Rosedale UCC’s Purpose Statement
The avowed purpose of this Church shall be to worship God, to preach and practice the gospel of Jesus Christ; to celebrate the Sacraments and administer the Rites; to realize Christian fellowship and unity within this Church, its community and the Church Universal; to render loving service towards humankind, and to strive for righteousness, justice and peace of the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
Our History The Rosedale story began in 1909 in the Rosedale Union Sunday School Chapel, located in the 1100 block of Elizabeth Avenue in Laureldale, Pennsylvania and was started by the leaders of the German Reformed Church. On June 30, 1921 a new congregation with 118 members was formed, and the first pastor called was Reverend F. Wentzel. In the early 1920’s, this young congregation began to meet in a small prefabricated chapel, erected on newly-purchased lots at the corner of Ridgeway Street and Bellevue Avenue in Laureldale. Reverend Wentzel eventually left to work for the denomination, and in 1927 Reverend S. Givler became the church’s second spiritual leader.
As Laureldale grew, so did Rosedale, and this community of God’s people was now ready for a permanent house of worship. In 1928 the people voted to erect a building which would stand as a symbol of God’s glory for generations. In 1928 this proud people moved into their edifice, which has served generations since and will serve generations to come. Our church building, modeled on English Parish Gothic, was dedicated in June of the that year.
With the exception of time spent serving the denomination and then the country during World War II, Reverend Givler remained at Rosedale until 1956. Early in the year 1957, the Reverend M. E. Gockley became the next guardian of Rosedale’s pulpit and during his tenure the building was extensively remodeled. The Reverend D. Groff served with great dedication from 1965 until late 1988, a period of over 23 years.
Following Pastor Groff, the Reverend Richard A. Leiby served Rosedale for 24 years. Many updates were done at Rosedale under Pastor Leiby. We repaired and covered our stained-glass windows and installed a dishwasher in the kitchen. We painted the sanctuary, installed new carpet, added air conditioning and refurbished the pipe organ. Pastor Leiby was also instrumental in starting the Muhlenberg Churches Food Pantry in our community.
The Reverend Selina Hamilton currently serves Rosedale U.C.C. and the initial number of 118 members has grown to 212 members. We continue to worship in a traditional manner while striving to meet contemporary needs.
Meet our Pastor
Formal Education Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, BA English 2003 - 2006 BA, English, Magna Cum Laude
Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 2008 - 2011 M.Div.
Selina was called to serve as Pastor of the Rosedale United Church of Christ and began full-time Pastoral service on September 1, 2017.
Vocational History Wyomissing United Church of Christ Sinking Spring. Pennsylvania 2012 - 2017 Full Time Pastor
Lancaster Theological Seminary Lancaster, Pennsylvania 2011 - 2011 Part-Time Teaching Assistant, Preaching The Reading Hospital and Medical Center Reading, PA 2010 - 2010 Volunteer Chaplain Intern
Spiritual Calling My sense of call to authorized ministry began a little over a decade ago, quite unexpectedly, with a desire to preach that came suddenly and without any warning. As I sat in worship one Sunday, listening to my Pastor proclaim the good news of God’s love shown in Jesus Christ, I was struck by the overwhelming thought that I could be called to do the same. Trusting the Holy Spirit to guide me, I began a period of discernment and education that have brought me into the pulpit as the Pastor of a local congregation who affirmed God’s call with their own. That process of discernment and education continues still, and I will spend the rest of my life becoming the person and the minister that God is calling me to be. I believe that being a pastor means helping a community of faith discern and grow into the community that God is calling it to be. In order to grow in faith and grow as a faith community, we have to be willing to hear God’s still-speaking voice, to learn new things, and to change, even when that means letting go of beloved traditions that no longer serve our communities. The work of learning and changing grows out of our engagement with our neighborhoods and our world to see where Christ is present in the ones in need. It also and always grows out of our engagement and study of scriptures, where we discover Jesus’ love and God’s mercy for us and the challenge to offer love and mercy to our neighbors. This is the work that I feel called to do, through preaching and teaching and through my living witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Visit Us
1301 E Bellevue Ave
Laureldale PA 19605
Worship Hour(s)
Sunday 9:30 am
Office Hours Monday & Friday 3:15-5:00 PM Tuesday & Wednescay 1:00-4:00 PM
Office Phone
(610) 929-0331