and the handbell choir became one of the congregation's longest-running ministries. Music thus connected worship, intergenerational participation, fundraising, and the building's use as a gathering place.
A substantial sermon archive preserves messages from the parish's years under Pastor Roy Stetler, covering 2012 through 2019. Stetler was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Dillsburg, received his undergraduate degree from Messiah College, earned his Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, and took Lutheran classes at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. His eleven years with Faith United Lutheran Parish included weekly preaching at Barren's, shared leadership, hospital and homebound visits, and a sustained emphasis on members sharing responsibility for ministry.
Naomi Sease Carriker served as pastor from 2008 to 2011 and remembered the parish as a grace-filled community. The period reflected the parish's reliance on shared clergy and rotating ministries. Leadership at Barren's was therefore closely connected to Emmanuel, St. John's Franklin, and, later, Mt. Zion, with each congregation contributing people, time, and resources to the wider ministry.
Love and Grace for All People
Faith United Lutheran Parish's mission was to be open to God's presence in heart, mind, and world; to love God and one another; and to proclaim Lutheran theology of God's love and grace for all people. That statement gave shape to the congregation's public work. Barren's did not separate worship from love of neighbor; it used time, food, buildings, handbells, youth energy, and donated goods to help people beyond the church.
Barren's beliefs were explicitly Lutheran. Its members affirmed the Triune God: God created and loves creation, Jesus Christ transforms lives through the cross and new life, and the Spirit is active in the world. The congregation connected itself with believers everywhere, studied the Bible and heard God's word in worship, and accepted the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed as declarations of faith. The mission's phrase, “love and grace for all people,” captured both worship and service.
That theology connected the local congregation to wider ELCA work. The parish followed the church body's social statements on topics including abortion, the death penalty, economic life, education, the environment, health and healthcare, peace, race, ethnicity and culture, sexuality, immigration, homelessness, and community violence. Faithful participation in society is integral to the mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Barren's local service became an expression of a wider Lutheran conversation about Christian faith in public life.
Blood Drives, Suppers, and Care Beyond the Church
Barren's church house hosted two parish blood drives each year, generally one in spring and one in fall, with the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank. Walk-ins were welcome, and volunteers supplied food for donors. Across the years, the drives brought neighbors through the door for a direct act of service and resulted in dozens of blood donations. The recurring drive became one of the clearest ways the building served the surrounding community.
The Outreach Committee also prepared spaghetti suppers in the church house with all proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity of York. Volunteers donated food, cooked, served, and cleaned, and a Habitat representative attended to speak about the program and answer questions. The meal joined fellowship, hospitality, and a practical response to the cost of decent, safe, affordable housing.
Another long-running tradition was a New Year's Day pork and sauerkraut dinner benefiting Heifer International. The meal became a gathering with families and neighbors, combining tradition, good food, and fundraising. At times the format changed to a bag-lunch benefit, but the purpose remained the same: helping communities move beyond hunger and poverty through livestock, training, and sustainable income. The parish also supported the ELCA Malaria Campaign through pancake suppers, special gatherings, and donations for malaria prevention, treatment, and education.
New Hope Ministries was a particularly close partner. Founded in 1982, New Hope operates assistance centers in Dillsburg, Dover, Hanover, and Mechanicsburg, serving parts of York County and the West Shore area of Cumberland County. Its services include emergency crisis help, food pantries, rent and mortgage assistance, prescription, medical, dental, and eye care help, utility and transportation assistance, counseling, referrals, children and youth programs, and holiday food baskets and gifts. New Hope also works toward long-term stability and self-sufficiency and reaches close to 7,000 people in a year.
Faith United Lutheran Parish supported New Hope in many ways. Seasonal music festivals sent their free-will offerings directly to the ministry. The parish collected margarine and other grocery items for Christmas baskets, promoted an open house for people interested in volunteering, and used familiar events such as meals and music to keep the connection visible. New Hope's willingness to serve people regardless of age, race, gender, or religious affiliation matched the parish's mission of love and grace for all people.
At Barren's, another outward-facing sign stood at the end of the side parking lot: a CommunityAid clothing and shoe bin. Donated clothing was collected regularly and sold in CommunityAid thrift stores, with a quarterly cash return to Barren's based on the weight collected. The arrangement supported the church and families in local communities at the same time. The bin accepted clothing and shoes, not toys, household goods, or books. Unneeded clothing and shoes in good condition could be placed inside it.
The Church House as a Common Table
Barren's church house was one of the congregation's most practical ministry spaces. It could accommodate up to 75 people and had a full kitchen, and members and nonmembers could use it for meetings, parties, reunions, and other gatherings. Blood drives, spaghetti suppers, and outreach preparation depended on it; the parish also used other spaces for music festivals and shared meals. The sanctuary offered worship and education, while the church house turned that fellowship into meals, practical projects, and room for neighbors.
Social time after worship strengthened the same spirit. At Barren's, many people gathered at the back of the sanctuary to talk and share refreshments. The parish's Mother/Daughter Banquet and women's events expanded that hospitality beyond Sunday morning. Whether the occasion was confirmation, a fundraiser, or a family meal, the building's character remained consistent: it was a place where people could gather around a table, share food, and participate in the life of faith together.
Parish leaders also recognized that worship and service depended on many people. Pastor Roy Stetler described the need for everyone to share visits, help, and care, saying he could not do it alone and had never been meant to do so. His emphasis reflected a practical theology of community: the body of Christ was made visible through shared responsibility rather than a single leader carrying the work alone.
The Final Service and the Continuing Building
Barren's final worship service was held on October 27, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. All were welcome. The end of the congregation's regular services came after years when the parish had already shared clergy, education, and outreach across three congregations. The closing marked the end of Barren's United Lutheran Church as a worshiping congregation, not the end of its influence on the life of the building.
Afterward, Mountainview Christian Fellowship, led by Pastor Vernal Simms, began holding Sunday services in the church building at 9:00 a.m. The congregation meeting there is distinct from Barren's Lutheran congregation. The continuity is architectural and local: the sanctuary, cemetery grounds, church house, and familiar parking area remain, while a new worshiping community uses the space each Sunday.
Many of Barren's distinctive features remain legible in the account of its life: the cemetery beside the road, the sanctuary entrance reached by a ramp, parking along Kralltown Road and in the lots beside the church and cemetery, the downstairs classrooms and nursery, the handbell tradition, and the church house kitchen. The building has not simply become an empty landmark; it continues to gather people for worship and remains tied to the area's history of shared Lutheran ministry.
The legacy of Barren's United Lutheran Church is best understood through those working parts. A log building gathered families in 1812. Cemeteries and a shared ministerial tradition carried the congregation forward. Sunday school, youth confirmation, choir, handbells, and children's percussion shaped worship across generations. Blood drives, shared meals, music benefits, clothing collection, and hands-on support for New Hope, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer International, and the ELCA Malaria Campaign carried its mission beyond church walls. At 232 Kralltown Road in Dillsburg, Barren's remains a distinct part of Faith United Lutheran Parish's history and a two-century record of Lutheran worship, education, fellowship, and service.