WAYNESBORO – A special Christmas Celebration was held Dec. 6 at the Historic Harbaugh Church, bringing the community together for a service modeled on one designed by prominent 19th-century theologian Henry Harbaugh.
The event was sponsored by the Church of the Apostles and the Waynesboro Historical Society. The celebration was led by the Rev. Mark Ruzicka, pastor of Church of the Apostles, with Jim Heefner serving as organist.
The Harbaugh Church, built in 1892, holds significance for the Church of the Apostles, which was formed in 1967 through the merger of St. Paul’s and the Harbaugh Church.
Harbaugh was born in 1817 about a mile from the church’s present site. A key figure in the German Reformed tradition, he served churches in Lewisburg, Lancaster and Lebanon before becoming a professor at Mercersburg Seminary. His written works include “The Golden Censer,” “The Heavenly Home” and “The Fathers of the German Reformed Church in America.” He also published a book of Pennsylvania Dutch poetry. Harbaugh died in 1867 at age 50 and is interred at Trinity UCC in Mercersburg.
During the celebration, Ruzicka recounted Harbaugh’s Christmas story, “The Star of Bethlehem,” about a little girl’s star decoration guiding a lost traveler to safety. The story underscores the importance of kindness and generosity, a theme central to Harbaugh’s ministry. He was known to have embraced his mother’s quote, “Give to the poor and you will always have.”
As the service concluded, the sanctuary was filled with a “beautiful yellow light” from the setting sun shining through the stained glass windows, creating a peaceful moment. The experience was described by one attendee as being “like a Hallmark movie.”
The Harbaugh Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is available for special event rentals.
