St. John’s Reformed Church was organized in 1855 by Rev. Henry Hoffman, with Benjamin Martzand Jacob Smink, Sr., as elders, Daniel Yost and D. C. Smink as deacons, and thirty-eight members. The first services of this church at Shamokin were held in 1839 by Rev. Richard A. Fisher, of Sunbury, who preached in the school house on Dewart street. He was succeeded by Rev. R. Duenger, who served from 1843 to 1846, when Mr. Fisher again resumed pastoral work and served from 1846 to 1854.
In 1854 the Shamokin charge was formed, composed of St. Jacob’s and St. Peter’s churches, Shamokin township, and this church; Rev. Henry Hoffman was pastor from 1854 to 1857, Rev. Henry Losch, D. D., from 1857 to 1858, and Rev. C. A. Rittenhouse, from 1858 to 1861. In 1858 the Lutheran and Reformed people rented a room in the Odd Fellows’ hall, where services were held by both denominations on alternate Sabbaths.
During Mr. Rittenhouse’s pastorate two lots were secured on Eighth street and considerable lumber purchased for the erection of a church edifice, but the project was abandoned, owing to the ineligibility of the location and the resignation of the pastor. The church was without a pastor from 1861 to 1864. and when Rev. H. H. W. Hibschman took charge (1864) but five members remained: William Wary and wife, D. C. Smink and wife, and Mrs. Wary.
Services were successively conducted in the school house on Dewart street, the school house on Sunbury street, the Presbyterian church, the United Brethren church, Odd Fellows’ hall, and the Academy. It was not long, however, until the question of erecting a church edifice was presented. Money was collected through the personal efforts of Mr. Hibschman, with the exception of some thirteen hundred dollars which were raised by a fair.
The building was erected by Daniel Yost and dedicated, May 5, 1867. Mr. Hibschman resigned in 1868 and was succeeded by Rev. C. Scheels, 1868-71, and Rev. D. W. Kelly, 1871-75. During this time the congregation had increased to such an extent that it was separated from the other churches of the charge, St. Jacob’s and St. Peter’s, and became a pastorate individually. As such it called Rev. D. O. Shoemaker, who was pastor until 1879. Rev. T. J. Hacker was ordained and installed, June 17, 1879. During the next year the church and parsonage were repaired, and on Christmas day, 1883, the pastor announced to the congregation that their property was entirely free from debt. In 1885 a frame building thirty-six by fifty feet was temporarily erected at the rear of the church building for the use of the infant department of the Sunday school.
At a congregational meeting in 1888 the consistory, composed of Elders Samuel Yost, C. C. Leader, R. S. Aucker, D. Eisenhart, and E. G. Seiler, and Deacons J. S. Haas, F. G. Seiler, C. J. Lessig, J. S. Zimmerman, J. Zartman, and T. H. Paul, were empowered to erect a new church edifice. Charles W. Bolton, architect, designed the church and chapel in such a manner that the latter could be erected without interfering with the old church building. The contract was awarded to Aucker, Slayman & Company, and the chapel was dedicated, May 11, 1890, Rev. Joseph H. Dubbs, D. D., assisting the pastor. This building, fronting on Grant street seventy-one feet, with a depth of seventy-four feet, is built on a quarter-circle plan; it is particularly adapted to Sunday school purposes, with department rooms and class alcoves in the gallery, and was erected at a cost of twelve thousand dollars.
The pastorate of Rev. T. J. Hacker has extended over eleven years with the following as the present (1890) statistics of the congregation: members, seven hundred thirty, unconfirmed members, six hundred fifty, of whom one hundred fifteen are German, necessitating German services every alternate Sabbath; Sunday school: officers and teachers, forty-two: pupils, seven hundred fifty, with a mission school at Excelsior of one hundred twelve pupils.
The Sunday school was connected with other schools from 1858 to 1865, but since the latter date has been a separate organization. Early in the year 1858 the Reformed and Lutheran congregations organized a Sunday school in Bittenbender’s hall, with D. C. Smink, Reformed, and Solomon Weaver, Lutheran, as superintendents. They remained in this hall only six or eight months, when the school was removed to the Odd Fellow’s hall on Sunbury street. The two separated in 1864, when the Reformed element of the old school was merged into a union of Reformed and United Brethren, with D. C. Smink as Reformed superintendent and Mahlon Scholl as United Brethren superintendent. In 1865 a distinctively Reformed school was organized in the Penrose public school building; R. Williard was superintendent one year, and was succeeded by D. C. Smink who served until 1872. In 1867 the school occupied the basement of the church on Eighth street. William Wary, R. S. Aucker, and John K. Haas were superintendents at different times after Mr. Smink until 1881, when C. C. Leader, the present incumbent, was elected.