Christ DeLong's year-long 250th Anniversary celebration culminated in a special service Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. The Rev. Dr. Russell Mitman, conference minister in the Pennsylvania  Southeast Conference, and the Rev. Melody Herr-Bruen, retired former pastor of Christ DeLong, participated in the service which was followed by a luncheon.

History of Christ DeLong Church in Bowers

Christ DeLong United Church of Christ dates it's history to 1759, when two acres of land were deeded to Reformed Church worshippers by Peter and Eva Elizabeth DeLong. After the earliest structures, the church at left was constructed, and in 1859 the Reformed congregation welcomed area Lutherans to share the building.

However, a spark from a nearby barn fire ignited the roof in 1900 and the church building was destroyed by fast-moving flames. While the Lutherans moved on to build their own building and later merged with another nearby congregation, Christ DeLong Reformed rebuilt on the original site. That building, shown below right, is the building still in use to this day. The cornerstone  was placed in 1901.

The church took on the name United Church of Christ when the Evangelical Reformed Church and Christian Congregational Church merged in 1957.

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