BLUE MOUNTAIN CHURCH OF GOD
Smithsburg, Maryland, Route 3
In the fall of 1908 Rev. S. W. Shimp became the pastor of the Germantown Church of God. A great revival was held there and many from Blue Mountain walked the 4 miles to that church, night after night, and found Christ as their Savior.
They held cottage prayer meetings and with encouragement from Rev. Shimp, a church organization was established at Blue Mountain in 1912 in one of the homes of the community. It was imminent that a place of worship was needed.
The corner-stone for the proposed building was laid on Sunday afternoon, February 16, 1913; on October 1, 1913 the original edifice was dedicated to the service of the Lord. It was a wood shingled structure built by the willing workers of the community.
At Eldership that year, Rev. Shimp was transferred to the West Pennsylvania Eldership, and Rev. Samuel A. Kipe was appointed pastor here. On November 16, 1913 a revival meeting was started that was still going strong on January 14, 1914. It resulted in 38 conversions, 37 of which united with the church.
In 1948 some improvements began on the building. A hardwood floor was laid and new pews were installed.
in 1956 considerable improvement was done to the church. Two Sunday School rooms were added on the southwest side of the church; on the ground floor, including restrooms, the other in the basement. A vestibule and bell tower were added on the front. The entire building was encased in brick at the time.
In 1964 a larger addition extended the northeastern side of the building. This section includes three nice sized Sunday School rooms. One of these rooms is self contained. The other two are designed, being separated by folding doors, so that they can be opened to become a part of our main auditorium. This addition is brick cased also.
The following pastors have served this church : Rev. S. W. Shimp, Rev. Samuel A. Kipe, Rev. V. K. Betts, Rev. L. F. Murray, Rev. G. Stine, Rev. C. C. Sullivan, Rev. Levi Carbaugh, Rev J. E. Siple, Rev. Samuel Myers, Rev. Preston Lucas, and Rev. J. E. Stephen. Rev. C. W. McGaha, Rev Paul Tobias, Rev. Sterling Kinney, Pastor Mary Crampton, Pastor Bruce Henneman, and the current Pastor Joseph M Stopyra.
The Blue Mountain Church is located on an elevated spot along a country road, overlooking a very fertile part of the Cumberland Valley, that abounds with peach and apple orchards. It can be seen by persons traveling on the roads lower in the valley. The church steeples in Waynesboro, Penna., a distance of 6 miles away, can be clearly seen by standing on front steps of our church. It is a lovely, quiet setting in which to worship God.