Christian History of Erie, PA
- James Collazo
- May 28, 2023
- 15 min read
Updated: Mar 18
Introduction
Today, every neighborhood of Erie, Pennsylvania, has at least one church building. However, when the city was founded in 1795, few Christians existed. John Colby (1771–1851), a Baptist missionary from New Hampshire, noted this problem in 1810. Herein, this article details the Protestant history of Erie. When Colby left Ohio toward the Lake Erie region of Pennsylvania, he described his experience:
I was advised not to go to this place, as there is no religious society in the town [of Erie]—a noted place for wickedness. By some, by way of comparison, it was called Sodom. They likewise told me that the people there would not hear me, and I was credibly informed that the people had previously fallen into a frenzy, burnt the Bible, and sprinkled the ashes with whiskey! I, however, made an appointment, and the people had reasonable notice. At the hour the meeting began, I walked through the main street, nearly half a mile, with my hat off, singing the judgment hymn, hoping to excite their attention. I then went to the place appointed, and after waiting an hour and a half, I began service. My audience consisted of three men, three women, and four children. A few more also came in before I finished. The Lord have mercy on the people of Erie if there is any mercy for them.
An influential Quaker writer, William Penn (1611–1718), founded Pennsylvania in 1682 as a colony for religious freedom and democracy. However, its original borders did not include Presque Isle or the Erie region. The U.S. government sold the 300-square-mile Erie Triangle to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1792, giving it a freshwater port on Lake Erie. Penn's religious freedom had little influence in Erie at its founding in 1795, nineteen years after the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. John Colby lamented Erie's unbelief and abuse of the scriptures, even calling it "Sodom," referring to the ancient Near Eastern city that God destroyed because of its lawlessness and evil (Gen. 19). Colby preached in Erie three years before the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, a flashpoint in the War of 1812.
A Most Extensive Work of Grace
Erie's attitude toward Christianity changed with an influx of new residents, initially from the more religious New England states. The wealthiest newcomers built the first churches in the recently opened territory of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Northeastern Ohio. At first, the original Erie County Courthouse, built in 1808 near West Perry Square, hosted various worship services for Episcopalians and Presbyterians. Yes, Erie's first Christians had to use a brick courthouse for services due to a lack of church buildings! There was a revival of Christianity throughout Western Pennsylvania. Johnston Eaton (1776–1847), a Presbyterian minister in Franklin, wrote:
From 1781 to 1787, a most extensive work of grace was experienced in the churches of Cross Creek, Upper Buffalo, Chartiers, Pigeon Creek, Bethel, Lebanon, Ten Mile, Cross Roads, and Millcreek, during which more than a thousand persons were brought into the kingdom of Christ. . . . From 1795 to 1799, another series of gracious visitations were enjoyed by the churches generally throughout Western Pennsylvania, extending to the new settlements north of Pittsburgh.
The Presbyterian minister Elisha McCurdy (1763–1845) started a revival throughout Western Pennsylvania in 1802, first at his old Three Springs Church. This sparked a resurgence across the United States, especially with the creation of Sunday school, the missions campaign, the prayer meetings, the temperance movement, and the abolition of slavery. By 1808, God's "most extensive work of grace" reached Erie.
Undoubtedly, the Second Great Awakening (1795–1835) influenced this revival of Christianity throughout Western Pennsylvania, given its proximity to the "burned-over district" of New York state. Many Methodist and Baptist churches grew in membership, and Erie was no exception. In 1797, Methodist settlers came to Erie County, founded the borough of Wesleyville, and named it after John Wesley (1703–1791), the founder of Methodism. Wesleyville Methodist Episcopal Church started in 1810, with reconstructions of its church buildings in 1828 and 1927. This parish—now called Wesley United Methodist Church—was a stop on the Underground Railroad, hiding formerly enslaved African Americans who escaped from the South in the building's rafters en route to freedom in Canada. Wesleyville was formally incorporated in 1912. Today, a shopping center occupies the original site at 3306 Buffalo Road, and its founders are buried in the old Wesleyville Cemetery behind it (pictured above). In 1826, Episcopal liturgies began at the Erie County Courthouse, inspiring many Presbyterians to change their membership and draw others by word of mouth. In Harborcreek, local Methodists organized the Old Erie Circuit of the Baltimore Conference in 1827, today known as South Harborcreek United Methodist Church. In 1834, the Protestant Episcopal Church founded its first parish, St. Paul's, a brick building and a graveyard on Myrtle Street between West 7th and 8th Streets in Erie. Later, in 1866, St. Paul's Church built its current gothic structure for $60,000 (about $1 million today). In 1915, St. Paul's was Pennsylvania's first Protestant Episcopal cathedral.
Don't Give Up the Ship
Today, the Erie Maritime Museum owns the U.S. Brig Niagara, the flagship on which U.S. Navy commander Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1834) defeated the Royal British Navy. Perry's influence is felt throughout Erie, from Perry Square downtown, the Perry Monument at Presque Isle State Park, to Perry Highway along PA-97 and US-19. However, few of us are aware of Commodore Perry's faith. He was a member of Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island, baptized at age nine, and immediately confirmed by the first Episcopal bishop in the United States, Samuel Seabury (1729–1796). However, it was the parson Theodore Dehon (1776–1817), of whom Perry emulated his sense of duty, decorum, tradition, and commanding presence. Today, Perry's motto, "Don't Give Up the Ship," reminds Erieites to stand firm through hardship. Likewise, Jesus said, "You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary" (Rev. 2:3). In keeping with the maritime theme, the Bible tells us, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Heb. 6:19). Don't Give up the Worship.
New Jerusalem
In 1827, a Christian slavery abolitionist named William Himrod (1791–1873) founded a neighborhood called "New Jerusalem" for African Americans who escaped slavery in the South and local poor White laborers. Its boundaries were the Bayfront to the north, 6th Street to the south, Cherry Street to the west, and Sassafras Street to the east. Erieites also called the neighborhood "New Jerusalem," noting the ravine that made it difficult to reach from other parts of the city, just as heaven is difficult to reach. The name referred to the new Jerusalem mentioned in Revelation, especially to the apostle John's testimony:
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' [cf. Isa. 25:8] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Rev. 21:3–4).
Himrod wanted to wipe away the tears of oppressed Black people. He started the French Street School for Colored Children in Erie in 1824. Later, it became the Himrod Mission and a stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1836, Himrod became a member of the Erie County Anti-Slavery Society. He also founded Erie's first ironworks and became an Erie Cemetery incorporator. Himrod lived at the same house at the corner of French and 2nd Streets, teaching African-American children there for twenty years. The Black community in New Jerusalem continued Himrod's legacy for the next century. The Lawrence family became the most prominent African Americans in Erie. Earl Lawrence was the first Black musician to play in the Erie Philharmonic, mentoring the composer Harry T. Burleigh (featured later in this essay). Earl's daughter, Ada, was one of the first Black teachers to serve in Erie Public Schools. For more information about New Jerusalem, read Journey from Jerusalem: An Illustrated Introduction to Erie's African-American History, 1795–1995 (Erie County Historical Society, 1996) by Sarah S. Thompson.
In November 2023, the Harry T. Burleigh Society, Our West Bayfront, and several other Erie nonprofits established a historical marker at the corner of Sassafras and West 5th Streets honoring the New Jerusalem neighborhood. The marker reads:
Erie's first African-American neighborhood, this nearly 30-block area located north of West 6th Street and west of Sassafras Street offered lots for early residents, welcomed freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad, housed important small businesses, and provided a home field for the Pontiacs baseball team.
What Death More Glorious!
St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Waterford is the oldest house of worship in Erie County, and it has been holding regular services since 1827. The building still has the original exterior, except for its white tower. In 1833, Edward Buchanan (1811–1895)—the brother of future president James Buchanan (1791–1868) from Central Pennsylvania—served as the rector of St. Peter's. Strong Vincent (1837–1863), a brigadier general in the U.S. Army, was baptized at St. Peter's in 1835 before his family moved to Erie in 1843. A Bible given to Vincent by his mother is in the St. Peter's archives. He attended Trinity College and Harvard University before joining the Union to fight in the Civil War. Vincent led 1,300 infantrymen to the Battle of Gettysburg in the spring of 1863. He remarked, "What death more glorious can any man desire than to die on the soil of old Pennsylvania fighting for that flag!" However, Vincent did not die in battle but received a wound at Little Round Top (pictured above), resulting in his death seven days later. Vincent departed in spiritual glory at a nearby farmhouse while praying the Lord's prayer.
Coming for to Carry Me Home
The African-American composer Harry T. Burleigh (1866–1949) sang in the choir at St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church before singing at other local churches until he left Erie for New York in 1892. Burleigh, the grandson of a formerly enslaved person, is well-known for his classical adaptations of old African-American spirituals, especially "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (which includes the lyric "coming for to carry me home" in the refrain) with Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904). Today, the Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School—dedicated on May 4, 1980—on East 11th Street bears his name. In 1894, Burleigh became a soloist at St. George's Episcopal Church in New York, with the deciding vote cast by financier and investment banker J. P. Morgan (1837–1913). In 1994, Burleigh was "reinterred with an appropriate ceremony in the Erie Cemetery."
Christian Demographics of Erie
About 227 Protestant churches gather today in Erie, with nearly 142 being theologically conservative and 105 being theologically liberal. In 2020, 104,751 people out of Erie County's total population of 270,876 were religious, an average of 38.7%. Mainline Protestants made up about 9%, Evangelical Protestants made up nearly 8%, and Black Protestants made up about 1%. Erie County's religious landscape includes about 24,481 Mainline Protestants, 27,608 Evangelical Protestants, and 2,652 Black Protestants. About 48,694 Protestant Christians are in Erie County ("ARDA, 2020").
Christian Education in the Erie Tri-State Area
The "Top 10 Best Erie County Private Schools" (2024–25) include Bethel Christian School (1781 W 38th St), Erie First Christian Academy (8150 Oliver Rd), Leadership Christian Academy (5900 Sterrettania Rd in Fairview), Community Country Day School (5800 Old Zuck Rd), Luther Memorial Academy (220 W 11th St), and Triumphant Life Christian Academy (5651 Perry Hwy). On August 29, 2023, Erie Preparatory Academy opened its doors on the Erie Sports Center campus (8161 Oliver Rd). It is a private Christian school affiliated with Cornerstone Christian Preparatory Academy in the borough of West Mifflin near Pittsburgh.
Grace Leadership Institute (701 Holland St), a ministry of Grace Church in McKean, educates and trains Christian leaders throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania. It occupies the former Swedish Baptist Church, built in 1906. Lake Erie Ballet occupied the building before Grace Leadership Institute moved into it. Erie Insurance Company gifted the property to Grace Church in 2019 following two years of renovations. Jeff Brinling, a senior executive at Erie Insurance Company, said, "Grace Ministries has brought this building back to life and will be putting it to great use as the Grace Leadership Institute."
The Association of Theological Schools (pictured above), the commission that oversees accredited seminaries in the United States and Canada, is located in Pittsburgh. Here are all of the accredited Christian seminaries and liberal arts schools in the Erie tri-state area:
Pennsylvania
BLI School of Ministry—Kairos University (United Methodist Church) in Freeport
Geneva College (Reformed Presbyterian Church) in Beaver Falls
Grove City College (Nondenominational) in Grove City
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (Presbyterian Church USA) in Pittsburgh
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Reformed Presbyterian) in Pittsburgh
Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry (Anglican Church in North America) in Ambridge
Ohio
Allegheny Wesleyan College (Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection) in Salem
Ashland Theological Seminary (Brethren Church) in Ashland
Malone University (Evangelical Friends Church) in Canton
New York
Houghton University (Wesleyan Church USA) in Houghton
Erie's Christian Businesses
There are five Christian businesses in the Erie–Meadville combined statistical area. Erie City Mission (1017 French St), founded in 1911, values being "Rooted in Jesus Christ. We go the second mile. We lay down our stones. In the City, for the City. We run to Win the prize." Their vision is "Cultivating a Community of New Life; Breaking the Cycle of Hopelessness; Building the Kingdom of God!" The Bethany Outreach Center (254 E 10th St) is a Christian nonprofit business operating a food pantry, clothing closet, free fitness sessions, and a Saturday story reading program.
Out of the Grey Coffee is a coffeehouse, café, and roastery operated by Destination Known LLC, with its corporate headquarters at 900 State Street (pictured above). Here is the meaning behind their name: "We all live in a world where the truth is subjective, in the 'grey area.' God's Word says, 'Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free' (John 8:32). We are called Out of the Grey because we invite the world to come out of the grey and into the truth!" They even have a page for customers to learn about Jesus! Out of the Grey Coffee supplies, eight café locations throughout the Gannon University campus downtown.
The Loyal Christian Benefits Association is a life insurance company "with a conscience" whose profits go directly to philanthropic objectives rather than capitalistic gains. It was founded in 1890 as the Ladies Catholic Benevolent Association in Titusville. In 1969, the company rebranded itself the "Loyal Christian Benefits Association," keeping the same initials as the LCBA but opening membership to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Today, it serves over 33,000 Christians in thirty-five states and the District of Columbia. In 2012, the LCBA moved to its current location in Summit Township at 8811 Peach St.
The Erie Christian Business Leaders Association began in 2014. It developed from a partnership of over 100 local churches and many small businesses organized by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to host the Rock the Lakes concert at Erie Insurance Arena between September 27–28, 2014. About 14,000 people attended the show. The ECBLA aims to unite "Christian business owners and managers to meet regularly with other community leaders to pray for societal reformation." They hold a prayer breakfast on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 am at Erie First Assembly (8160 Oliver Rd).
Lori Clapper from Albion co-founded Woven Books with Janelle Keith from Stillwater, Oklahoma. They state, "Our editors and designers are Christian professionals and operate with high moral and ethical values. It's our goal to cultivate a relationship with you built on trust." The ladies also host a podcast called "Women of Grace in the Marketplace." Next, Christian Faith Publishing in Meadville publishes and distributes Christian books through Ingram and Spring Arbor to retailers nationwide. Their "goal is to discover and publish Christian authors who desire to make the greatest impact possible through the written word."
Christian Camps in Northwestern Pennsylvania
There are a total of eight Christian summer camps throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania:
Erie County
Camp Judson (American Baptist Churches) in North Springfield
WLD Ranch (Federated Church of East Springfield) in Girard
Crawford County
Mystic Mountain Training Center (Nondenominational) in Cambridge Springs
Warren County
Miracle Mountain Ranch Missions (Nondenominational) in Spring Creek Township
Wesley Woods Christian Camp (United Methodist Church) in Grand Valley
Venango County
Seneca Hills Bible Camp & Retreat Center (Nondenominational) in Polk
Whitehall Camp & Conference Center (Church of God Ministries) in Emlenton
Lawrence County
Pine Valley Camp (Nondenominational) in Ellwood City
Christian Music in the Erie Tri-State Area
The contemporary Christian music radio station WCTL Radio (106.3 FM) has broadcasted from Waterford since 1967. The most famous Christian group from Northwestern Pennsylvania is RED (short for "Redemption," pictured above), a hard rock band formed in 2002 by brothers guitarist Anthony Armstrong and bassist Randy Armstrong. They grew up in Linesville and started playing at venues in Erie, especially the Rock the Lakes concert in 2014, sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The hard rock singer Lacey Sturm—known for her time with the Christian band Flyleaf—also performed at Rock the Lakes. She became a resident of Pittsburgh after marrying Joshua Sturm, a guitarist from there. Lacey released her second solo album, Kenotic Metanoia, in 2023.
In 2023, The Band 814 from Erie released their first original album, "Break Every Chain." Trinity Lutheran Church (14 E 38th St) hosts the Holy Grounds Coffeehaus, featuring live music from local Christian musicians, on Saturday evenings. StillWaiting is from Corry, "a high-energy hard rock group with hearts set on ministry," touring with the Extreme Tour in 2024. David Kambowa, an African Gospel musician who came to Erie in 2013 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, played at the Erie Blues & Jazz Festival in 2020. Shadow of the Statue is a worship band from Meadville that released their first full-length album, "When There Are No Words," in 2019. In the tri-state area, the Uncut Stones—founded by married couple Dan and Melanie Browning from Buffalo—play worship music and rock. ApologetiX is a parody band from Pittsburgh that flips popular radio hits from the sixties through the aughts with Christian lyrics. Finally, The Letter Black is a hard rock quintet from Uniontown, part of Greater Pittsburgh. Sarah and Mark Anthony, who are also married, founded the band in 2006.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe; you sent your Son among us to proclaim the kingdom of God in cities, towns, villages, and lonely places—behold and visit, we pray, the community of Erie. Renew the bonds of charity that uphold our civic life. Send us honest and able leaders. Deliver us from poverty, prejudice, and oppression that peace may prevail with righteousness and justice with mercy. Finally, bring us to your holy city, the new Jerusalem, where we shall know perfect unity and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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