THE OLD ZION CHURCH
Brickerville, PA

     Philipp and Catherine Burbach were married in this church.  The church records show the marriage of Philip Porbach and Elizabeth Blickendorffer, November 16, 1779.  At the time it was a log building on the same property.  The minister was the Reverend John Christopher Gobrecht and at the time the church was known as the Royer's Reformed Church in reference to the gentleman who had donated the land.    

Endowment Fund Initiated To Preserve The Future Of The Church

     The board of Old Zion  Church has established an Endowment Fund.  The donated funds will be preserved and only the income generated by the Trust may be used for projects at Old Zion.

     If you are interested in donating to this worthwhile Trust you may contact our Family Association Board or Fred N. Buch, 1107 West Main Street, Ephrata, PA 17522 or call 717-733-6051 evenings or weekends.   A membership in the Old Zion Heritage Society has been started in memory of Philipp and Catherine.  

A Brief History

     The land for the Old Zion Church was donated in 1747. The present brick structure was erected in 1813.  Records show that at least two wooden buildings had preceded it as early as 1748.  Active since 1732, the congregation dwindled to only ten by 1948, at which time the building and surrounding grounds were allowed to deteriorate.  In September 1952, a group from the congregation from the United Church of Christ organized a board of trustees to initiate the repair and maintain the building and property.  Present directors of the church have restored the facility which is largely unchanged from its original appearance.

Plans For The Future At Old Zion

     The Board and friends of Old Zion have replaced the roof, second story windows, and painted the wood trim on the building.  They also have reconstructed the wineglass pulpit which had been replaced in 1890 with a more "modern" one.  Two of the more ambitious projects for the future include acquiring an organ of the 1813 period and constructing a small, complementary building on a corner of the property to provide modern conveniences to the site.  This would make public events more feasible without altering the main structure.

Yearly Calendar of Events

     Easter Sunday - dawn service
     Strawberry Social - 2nd Saturday in June 4-7 p.m.
     Anniversary Service - 2nd Sunday in September 4 p.m.
     Carol Sing - 2nd Saturday in December 2 and 4:30 p.m.