Summer music to conclude at Old Leacock

Dianne Yuninger, organist and choir director with Leacock Presbyterian Church, enjoys sharing the history of Old Leacock Presbyterian Church, located on Route 340 at the corner of Old Leacock Road, between Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse. "Old Leacock was built in 1754," noted Yuninger, referring to the stone building that preceded the current church, which is located at 3181 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise. "In 1740, a log structure (was built on the Old Leacock site)."

Yuninger will share her musical talents, playing both the keyboard and the 1904 Estes pump organ during the final summer hymn sing to be held at Old Leacock on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. Hymn sings are held at the historic church the first Sunday of each month during June, July, August, and September.

Old Leacock Day will be held on Sunday, Sept. 10, at Old Leacock. "We have a 9:30 a.m. service, and then we have hot dogs and a covered dish picnic and games (outside)," said Yuninger. "Anyone can come to that." Additional upcoming services at the site will include a Thanksgiving eve service on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. "We have folks who come to that from Ephrata and North East, Md.," said Yuninger. "It's a small, but vigorous crowd." A Christmas Eve service will be held at the church at 11 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24. "It's a candlelight service with lessons and carols," shared Yuninger, who noted that an Easter dawn service is held at 6:30 a.m. on Easter, which in 2024 will be Sunday, March 31.

Chorister Don Brackbill will oversee the final hymn sing. Yuninger noted that common songs that are requested at the hymn sings include "How Great Thou Art," "The Old Rugged Cross," "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," "It Is Well With My Soul," and "I Danced in the Morning."

The church is heated, but it is not air-conditioned, and there are no indoor restrooms. A portable restroom is available outside during summer activities.

Yuninger likes to tell the story of how the church was founded on the property. "The Scots-Irish who settled here determined that they were going to have a church here, but the presbytery and the synod said, 'No, you have to go 10 miles to Pequea (Church),'" explained Yuninger. The presbytery is the governing body above the local church, and the synod is the regional governing body over he presbytery. "(The settlers) decided to stay here and petitioned the presbytery twice and were denied twice," Yuninger continued, noting that finally the synod tabled the issue, and the church members continued to meet at the spot until 1740, when they finally received approval and built the log structure. "It just shows the backbone of these people," shared Yuninger, who added that when it came time to build a larger and more permanent building, a church member was sent to Ireland for stone. He returned with about a dozen stone masons to build the church. Yuninger added that people who took part in the Revolutionary War are buried in the church cemetery. "There's so much history here, and I think that's important," she stated.