St. Matthew's (Kellers) Union Church (Perkasie, PA)

Although the precise date of the founding of Kellers Church is unknown, the accepted date of foundation is the year 1751. The congregation began worshipping as part of a larger group that split over a dispute about an unsanctioned pastor. The exact date this rift occurred is not determined, nor is it known when the Keller's dissidents recognized their distinct identity as a new congregation. In the year 1760 Kellers Church came under the control of independent Lutheran ministers. In 1803, Kellers was part of a charge that consisted of 5 congregations inluding Kellers. The church building was in poor condition, and in the year 1840, it was decided that joint ownershiop of a new church building seemed a good solution to the constant financial woes of the congregation. The Lutheran pastor conducted services only every 2-3 weeks, thus sharing the building with Solomon's Reformed Congregation seemed practical.In 1879 the congregation was incorporated under the name St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Congregation at Kellers Church. In April 1894 the Kellers congregation decided to build a new church in union with the Reformed congregation, with the costs to be shared equally. This building was dedicated June 1, 1895. The Reformed congregation disbanded in 1926. Reformed pastors include: 1798-1831 John Deitrich Aurandt 1831-1839 Moses Kieffer 1843-1852 Samuel H. Reid 1852-1856 Frederick A. Rupley 1857-1858 Joshua Riale 1858-1859 Josiah May 1859-1861 John G. Wolf 1862-1870 John W. Love 1871-1878 J. A. Peters 1878-1884 M. H. Sangree 1884-1893 Calvin Hileman 1894-1901 Frederick A. Rupley, Jr. 1901-1910 Howard Obold 1911-1922 Charles W. Levan 1922-1924 Arthur Barley 1926-1926 M. A. Kieffer