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I believe that a Union Church was initially a church building built to house a centrally located church of one belief. This was done so that everyone would be able to travel about the same distance. Then it also became a church to house several denominations who would hold services on a rotating schedule or at different non-conflicting times. In some cases these "Union" churches merged their services and there would be a mixture of beliefs that could be accepted by the congregation. These churches were often made up of members of the smaller or less organized denominations in those days, i.e., Baptist, Methodist, Brethren, etc. and were common in areas where there was sparse population. As a result of these combinations many "American" denominations were formed. This merging of beliefs also fueled our religious freedoms as well as created disagreement between beliefs.
I would like to find out more about the disagreement between Peter and his brother, Handrick. Family history makes it sound like it could have been caused by the type of disagreement seen above. The First Reformed Church in Raritan was originally called the First Dutch Reformed Church. When the Germans began attending did they try to change the beliefs and organization of the church? Handrick may have accepted the Dutch beliefs as he did the Dutch form of the name, Hartough. Peter may have kept with the German ways and may have reverted to old anabaptist ways of his homeland.
His family later later became affiliated with the more "pietist" beliefs of protestantism,i.e. Evangelical Lutherans, Brethren, Protestant Metodists, Primitive Baptists, etc. Is this a reason for their trek across the wilds of Pennsylvania and Maryland to find a home?
The following describes the church at Pipe Creek, Maryland, where his grandson, Daniel, was a charter member. This grandson also had a son, Isaac, who was a minister of the German Baptist Church (Brethren)in Tymothchee Township, Wyandot County, Ohio, and several grandsons that were ministers of the Brethren.
Brethren Encyclopedia, Volume 2, page 1025-1026
"Pipe Creek Church of the Brethren, MD, located two miles nw of New Windsor in Carroll Co. Brethren settled the area as early as 1745. Pipe Creek was organized in 1758 from the Coventry, PA congregation led by Martin Urner (1725-99). After meeting in area homes and barns from 1753 to 1793, members built a log schoolhouse which was also used for worship services until 1806, when a meetinghouse was built. It was enlarged in 1866, rebuilt in 1891, and remodeled in 1954. Twelve families were active in the organization of the Pipe Creek congregation: those of Philip Engler (1736-1817), Joseph Roop, Jacob Danner, John
Garber, Daniel Saylor, Ulrich Crumpacker, Andrew Wolfe, Daniel Moyer, John Pfoutz, Daniel Hartsock, a Brother Royer, and David Reinhart (Rhinehart)."
"Martin Urner was assisted by Jacob Danner, Daniel Leatherman and Philip Engler as presiding elders until 1811. Those serving as ministers since are: Jonas Urner, 1811-13; David Englar, 1813-35; Philip Boyle, 1835-74; A. H. Senseney, 1874-79; David Long, 1879-80; Solomon Stoner, 1880-1904; Ephraim W. Stoner, 1904-11; C. D. Bonsack, 1911-16; John J. John, 1916-41; Edward C. Bixler, 1941-47; and Berkeley O. Bowman, 1947. The first full-time paid minister was Samuel A. Harley, 1946-53; followed by Reynold Simmons, 1953-58, H. Austin Cooper, 1958-65; Dean Kagarise, 1965-70; and Larry D. Fourman, 1970-81."
"By 1882 Pipe Creek had four hundred members. The congregation was divided three times to form new ongregations: Meadow Branch, organized in 1885; Sams Creek, organized in 1885; and Union Bridge, organized in
1956. Pipe Creek Brethren were hosts for Annual Meetings in 1778, 1787, 1799, 1804, 1814, 1830, and 1867. Charles Hobbs led a number of members away in 1814, and in 1881-83 other members were lost to the Old Order and Progressive movements. In 1980 there were 136 members."
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