Joe, The "Reformed Church", in the Hagerstown, MD context, refers to the German Reformed Church. It developed from the teachings and writings of John Calvin, primarily, during the mid-1500's. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther of Wittemburg and Ulrich Zwingli of Zurich, Switzerland. Many descendants of Reformed German immigrants of the 1700's and 1800's later joined the Presbyterian Church. Others remained in the German Reformed Church which, today is part of the United Church of Christ (UCC). All these protestant denominations are known as "Reformed". Their church governments is generally of a democratic form with equal voice for lay leaders and clergy. The reformed government substituted representative governing bodies for the bishops of the Roman Catholic church structure. Many of my German ancestors from Franklin County, PA took the route to the Presbyterian Church. Others were members of the "peace churches", Mennonites, Brethern, etc. They pretty much remained! in their denominations to this day. One of the other main "reformed" denominations began in the New York area and was the Dutch Reformed Church. In the early settlement of Pennsylvania by the German immigrants, quite a number of German Lutherans joined with the German Reformed congregations to build and share a single church building. Some coexisted as two separate congregations with two separate pastors. Others had a rotation system with both congregations joining in one service led by a pastor from one or the other denomination. Churches of these types were called union churches. They still exist today. We have a several union congregations in New York City where I am located now. I hope this is helpful. John M. Rhodes -----Original Message----- From: JoeKeR63@aol.com To: MDWASHIN-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 16:24:59 EST Subject: [MDWASHIN] Reformed Congregation = which religion? HI List....have an ancestor born 1790's ....christening listed as "Reformed Congregation, Hagerstown, Washington Co., MD"....what religion exactly is the Reformed Congregation?....thanks....Joe ==== MDWASHIN Mailing List ==== Keep informed of the latest news and new databases, webpages and mailing lists at RootsWeb. Subscribe to the weekly RootsWeb Review. To subscribe, start here: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ ============================== Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx

John: What you had to say about the German reformed and Lutheran Churches makes sense to me. I have a bible covering 264 years in America, my immigrant was an Elder of the PresbyterianConvenantors, all of the first group of marriages here were strickly in this church, but by the begining of the 3rd generation I started to notice marriages at reformed church, Lutheran churches etc.I had alway figured my dour Scots like the blonde German girls and I hadn't realized how close the various religions had become. Gordon Crooks ----- Original Message ----- From: <john112g3@aol.com> To: <MDWASHIN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2005 6:53 PM Subject: Re: [MDWASHIN] Reformed Congregation = which religion? > Joe, > The "Reformed Church", in the Hagerstown, MD context, refers to the German > Reformed Church. It developed from the teachings and writings of John > Calvin, primarily, during the mid-1500's. He was a contemporary of Martin > Luther of Wittemburg and Ulrich Zwingli of Zurich, Switzerland. Many > descendants of Reformed German immigrants of the 1700's and 1800's later > joined the Presbyterian Church. Others remained in the German Reformed > Church which, today is part of the United Church of Christ (UCC). All > these protestant denominations are known as "Reformed". Their church > governments is generally of a democratic form with equal voice for lay > leaders and clergy. The reformed government substituted representative > governing bodies for the bishops of the Roman Catholic church structure. > Many of my German ancestors from Franklin County, PA took the route to the > Presbyterian Church. Others were members of the "peace churches", > Mennonites, Brethern, etc. They pretty much remained! > in their denominations to this day. > One of the other main "reformed" denominations began in the New York area > and was the Dutch Reformed Church. > In the early settlement of Pennsylvania by the German immigrants, quite a > number of German Lutherans joined with the German Reformed congregations > to build and share a single church building. Some coexisted as two > separate congregations with two separate pastors. Others had a rotation > system with both congregations joining in one service led by a pastor from > one or the other denomination. Churches of these types were called union > churches. They still exist today. We have a several union congregations > in New York City where I am located now. > I hope this is helpful. > John M. Rhodes > > > -----Original Message----- > From: JoeKeR63@aol.com > To: MDWASHIN-L@rootsweb.com > Sent: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 16:24:59 EST > Subject: [MDWASHIN] Reformed Congregation = which religion? > > > HI List....have an ancestor born 1790's ....christening listed as > "Reformed > Congregation, Hagerstown, Washington Co., MD"....what religion exactly is > the > Reformed Congregation?....thanks....Joe > > > > > ==== MDWASHIN Mailing List ==== > Keep informed of the latest news and new databases, webpages and mailing > lists > at RootsWeb. Subscribe to the weekly RootsWeb Review. To subscribe, > start > here: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ > > ============================== > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx > > > ==== MDWASHIN Mailing List ==== > The OFFICIAL website for this list is: > http://midatlantic.rootsweb.com/MD/washington/ > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > > >