HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
IN JOHNSTOWN, PA
September 2007 Publication
PREFACE
The Church of God congregation in Johnstown was started with the first generation Slovaks that came to this country from Czechoslovakia in the early 1900’s. All of the ministers were vocational ministers; most of them were employed either in the coal mines or steel mills.
It was common practiceamong the Slovak people in the early days to witness to each other. One example that stands out is Brother Karl Matas. While working in the Gautier section of the Bethlehem Steel Plant, Brother Matas witnessed to Andrew Rucek, his fellow worker. As a result, the Rucek family of six became members of the local congregation.
Another individual employed at the local coal mine, Mr. Michael Polonchak, contributed to the early-day services by playing his pump organ along with the piano until he experienced an unfortunate and untimely death while at work.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF GOD IN JOHNSTOWN, PA
Brother John Hudak from Sharon, PA came to Johnstown in the early part of the year 1917 to witness and proclaim the truths of the Church of God. He brought along some Slovak Bibles and a two-part set of Slovak concordances, sharing the gospel to Anna (Payerchin) Smatlak and Mrs. Mary Kabo. (This two-part set of Slovak concordances was donated to the church and is presently in the library of the University Park Church of God in Johnstown.) These two women accepted Christ as their personal Savior and in the next year the nucleus of the local church was founded, starting out by holding cottage meetings alternately in two locations in Woodvale.
It was customary in those days to have boarders living in with families. These boarders were being invited to the services and Stephen Durcho became the first lay pastor among this group. Brother Durcho continued in this capacity from the year 1918-1920. Some of the boarders who joined the little congregation at this time were Mike Bechek, Steve Kern, Steve Bohun, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Polonchak, Mrs. Anna Kovach, Mr. John Smatlak, and Mr. Louis Durcho, son of Stephen Durcho, who served as the first pianist.
In the year 1920, there were two more men who left Sharon, PA to become pastors. Mr. Sam Fabry went to Akron, Ohio and John Horevay came to Johnstown. John Cerbus remained to pastor the Sharon congregation. About this time, brother John Andrus, Mary Bechek’s dad, became the lay pastor of the Slovak Butler Church and the Stofko, Satanek, and Fisher families began having cottage meetings in the Smithfield, Searight, PA areas. It was these five congregations that got together and purchased the land in Hubbard, Ohio in 1926 and started the annual camp meeting services.
John Horevay was the first senior pastor of the Johnstown congregation. This was in the year 1920. It was shortly after this that the cottage meetings were moved to a more permanent location at the Smatlak residence on Horrocks Street. Chairs and a piano were set up on the second floor of the house. The large piano had to be hoisted on pulleys through the second floor window.
The number of people in the congregation began to increase. The Mike Hudak family from the West End started to attend. In 1922, Mr. Karl Matas became part of the congregation, as he was a boarder living with the Kovach family. The John Rusnak, Sr. family moved from Butler to the Horrocks Street residence and also became part of the “Family of God”.
The place of worship remained at the Horrocks Street home until the late twenties or early thirties. Suzanna Boratko, and later her husband, John, started attending the services. Late in the 1930’s the Rucek family joined the church. Ann (Kovach) Fabick served as the pianist for a number of years until 1938. Sue (Horevay) King and Ann (Smatlak) Cole served as pianists until the mid 1940’s.
The people of the Union Sunday School, 517 Maple Avenue, leased their building to the growing congregation for use on Sunday afternoons and evenings, and Wednesday and Friday evenings for their services. The Friday evening services were discontinued some time in the mid 1940’s. After several years of leasing the facility, the people of Union Sunday School decided to sell the Maple Avenue building to the Church of God in Johnstown.
The size of the local congregation grew to about 55 people and the church had three lay pastors (Karl Matas, Mike Bechek, and Steve Bohun), along with their senior pastor, John Horevay. Karl Matas later became ordained; and he, along with Mike Bechek, filled in for Brother Horevay during the 1930’s while he was doing missionary work in several Pennsylvania cities and also on a trip to Czechoslovakia. Pastor Horevay became ill in 1938 and passed away in 1942 at the age of 57.
Brother Karl Matas took over the pastoral position in 1938 and continued to serve in that capacity until 1954 when the Board decided that the sermons should be preached in the English language. Cecil Cook pastored from 1954-1958, then Eugene Smith pastored from 1958-1962. Eli Miller pastored from 1962-1970. William Carpenter pastored from 1970-1974. Dale Hebenthal pastored on an interim basis until Gale Winning was installed and stayed until he entered Gulf Coast Bible College in 1978. Brady O. Fair came from 1978-1980. Dan Lorigan and Randy Barlett continued to hold services until Pastor Lee Shaffer received the call in July 1982.
The Woodvale church on Maple Avenue experienced a tremendous loss to their building and parsonage during the Johnstown Flood of 1977. Although material losses were great, the spirit of the congregation remained strong. Services were temporarily held in the community room of a local bank (formerly Dale National Bank) and a local church. Generous funds that were received from donations for flood relief were used toward the purchase of land in Richland Township where the current building now stands.
Plans for a new church building in Richland Township were drawn up while Lee Shaffer was pastor. Pastor Shaffer was also the general contractor of the building. The new church building was completed in the fall of 1983 and was named University Park Church of God. A dedication service was held November 6th and the church experienced about a 25% growth. Lee Shaffer resigned in June 1986 and returned to the West Columbus Church of God in Ohio where he ministered. A new parsonage was built at the entrance of the five-acre church lot in February 1987.
Marshall Wise accepted the position of pastor on October 1, 1986, and remained until the latter part of 1990.
On January 6, 1991 John P. Majeski came to Johnstown as an interim pastor. He remained in that capacity until August of the same year. In mid August 1991, he accepted the responsibility of pastoring the congregation. John Majeski served as pastor from August 1991 through March 1996. He returned to his home state of Ohio and is presently filling the pulpit on an interim basis.
Larry Locke accepted the pastorate of the University Park Church of God in May 1996 and continued in that capacity until December 31, 1997.
Beginning in January 1998, the Johnstown church was without a pastor for nineteen months. At this time, the congregation was paying off a debt incurred by the operation of a short-lived day care center.
Pastor Dick Rooman came to serve as the pastor on August 1, 1999 and remained there until April 2004. In the final three months of Pastor Dick’s service, he ministered together with Pastors Keven and Darcy Dickerman. Pastor Dick Rooman retired from the pulpit but continues to serve as Pastor Emeritus and fills the pulpit when needed.
Pastors Keven and Darcy Dickerman were called to minister at the University Park Church of God in February 2004 and continue to serve as Senior Pastor and Youth Pastor respectively.
SENT OUT TO MINISTER
The Johnstown Church has been blessed through the years by sending out six or more of its members to a full time ministry, most of whom are still active today.
Ann Smatlak Cole served as a missionary for an independent church in Northwest Mountain Mission located in the mountains of New Meadows, Idaho for a period of forty-six years. She is now retired. Rufus, her husband of sixty years, was ninety years old when he passed away in January 2006. Ann is now residing with Mark and Ruth (Smatlak) Walton (her sister) in Sherwood, Oregon.
Kenneth Smatlak started his pastoral ministry in the year 1963 mostly in the state of Washington and western Canada. He is presently retired, but will occasionally fill a pulpit when called upon in the Washington and British Columbia area.
John C. (Rick) Mooney, after completing schooling at Warner Southern College, pastored churches in Greeneville, TN; Rimersburg, PA; West Virginia; and last pastored in Fredericksburg, VA. He passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 49.
Larry Locke served as pastor in Johnstown, PA; Fredericksburg, VA after the unfortunate and sudden death of Rick Mooney who served there; ministered in Lexington, KY; Tucson, AZ; and is currently serving in the state of North Carolina.
Jeff Matas has served in the pastoral capacity in Connellsville, PA; Edmonds, WA; and in Stroh, IN. He is currently on the pastoral staff at Madison Park Church of God in Anderson, IN.
Carl Nicklas has served as associate pastor in Grove City, PA and has been involved in Youth Ministries within Western PA. He is currently a chaplain at an institution in West Middlesex, PA.
MINISTRY THROUGH SONG
|
Pianists/Organists who served at the Johnstown church
|
|
Louis Durcho
|
Esther Smatlak
|
|
Michael Polonchak
|
Caroline (Matas) Britten
|
|
Ann (Kovach) Fabick
|
Martha (Matas) Fabick
|
|
Sue (Horevay) King
|
Elaine (Boratko) Matas
|
|
Ann (Smatlak) Cole
|
Ken Churchey
|
|
Albert Rucek
|
Lori Moore
|
|
Helen (Boratko) Sholtis
|
Gilda Wise
|
|
Mildred (Matas) Burda
|
Annabelle Churchey
|
|
Anna Bohun
|
Nancy Engle
|
|
Virginia Cook
|
|
RECENT MINISTRIES
The following is a non-comprehensive list of recent ministries of the University Park Church of God to the congregation and community:
1. Active choir that has an outreach to other churches and nursing homes
2. Support to missionaries from Hong Kong and Brazil
3. Sponsor for the Child of Promise program
4. Support youth in the ability to attend the Emlenton Youth Camp, International Youth Convention, as well as other youth-centered programs
5. Men’s Prayer Breakfasts and Women’s Ministry
6. Use of the pavilion for picnics, special events, and community efforts
7. Puppet ministry
8. Mission trip to Atlanta, Georgia to aid the homeless (Church on the Street)
9. L.I.V.E. (Laypeople In Vital Exchange) Weekend in 2000 and 2007
The Church of God in Johnstown celebrated its 85th Anniversary in September 2002. A weekend of celebration included special music, which included the choir singing in the Slovak language as well as in English. The guest speakers were comprised of former pastors of the congregation. Gale Winning, Lee Shaffer, and Marshall Wise shared their testimonies and their experiences while serving within the Johnstown church. Jeff Matas was the featured speaker. Amid the fellowship and enjoyment of a meal together was a strong sense of unity and spirit of thankfulness for the church’s heritage and God’s bountiful blessings.
This manuscript, “History of the Church of God in Johnstown, PA” was compiled by Paul Smatlak originally in September 1993 and updated in September 2007. Paul personally interviewed the contributors and many portions of this historical narrative are word-for-word as was told to him.
Contributors include:
Mr. and Mrs. Karl Matas
Mrs. Ann (Kovach) Fabick
Mrs. Ann (Smatlak) Cole
Mr. Stephen Polonchak
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
IN JOHNSTOWN, PA
September 2007 Publication
PREFACE
The Church of God congregation in Johnstown was started with the first generation Slovaks that came to this country from Czechoslovakia in the early 1900’s. All of the ministers were vocational ministers; most of them were employed either in the coal mines or steel mills.
It was common practiceamong the Slovak people in the early days to witness to each other. One example that stands out is Brother Karl Matas. While working in the Gautier section of the Bethlehem Steel Plant, Brother Matas witnessed to Andrew Rucek, his fellow worker. As a result, the Rucek family of six became members of the local congregation.
Another individual employed at the local coal mine, Mr. Michael Polonchak, contributed to the early-day services by playing his pump organ along with the piano until he experienced an unfortunate and untimely death while at work.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF GOD IN JOHNSTOWN, PA
Brother John Hudak from Sharon, PA came to Johnstown in the early part of the year 1917 to witness and proclaim the truths of the Church of God. He brought along some Slovak Bibles and a two-part set of Slovak concordances, sharing the gospel to Anna (Payerchin) Smatlak and Mrs. Mary Kabo. (This two-part set of Slovak concordances was donated to the church and is presently in the library of the University Park Church of God in Johnstown.) These two women accepted Christ as their personal Savior and in the next year the nucleus of the local church was founded, starting out by holding cottage meetings alternately in two locations in Woodvale.
It was customary in those days to have boarders living in with families. These boarders were being invited to the services and Stephen Durcho became the first lay pastor among this group. Brother Durcho continued in this capacity from the year 1918-1920. Some of the boarders who joined the little congregation at this time were Mike Bechek, Steve Kern, Steve Bohun, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Polonchak, Mrs. Anna Kovach, Mr. John Smatlak, and Mr. Louis Durcho, son of Stephen Durcho, who served as the first pianist.
In the year 1920, there were two more men who left Sharon, PA to become pastors. Mr. Sam Fabry went to Akron, Ohio and John Horevay came to Johnstown. John Cerbus remained to pastor the Sharon congregation. About this time, brother John Andrus, Mary Bechek’s dad, became the lay pastor of the Slovak Butler Church and the Stofko, Satanek, and Fisher families began having cottage meetings in the Smithfield, Searight, PA areas. It was these five congregations that got together and purchased the land in Hubbard, Ohio in 1926 and started the annual camp meeting services.
John Horevay was the first senior pastor of the Johnstown congregation. This was in the year 1920. It was shortly after this that the cottage meetings were moved to a more permanent location at the Smatlak residence on Horrocks Street. Chairs and a piano were set up on the second floor of the house. The large piano had to be hoisted on pulleys through the second floor window.
The number of people in the congregation began to increase. The Mike Hudak family from the West End started to attend. In 1922, Mr. Karl Matas became part of the congregation, as he was a boarder living with the Kovach family. The John Rusnak, Sr. family moved from Butler to the Horrocks Street residence and also became part of the “Family of God”.
The place of worship remained at the Horrocks Street home until the late twenties or early thirties. Suzanna Boratko, and later her husband, John, started attending the services. Late in the 1930’s the Rucek family joined the church. Ann (Kovach) Fabick served as the pianist for a number of years until 1938. Sue (Horevay) King and Ann (Smatlak) Cole served as pianists until the mid 1940’s.
The people of the Union Sunday School, 517 Maple Avenue, leased their building to the growing congregation for use on Sunday afternoons and evenings, and Wednesday and Friday evenings for their services. The Friday evening services were discontinued some time in the mid 1940’s. After several years of leasing the facility, the people of Union Sunday School decided to sell the Maple Avenue building to the Church of God in Johnstown.
The size of the local congregation grew to about 55 people and the church had three lay pastors (Karl Matas, Mike Bechek, and Steve Bohun), along with their senior pastor, John Horevay. Karl Matas later became ordained; and he, along with Mike Bechek, filled in for Brother Horevay during the 1930’s while he was doing missionary work in several Pennsylvania cities and also on a trip to Czechoslovakia. Pastor Horevay became ill in 1938 and passed away in 1942 at the age of 57.
Brother Karl Matas took over the pastoral position in 1938 and continued to serve in that capacity until 1954 when the Board decided that the sermons should be preached in the English language. Cecil Cook pastored from 1954-1958, then Eugene Smith pastored from 1958-1962. Eli Miller pastored from 1962-1970. William Carpenter pastored from 1970-1974. Dale Hebenthal pastored on an interim basis until Gale Winning was installed and stayed until he entered Gulf Coast Bible College in 1978. Brady O. Fair came from 1978-1980. Dan Lorigan and Randy Barlett continued to hold services until Pastor Lee Shaffer received the call in July 1982.
The Woodvale church on Maple Avenue experienced a tremendous loss to their building and parsonage during the Johnstown Flood of 1977. Although material losses were great, the spirit of the congregation remained strong. Services were temporarily held in the community room of a local bank (formerly Dale National Bank) and a local church. Generous funds that were received from donations for flood relief were used toward the purchase of land in Richland Township where the current building now stands.
Plans for a new church building in Richland Township were drawn up while Lee Shaffer was pastor. Pastor Shaffer was also the general contractor of the building. The new church building was completed in the fall of 1983 and was named University Park Church of God. A dedication service was held November 6th and the church experienced about a 25% growth. Lee Shaffer resigned in June 1986 and returned to the West Columbus Church of God in Ohio where he ministered. A new parsonage was built at the entrance of the five-acre church lot in February 1987.
Marshall Wise accepted the position of pastor on October 1, 1986, and remained until the latter part of 1990.
On January 6, 1991 John P. Majeski came to Johnstown as an interim pastor. He remained in that capacity until August of the same year. In mid August 1991, he accepted the responsibility of pastoring the congregation. John Majeski served as pastor from August 1991 through March 1996. He returned to his home state of Ohio and is presently filling the pulpit on an interim basis.
Larry Locke accepted the pastorate of the University Park Church of God in May 1996 and continued in that capacity until December 31, 1997.
Beginning in January 1998, the Johnstown church was without a pastor for nineteen months. At this time, the congregation was paying off a debt incurred by the operation of a short-lived day care center.
Pastor Dick Rooman came to serve as the pastor on August 1, 1999 and remained there until April 2004. In the final three months of Pastor Dick’s service, he ministered together with Pastors Keven and Darcy Dickerman. Pastor Dick Rooman retired from the pulpit but continues to serve as Pastor Emeritus and fills the pulpit when needed.
Pastors Keven and Darcy Dickerman were called to minister at the University Park Church of God in February 2004 and continue to serve as Senior Pastor and Youth Pastor respectively.
SENT OUT TO MINISTER
The Johnstown Church has been blessed through the years by sending out six or more of its members to a full time ministry, most of whom are still active today.
Ann Smatlak Cole served as a missionary for an independent church in Northwest Mountain Mission located in the mountains of New Meadows, Idaho for a period of forty-six years. She is now retired. Rufus, her husband of sixty years, was ninety years old when he passed away in January 2006. Ann is now residing with Mark and Ruth (Smatlak) Walton (her sister) in Sherwood, Oregon.
Kenneth Smatlak started his pastoral ministry in the year 1963 mostly in the state of Washington and western Canada. He is presently retired, but will occasionally fill a pulpit when called upon in the Washington and British Columbia area.
John C. (Rick) Mooney, after completing schooling at Warner Southern College, pastored churches in Greeneville, TN; Rimersburg, PA; West Virginia; and last pastored in Fredericksburg, VA. He passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 49.
Larry Locke served as pastor in Johnstown, PA; Fredericksburg, VA after the unfortunate and sudden death of Rick Mooney who served there; ministered in Lexington, KY; Tucson, AZ; and is currently serving in the state of North Carolina.
Jeff Matas has served in the pastoral capacity in Connellsville, PA; Edmonds, WA; and in Stroh, IN. He is currently on the pastoral staff at Madison Park Church of God in Anderson, IN.
Carl Nicklas has served as associate pastor in Grove City, PA and has been involved in Youth Ministries within Western PA. He is currently a chaplain at an institution in West Middlesex, PA.
MINISTRY THROUGH SONG
|
Pianists/Organists who served at the Johnstown church
|
|
Louis Durcho
|
Esther Smatlak
|
|
Michael Polonchak
|
Caroline (Matas) Britten
|
|
Ann (Kovach) Fabick
|
Martha (Matas) Fabick
|
|
Sue (Horevay) King
|
Elaine (Boratko) Matas
|
|
Ann (Smatlak) Cole
|
Ken Churchey
|
|
Albert Rucek
|
Lori Moore
|
|
Helen (Boratko) Sholtis
|
Gilda Wise
|
|
Mildred (Matas) Burda
|
Annabelle Churchey
|
|
Anna Bohun
|
Nancy Engle
|
|
Virginia Cook
|
|
RECENT MINISTRIES
The following is a non-comprehensive list of recent ministries of the University Park Church of God to the congregation and community:
1. Active choir that has an outreach to other churches and nursing homes
2. Support to missionaries from Hong Kong and Brazil
3. Sponsor for the Child of Promise program
4. Support youth in the ability to attend the Emlenton Youth Camp, International Youth Convention, as well as other youth-centered programs
5. Men’s Prayer Breakfasts and Women’s Ministry
6. Use of the pavilion for picnics, special events, and community efforts
7. Puppet ministry
8. Mission trip to Atlanta, Georgia to aid the homeless (Church on the Street)
9. L.I.V.E. (Laypeople In Vital Exchange) Weekend in 2000 and 2007
The Church of God in Johnstown celebrated its 85th Anniversary in September 2002. A weekend of celebration included special music, which included the choir singing in the Slovak language as well as in English. The guest speakers were comprised of former pastors of the congregation. Gale Winning, Lee Shaffer, and Marshall Wise shared their testimonies and their experiences while serving within the Johnstown church. Jeff Matas was the featured speaker. Amid the fellowship and enjoyment of a meal together was a strong sense of unity and spirit of thankfulness for the church’s heritage and God’s bountiful blessings.
This manuscript, “History of the Church of God in Johnstown, PA” was compiled by Paul Smatlak originally in September 1993 and updated in September 2007. Paul personally interviewed the contributors and many portions of this historical narrative are word-for-word as was told to him.
Contributors include:
Mr. and Mrs. Karl Matas
Mrs. Ann (Kovach) Fabick
Mrs. Ann (Smatlak) Cole
Mr. Stephen Polonchak