

About Us
A work that began in 1898, Swisshelm Park Primitive Methodist Church is the only church in Swisshelm Park, composed of believers by faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. We desire for Him to be honored and glorified in all that we say and do and for the message of salvation to be proclaimed to the world.



Pastor
& family
Christa, Sarah, Elizabeth,
and Pastor Dennis


Pastor emeritus
& his wife
Pastor Dan and
Neva Handley


station
steward
Bill Gregory
asst. Christa Handley


instrumentalists
JR Caughron, Elizabeth Handley, & Dennis Handley


Trustee
board
Ron Mann, director
Janice Hoener, vice president
Yonna Rowntree, secretary
Bill Gregory, Patty Curilla


Treasurer
The Trustee Board currently
handles the funds, asst. Frank Buczkowski


missions
secretary & treasurer
Secretary - Molly Bommer
Treasurer - JR Caughron


sunday
school teachers
Youth - Dennis Handley
Adults - Christa Handley
Seniors - JR Caughron

WHAT WE BELIEVE
We believe in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, to be the only true rule of faith and practice. We hold it to be wholly and verbally given by God and therefore without error in all of its teachings.
We believe in one God who exists in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
We believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ, the Son; conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
We believe in the Deity and Personality of the Holy Spirit.
We believe in the creation of man by a direct act of God, man's fall into sin, and the resulting corruption of the human race.
We believe in the provision of redemption for all men through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross.
We believe in the necessity of Repentance, including godly sorrow for sin and reformation of life.
We believe in regeneration through the work of the Holy Spirit.
We believe in justification by grace through faith of all who believe.
We believe in sanctification by the Holy Spirit, producing holiness of heart and life.
We believe in the resurrection of the dead and conscious future existence of all men.
We believe in the second coming of Christ in power and glory.
We believe in the future judgment of both the just and the unjust.
We believe in the church which is instituted by Christ and composed of all believers in Christ as Savior.


WHAT DOES "PRIMITIVE METHODIST" MEAN?
Primitive Methodism began in England, in the early 1800s, as an attempt to restore the Methodist Revival begun under the ministry of John Wesley.
In America, Methodist preachers invented a new form of Evangelism, the Camp Meeting. Such a preacher, Lorenzo Dow, visited England. He told of many converts being won to the Lord in these outdoor meetings. He spoke of John Wesley, and his Field preaching. Hugh Bourne and William Clowes listened.
On May 31, 1807, these two leaders called for and aggressively promoted an American style Camp Meeting, an all day prayer, song, and preaching event. Many people were converted to Christ at that meeting, now called: “Mow Cop”.
John Wesley won many to Christ preaching outdoors, but the leaders of the Wesleyan church of that day found this innovation unbearable. They firmly refused to allow any of the Mow Cop converts to join their churches. They dismissed Hugh Bourne and William Clowes for their innovation without permission.
For two years, these enthusiastic converts waited in vain for acceptance by the established Church. Finally, they decided to form their own society. They named it “The Society of Primitive Methodists” because they desired to return to the Roots of the Methodist movement.
In 1829, a group of missionaries arrived in America to minister to English and Welsh Immigrants living in the industrial and mining areas. Their ministries thrived and their Churches grew. On September 16, 1840, the “American Primitive Methodist Church” was established.


CHILDREN
We seek to provide a safe and secure environment for all children, youth, adults, members, volunteers, visitors, and paid staff at Swisshelm Park. All workers have passed the Pennsylvania state criminal background check and child molestation background check. We have adopted and follow a rigorous policy for the prevention of children and youth abuse.
