St. John Reformed Church (Reading, PA)

Organized on Sunday, June 25th, 1871 by Dr. Bausman with 15 members on the corner of Ninth and Chestnut Streets. The first three pastorates were short-lived and no records were kept for the first four years. With the arrival of Dr. Steinmetz in 1875 the congregation became better organized and records were kept. The church building was erected in 1876 and renovated many times. Located in the heart of Reading, during the late 1960's the church became dedicated to the urban renewal of the downtown area. St. John's Neighborhood Center was created and the church was joined by other UCC parishes in the area in sponsoring a two week resident camp, Camp Joy, a program for the inner-city youth of Reading. The last worship service was held on August 12, 2018. Pastors: Rev. C. Kessler, May 24, 1872 Rev. J.A. Schultz, April 20, 1873 Rev. J.G. Shoemaker, March 15, 1874 Rev. J.W. Steinmetz, D.D., October 12, 1875 Rev. T.H. Leinbach, May 1, 1904 Rev. H. C. Goeringer, December 6, 1939 Rev. N.W. Shollenberger, September 12, 1951 Rev. Harry G. Royer, January 12, 1969 Rev. R. Kurt Traugott, 1990 Rev. J. David Hengen, 1994 Rev. Paula C. Ouderkirk, 2000 Rev. Darryl Cruz, 2003