Covenant U.M. has a long history of ministering in the Lebanon area. We trace our roots back to Light’s Meeting House, a small brick building constructed in 1817 that housed a congregation affiliated with the United Brethren denomination. This congregation was the second United Brethren Church established east of the Susquehanna River, and served as the base of ministry for the United Brethren in
Lebanon County. In 1845, due to structural and location issues with the original building, the people of Light’s Meeting House decided to build a new worship space on the southeast corner of Ninth and Church Streets in Lebanon. This building was dedicated on October 18, 1846 and was named Salem Church. Up to this point in the history, worship was conducted primarily in the German language, as Lebanon County and the surrounding countryside had a high number of German immigrants. However, around 1860 the people of Salem Church began to note the growing demand for English language services, and by 1867 a new “English mission” congregation was established and named Trinity United Brethren Church. In 1946, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and Evangelical Church merged to form the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Church. Because of this merger, there were now at least three congregations associated with the EUB denomination ministering in Lebanon – Salem Church, Trinity Church, and St. Paul’s Church (St. Paul’s itself having merged in 1925 with yet another congregation). The EUB merged with the Methodist Church in 1968, forming the United Methodist Church. The following year, the congregations of Salem and St. Paul’s merged to form Covenant United Methodist Church, which currently operates out of the old Salem Church building at Ninth and Church Streets. The history of Covenant U.M.’s ministry does not stop there however. Over the years, members of Salem Church were instrumental in establishing not only the congregation of Trinity Church (now Trinity United Methodist Church), but also what became Ebenezer U.M. Church north of Lebanon, Kochenderfer Church (est. around 1848), Bethany U.M. Church (est. 1899), Avon Zion U.M. Church (southeast Lebanon – est. 1870), and the United Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd (est. 1966). We also have a historical connection with St. Luke's United Methodist Church in West Lebanon. In the late 1990s, the Covenant Church had the vision to establish a less formal worship format for the north side of Lebanon. They were able to secure the old Liberty Hardware Store one block north of the Covenant Church building, and with the help of God and gracious volunteers, transform it into what has become known as the Pathfinder building. The first Pathfinder service was held on Easter 2000 and is now home to several ministries, including two worship services. We don't tout Covenant’s history as some kind of merit badge to show off, and we don’t live in the past. But we do value the faithfulness of God and that “cloud of witnesses” that has gone before us and set an example of life and ministry that we seek to emulate. We pray that God continues to bless the ministry of Covenant church; keeps us sensitive to the needs of the least, last, and lost around us; and inspires us to share God’s love with each other and our community.
