E&R Library & Archives

06/05/2026

The E&R Library & Archives was on the road today to visit Calvary United Church of Christ in Turtle Creek, PA. This beautiful church was organized in 1882 (present building constructed in 1896) in the former Reformed Church in the United States and was originally part of the Allegheny Classis of the Pittsburgh Synod. Calvary UCC recently made the difficult decision to close their doors and we are grateful for their 144 years of ministry in Turtle Creek, PA. We are also excited to announce that Calvary UCC has entrusted the E&R Library & Archives to preserve their historical records so that their legacy will live on for future generations!

Also exciting is the fact that this church record group will become the FIRST collection brought the E&R Library & Archive's new facility in Lewisburg, WV. We look forward to making these materials available once they have been fully processed.

05/04/2026

From all of us at the E&R Library & Archives, we wish you and your loved ones a Happy Easter!

12/03/2026

The E&R Library & Archives is proud to be part of this conference. We will be discussing the role that the German Reformed Church in the U.S., particularly Evangelical Reformed Church in Frederick, MD, played in the American Revolution.

If you are available, please join us online.

If you are in Provo March 11-12, register for the "Religion and the American Founding Conference." Livestreaming available for remote participation. Conference partners: America250 Utah, BYU History and Political Science Departments, and the Wheatley Institute. Major funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

https://americanreligion250.org/conference-program/

01/01/2026

Happy New Year from the E&R Library & Archives! We look forward to working with you in 2026 and beyond!

25/12/2025

From all of us at the E&R Library & Archives, we wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas!

15/12/2025

From all of us at the E&R Library & Archives, we wish you and your loved ones a Happy Hanukkah!

20/09/2025

How did the Evangelical and Reformed Church deal with the issue of immigration in the United States?

The Evangelical and Reformed Church was the product of several mergers that included the (German) Reformed Church in the United States, the Hungarian Reformed Church, and the (German) Evangelical Synod of North America. Each of these three separate denominational units had a rich historical backgrounds and were founded by immigrants from Europe.

The (German) Reformed Church in the United States was primarily formed in the early 1700s by immigrants from the Palatinate region of Germany whereas the (German) Evangelical Synod of North America was organized almost a century later and consisted of immigrants represented by Lutheran and Reformed traditions. These immigrants were primarily sent by the mission societies at Basel, Switzerland and Barmen, Germany.

A lesser known bit of our history is the work in the church among the Hungarians in America. This work was started by the (German) Reformed Church in the United States in the early 1890s and in 1921, the Hungarian churches officially became part of the (German) Reformed Church in the United States through what is known as the "Tiffin Agreement."

The photographs here show the "Public Reception of Immigrants" into the (German) Reformed Church in the United States. This standardized service was published in the "Order of Worship for the Reformed Church," published in Philadelphia, PA, by S.R. Fisher & Co. in 1867. Several copies of this order of worship can be found in the library collection at the E&R Library & Archives.

22/08/2025

Did you know that more than 51 million individuals in the United States can trace their ancestry to both Germany and Hungary? The E&R Library & Archives is a great place to research your family history for those that were part of the former Evangelical and Reformed Church and each of the the predecessor denominations in the United States.

But, where do you go when you need access to church records from Germany without expensive travel? Archion is an online repository with more than 175,000 church books from over 25 different archives in Germany. You can start researching your family history if you know the time and place your ancestors lived. Click the link below to visit Archion and start your search today!

https://www.archion.de/

28/07/2025

Thank you to Project World Impact for the shoutout!

If you have German ancestry or family ties to the Evangelical and Reformed Church, E&R Library & Archives is ready to help you dig into your roots.

A great resource for anyone exploring their heritage—check them out!

04/07/2025

As we prepare for the July 4th holiday, ERLA Board Secretary, Garland Gates, adapted the prayer for Independence Day from the 1947 E&R Book of Worship and it is included below for your enjoyment and use.

O blessed and only Ruler, who has granted unto our country freedom, and established sovereignty by the people’s will, we thank you for the great men and women you have raised up for our nation, to defend our liberty, and maintain law and order within our borders. Ever give unto the Republic wise and fearless leaders in every time of need. Enlighten and direct the multitudes whom you have ordained in power, that their counsels may be filled with knowledge and equity, and the whole commonwealth be preserved in peace, unity, strength, and honor. Take under your governance and protection your servants, the President, the Governors of States and Territories, the lawgivers and the judges, and all who are entrusted with authority; so defending them from all evil and enriching them with all needed good, that the people may prosper in freedom beneath an equal law, and our nation may magnify your name in all the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

To celebrate the July 4th holiday and to enjoy time with family and friends, we will be CLOSED on Friday, July 4, 2025.