Himmel’s Church was organized in 1773 by the first German Lutheran and Reformed settlers along the Schwaben Creek in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania just four years after the Tulpehocken Road had been completed from Reading to the south side of Mahanoy Mountain.  In 1774, a land grant was issued by the state of Pennsylvania and a log school house is still standing about 200 yards north of the present church building. Karl Henry Kauffman served as the first schoolmaster. The log school was used until 1870 when the public school system was adopted in Washington Township. Sometime before 1891 it was enlarged and modernized, the old logs were covered with clapboards, and it became the residence of the organist who officiated for both the Lutheran and Reformed congregations, and received all the products of the church farm and the use of the house in compensation for his services.  The official church records were lost in the 1959 fire but a copy in the archives of the Northumberland County Historical Society in Sunbury indicates that it is the oldest church record in existence in Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia. It was begun in 1776 by the Rev. John Michael Enterline and consists largely of baptismal and communicants’ records. The first Lutheran Church Council consisted of J. Nicholas Brosius and Peter Ferster, deacons and Daniel Kobel and George Heim, elders.  In 1780, the names of Andrew Ketterli and Peter Schmidt appear as officers of the Reformed congregation.  The first baptisms were those of Johannes and Maria Kobel on June 7, 1774, children of Henry and Catherine Kobel. The first communion was administered on June 30, 1776, to 64 persons, four days before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.   

From 1773–1847, Himmel’s Church was part of the extensive Lykens Valley Charge.  In 1847, it became part of the Mahanoy Parish which was comprised of six congregations including Himmel’s, Rebuck; Emmanuel, Hunter Station; David’s, Hebe; St. Paul’s, Urban; Zion, Herndon; and St. John’s, located five miles east of Herndon.  This Parish later included St. Peter’s, Red Cross and existed into the 1960’s when it was dissolved.  The name Himmel’s is unique in church nomenclature.  Most early Lutheran and Reformed churches were named after a prominent family or biblical character.  However, there is only one Himmel’s Church, which translated means Heaven’s Church.  

In 1817, a new stone building was erected about 20 rods from the old log church.  Church Council consisted of Christian Thomas, George Miller, David Haas, Abram Hoch, Frederick Kahler, Gottfried Tomas, Peter Reitz and Jacob Falk.  The communion record of April 12, 1818, names 79 communicants.  This building was to serve as a union church, both Lutheran and Reformed.  Seating four hundred, this church was built in the old Pennsylvania style, with a one story main room, gallery and pigeon-box pulpit.  With money left in the building fund, a pipe organ was installed in 1818 by Conrad Dieffenbach.  This instrument was entirely handmade and had wooden pipes.  The church became known as the “Organ Church” and also as the “Stone Church.”  By 1897, the congregation had grown to 235.  During the previous decade and the term of Rev. D. M. Stetler, 99 children were administered baptism and 100 were received into membership by confirmation.

By the turn of the century, the congregation had outgrown its building and decided to build a new one.  The stone structure was so well built it had to be dynamited to be razed.  The new structure was constructed almost entirely from lumber harvested from the church-owned timberland, which was part of the original land grant.  The labor was furnished by the members.  Monies collected by Andrew Kahler, Levi Ferster and Frank Rebuck ranged from ten cents to twenty-five dollars and totaled $617.71.  The organ was transferred to the new frame structure built in 1903 and dedicated May 22, 1904.  It continued to be in use until 1953.  It was indeed an outstanding instrument when one realizes it was in use for 133 years.  The frame structure with a 105 foot steeple and beautiful stained glass windows served the congregations until Sunday, January 18, 1959 when it was destroyed by fire.  It was a cold winter morning with the temperature dropping to eight degrees below zero.  Nothing but the original communion set and a Klingelsock, a metal ring which held a small cloth bag on the end of a long handle used to take the offering, were saved.  These items had been stored at the sexton’s house.  The original pewter communion and baptismal pieces were in the hands of the late John Carter of Trevorton and in 1997 are still in the possession of his family.  The auditorium of the Line Mountain High School was used for worship services until decisions and plans for a new building were made.  

Ground for a new brick structure was broken on March 20, 1960.  The two oldest and able members of the two congregations, George Reitz and Clement Adams were at the shovel.  Malcolm Clinger of Lewisburg was chosen as architect.  Stan Seiple of Sunbury was in charge of general construction at a cost of $225,539 including plumbing, heating, electrical work and furnishings.  On May 29 1960, the cornerstone was laid.  The structure was dedicated on October 16, 1960, with special services held during the week involving neighbors, former pastors, sons of the congregation, youth and women of the church.  Built to last in its elegant simplicity, this brick edifice continues to serve the Lutheran and United Church of Christ congregations in a joint ministry setting.  Until 1969, the two congregations were served by Lutheran and Reformed ministers using alternate Sundays for services.  These pastors were shared with other nearby congregations in a parish or charge arrangement.  Today one pastor is called by both congregations to serve the church in Joint Ministry.  There is one service each Lord’s Day, following a service that is uniquely Himmel’s rather than that of one denomination or the other.  

A mortgage-burning service was held October 11, 1970, in observance of the 10th Anniversary of the dedication of the brick building and the $80,000 mortgage paid in full.  In anticipation of 225 years of existence, the congregations installed a new pipe organ built by Patrick Murphy Associates of Stowe, PA in 1997.  A dedication service was held November 9, 1997, to celebrate the payment of the new instrument in full.

In addition to the church building, the congregation has a large picnic grove, two baseball fields, two tennis courts, a Boy Scout building and a small farm.  Himmel’s congregation has met for worship, study, and ministries for two and a quarter centuries and it is prepared to continue to minister for many years into the future.  The congregation continues to sponsor Girl and Boy Scout troops, minister to the needs of shut-ins, the aged and the needy.  It hosts meetings, rallies and conferences and offers opportunities for Bible study and self-help study.  The congregation enjoys informal fellowship at outdoor services, retreats and fellowship dinners.  The hardy spirit of the early German charter members still prevails after two centuries and should you attend a service on a Sunday you would probably sit next to a descendent of one of the early families who founded Himmel’s Church.