Three Centuries in the Valley
Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church has gathered in the same valley in southern Lancaster County since 1727, when its first members built a log meeting house on the ground that is now the Old Cemetery. Madison McElwain, writing in "Faith and Works at Middle Octorara Since 1727," describes the settlers who came to "our little valley": "By birth they were mostly Scotch or Scotch-Irish, with a sprinkling of other nationalities. In religion they were Scotch Covenanters, Calvinists, Hugenots, Presbyterians, men who kept the Sabbath with the utmost rigidity, men who believed in the inspiration of the Bible, the divinity of Christ, an educated and paid ministry, a representative form of government, and in education as the handmaid of religion."
The church's stated mission is "to provide a place of fellowship where a community of believers come together to be spiritually renewed and enabled to effectively witness for Christ through service to others." The Reverend John Barlow has served as pastor since August 2020. Worship is offered in English in a setting that reflects the congregation's long Presbyterian heritage.
Building on Foundations Laid in 1800
The present sanctuary was built around 1800 and still anchors the property. Bell towers and a narthex were added in 1914. Forty years later, in 1953, construction began on a new educational building to replace the chapel that had housed Sunday School classes. That structure was expanded and modified over the decades, and a complete renovation took place in 1999 and 2000.
The pastoral record is marked by long, stable pastorates. The Reverend Nathaniel W. Sample served from 1781 to 1821, the Reverend William G. Cairnes from 1877 to 1914, and the Reverend George H. Shea, D.D., from 1915 to 1965. The Reverend Robert W. Tanguy, now Pastor Emeritus, led the congregation from 1966 to 1994, and the Reverend Douglas M. Hileman served from 1996 to 2018.
Sunday School and Children's Church
Christian education is central to the congregation's life. Children and adults gather for Sunday School from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. The Christian Education Committee also offers an Adult Topical Study during that same hour.
During the worship service, children with parents' consent are dismissed to Children's Church after the youth message. The program is meant not just for the children of the church but for grandchildren, neighbors, and friends, and is built around creative, hands-on learning about Jesus.
Vacation Bible School at Snowball Mountain
Vacation Bible School is a major week in the church's calendar. The 2026 VBS runs Monday, June 22 through Friday, June 26, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., under the theme "SNOWBALL MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE: Find Your Strength in God." Classes are open to preschool through fifth grade, and a special needs class is offered for all ages.
Wednesdays of Fellowship, Prayer, and Song
Beyond Sunday morning, Wednesdays carry much of the church's midweek rhythm. ROMEO, the "Relatively Old Men Eating Out" club, meets at 9:00 a.m. for fellowship and breakfast at the Quarryville Family Restaurant, and welcomes any man who would like to join. A prayer gathering follows at 4:00 p.m., and choir practice fills the sanctuary at 7:00 p.m.
Thursdays are anchored by the Forged in Fire men's group at 6:30 p.m. Monthly breakfasts, Moms Connect evenings, and a fall festival round out the wider church calendar across the year.
Silver Sisters and the Women's Association
Silver Sisters is a fellowship of widows who meet, usually monthly, for lunch. The group, started by Rose Griest at Middle Octorara, now numbers more than twenty women, including widows from beyond the congregation. Members often return to the church for games or travel together to shows at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre and the American Music Theatre's Christmas show. All widows are welcome.
Middle Octorara Presbyterian Women (M.O.P.W.) sustains a busy year-round calendar. The association sponsors an annual Lenten Tea, bi-monthly sub sales, the Peach Fest in August, and funeral luncheons. It also runs a Secret Sister Program, makes baby gift bags for newborns in the congregation, maintains a church flower bed, and collects Christmas items for local families.
A Wide Reach Through Mission Giving
The church supports a long roster of local ministries: Love, Inc., New Hope, Solid Rock, Joyfully Made Fellowship, North Star Initiative, Oxford Neighborhood Services, Shiloh Presbyterian Church, the Solanco Crop Walk, the Solanco Education Foundation, Solanco Neighborhood Ministries, Solanco Post Prom, Solanco Strong, the Solanco Toy Drive, and Water Street Mission. Middle Octorara is also a host church for Boy Scout Troop 87 and a shoebox collection center for Operation Christmas Child.
National mission partners include Lightshine Ministries, and the church also gives to international work through Christ in Action, CRU, Fellowship International Mission (FIM), International Child Care Ministries (ICCM), Living Waters International, Transitions Orphan Assistance, and World Vision Child Fund International.
A Partner Church in Tamshiyacu, Peru
Middle Octorara sponsors a sister congregation in Tamshiyacu, Peru, and several members and friends have made the trip in person to serve alongside the Peruvian church. The partnership combines regular financial support with hands-on visits, linking the Pennsylvania congregation to believers in the Amazon basin.