Welcome to Inside the Red Doors – Stories from the St. John’s Archives!

As we approach St. John’s 150th anniversary in 2026, we are digging deep into the church archives to connect with the stories that shaped us. John Hendricks, our Photographer and Archivist, has worked faithfully for 15 years to maintain and share important pieces of our history. Leaning on his extensive knowledge and storytelling ability, we are excited to share these artifacts and anecdotes as a way to honor the past and imagine what the next 150 years could bring.

Celebrating St. John’s Founding Fathers!

by John Hendricks, St. John’s Archivist

It is 2026, and you will be hearing a lot about America’s 250th birthday and its ‘founding fathers’. St. John’s is celebrating 150 years in 2026, so let’s talk about our own church founders! Two years after the incorporation of Lansdale as a town in 1872, the Reformed church Tohickon Classis (like a UCC ‘conference’ today), decided a Reformed church was needed here, so on May 15, 1874. Rev. Jacob Kehm was asked to “look after the interests of our church in Lansdale”. Rev. Keim was pastor of Indian Creek Reformed Church in Franconia and classis chair. By 1875 he was conducting services in either Althouse’s Hall or Freed’s Hall in Lansdale on Sunday evenings, alternating between English and German, also sometimes led by Rev. J.G. Dengler, the first pastor at St. Stephen’s Reformed Church in Perkasie. On January 30, 1876, 30-some members met and formed this mission of the Reformed church here, adopting a constitution and electing the first officers of the church. This is the date celebrated through history as our founding date. Soon, a lot for a building was purchased at Main & Richardson, with a cornerstone ceremony on October 15, 1876, led by both pastors.

The German Reformed Messinger in 1876 wrote “Rev. Kehm has acted with energy and skill in his work. Nearly all the labor has fallen to his share. Other neighboring brethren have aided as they could. We know of few more promising new church interests.”

The evening services continued in the public halls until the church building was completed. Rev. Kehm resigned from these responsibilities on December 20, 1877. Rev. Dengler then shared responsibilities with Rev. A.B. Koplin, who was active in the formation of Reformed churches across Pennsylvania and served a number as pastor, and was founder and first president of the Allentown Phoebe Home. He preached the first English service in our original building on December 23, 1877, and led worship and confirmation classes here until 1884, when we became part of the Hilltown charge.

In 1898, Rev. J.J. Rothrock, our second pastor, wrote, “To Rev. Kehm belongs the honor of being founder of this congregation. To Rev. Koplin and Rev. Dengler the credit for caring for it in its infancy, and Rev. H.F. Seiple, who was its first regular pastor (from the Hilltown charge), be it said that he labored earnestly and successfully for its welfare, preparing the way for its growth and development in later years.”