Church History Surprise

Friday we stopped for lunch at Applebees in Ephrata PA. Zina pointed out a large poster about Seventh-Day Baptists. That piqued our curiosity. So after a nice lunch we just had to check out this state historic site.

It was absolutely fascinating and a fun way to learn about Conrad Beissel and the religious order he started at Ephrata in 1732.

I could not even begin to share all our guide told us during the tour. He's the man dressed in the white robe in the picture below. This was the daily dress of the "Solitary", Beissel's most devout followers.

  Here are just a few interesting tidbits:

-the two most important issues to Beissel were Saturday Sabbath and celibacy. 

-the followers who lived a celibate life were called Solitaries. They lived a life of deprivation. They lived together in the commune or cloister.They ate one small meal at 6pm each day and a few bites of bread at other times when feeling faint. No meat at all. They slept on a narrow wooden bed with a square wooden pillow. They worked long hours.

-he also had married followers called Householders. They lived in houses on farms and lived a typical farm life.

-Beissel died 1778

-the last celibate member died in 1813

-the householders formed the German Seventh-Day Baptist Church. It lasted until 1934.

This was not exactly what we had in mind when we planned our church history tour, but it was a fun surprise and a happy discovery.

Notice the low ceilings and short doorways. They were built that way to remind them off their lowly state.