Christian was the second of 12 children born to Hans Blaser Longenecker, and his wife, Elizabeth Wymann Kendig. Christian's elder brother, Jacob, was born in Rheinland-Pfalz, a refuge in Germany provided for anabaptists whose religious beliefs made them targets for persecution. Hans, Elizabeth, and Jacob emigrated from Rotterdam in 1727 on the ship, "James Goodwill." They arrived in America on September 17, 1727. Hans applied for and obtained a grant for farmland just north of what is now Manheim, Lancaster County, PA from the Penn family. Hans' farm adjoined land already claimed by his brother, Rev. Christian Longenecker.
After Hans and Elizabeth settled in, this Christian was born in 1731. Two years later, Hans' father, Ulrich, Sr., and brothers, Ulrich, Jr., and Jacob sailed to America on the ship, "Hope." They obtained land grants adjoining the land already claimed by Rev. Christian (1695) and Hans. When Hans' son, Christian, (1731) became of age, he obtained his own land grant from the Penn family on what is now along Temperance Hill Road, Lititz, Lancaster County, PA.
Christian's land remained in the Longenecker family for eight generations. His descendants provided land from the homestead for the Longenecker Meetinghouse and cemetery, one of four meetinghouses that were a part of the White Oak German Baptist/Church of the Brethren congregation. Christian's son, Solomon, wife, and grandson, Christian 11 and his wife are buried beside Christian, Sr. Many generations of his descendants are interred in the Longenecker Cemetery. However, Christian's wife, Margaret (Hertzel) Geib Longnecker, is buried in her Geib family's plot at the Penryn Lutheran Cemetery, Penryn, Lancaster Co., PA.
MINISTRY: Christian was baptized into the Conestoga German Baptist denomination in 1754, the year before he and Margaret Hertzel Geib married. Three of the main denominations following the anabaptist persuasion whose members fled persecution in Europe were the Mennonites, Amish, and the German Baptists. These denominations believed in adult believers' baptism by immersion rather than baptism of infants. They believed their Christianity should be separate from the government -- not a state-run church. They also did not believe in priests as being holier than the members; they believed in the priesthood of all believers.
As was the custom, Christian Longenecker was called and ordained into the free ministry in 1764 for the White Oak congregation of the Conestoga District of the German Baptist Church. In those days they referred to the ministers as elders. In 1769, he was made the main leader for the Conestoga District of the German Baptists that extended from Shaefferstown, Lebanon Co., PA to Marietta, Lancaster Co., PA. Most likely Christian was referred to as the head elder, rather than a bishop. Mennonites used the name bishop for their district leaders; rather, German Baptists called them head elders. Nevertheless, overseeing such an extensive area, needing to travel by horse and buggy to do the district church's business, not being paid for his extensive church workload, but providing for his young family by building up his land grant with buildings and farming the land, Elder Christian needed help with the church work. A co-elder was chosen -- Johannes Zug.
Johannes Zug's background was Mennonite and partly because of that, conflict developed between the two. One of the areas of contention was the mode of baptism. Since they both were anabaptists, they promoted adult believers' baptism. Christian Longenecker followed the German Baptists' mode of trine immersion; however, Johannes Zug argued for the Mennonite way of pouring water over the person's head. Their differences became quite heated to the extent that discussion took place at several of the annual conferences during the 1780s-90s. In 1806 Christian Longenecker wrote a pamplet defending trine immersion. According to a descendent of Valentine Becker, "Regarding the feud with Johannes Zug, a Church of the Brethren history states that Longenecker published a pamphlet in which he wrote: "there is gone forth a spirit of Satan, and rules in the church, and of this Johannes Zug is the head."
While Elder Christian traveled to Marietta, Lancaster Co., PA on church business, he learned to know Jacob Engle from nearby Maytown. Jacob Engle and others paid Christian Longenecker a visit asking to be baptized, so they could start their own congregation. At the time, Elder Christian was very discouraged, because he felt that with all the dissension, the German Baptists would ultimately change to baptism by pouring. He suggested they go back and start their own denomination.
They returned and sought out help from others with slightly different biblical interpretations and later established a new denomination, the River Brethren, who also adopted the mode of baptizing by immersion. Actually, this was the first newly established denomination in America and is now known as The Brethren in Christ (BIC). The German Baptists later changed their name to The Church of the Brethren. They have continued baptizing by trine immersion to this day.
As for settling the dispute between the two elders, Christian Longenecker and Johannes Zug, a council of members effectively decided that Longenecker and Zug should alternate preaching duties and share baptismal rites. It was said that Longenecker never fully reconciled with the church.
After Hans and Elizabeth settled in, this Christian was born in 1731. Two years later, Hans' father, Ulrich, Sr., and brothers, Ulrich, Jr., and Jacob sailed to America on the ship, "Hope." They obtained land grants adjoining the land already claimed by Rev. Christian (1695) and Hans. When Hans' son, Christian, (1731) became of age, he obtained his own land grant from the Penn family on what is now along Temperance Hill Road, Lititz, Lancaster County, PA.
Christian's land remained in the Longenecker family for eight generations. His descendants provided land from the homestead for the Longenecker Meetinghouse and cemetery, one of four meetinghouses that were a part of the White Oak German Baptist/Church of the Brethren congregation. Christian's son, Solomon, wife, and grandson, Christian 11 and his wife are buried beside Christian, Sr. Many generations of his descendants are interred in the Longenecker Cemetery. However, Christian's wife, Margaret (Hertzel) Geib Longnecker, is buried in her Geib family's plot at the Penryn Lutheran Cemetery, Penryn, Lancaster Co., PA.
MINISTRY: Christian was baptized into the Conestoga German Baptist denomination in 1754, the year before he and Margaret Hertzel Geib married. Three of the main denominations following the anabaptist persuasion whose members fled persecution in Europe were the Mennonites, Amish, and the German Baptists. These denominations believed in adult believers' baptism by immersion rather than baptism of infants. They believed their Christianity should be separate from the government -- not a state-run church. They also did not believe in priests as being holier than the members; they believed in the priesthood of all believers.
As was the custom, Christian Longenecker was called and ordained into the free ministry in 1764 for the White Oak congregation of the Conestoga District of the German Baptist Church. In those days they referred to the ministers as elders. In 1769, he was made the main leader for the Conestoga District of the German Baptists that extended from Shaefferstown, Lebanon Co., PA to Marietta, Lancaster Co., PA. Most likely Christian was referred to as the head elder, rather than a bishop. Mennonites used the name bishop for their district leaders; rather, German Baptists called them head elders. Nevertheless, overseeing such an extensive area, needing to travel by horse and buggy to do the district church's business, not being paid for his extensive church workload, but providing for his young family by building up his land grant with buildings and farming the land, Elder Christian needed help with the church work. A co-elder was chosen -- Johannes Zug.
Johannes Zug's background was Mennonite and partly because of that, conflict developed between the two. One of the areas of contention was the mode of baptism. Since they both were anabaptists, they promoted adult believers' baptism. Christian Longenecker followed the German Baptists' mode of trine immersion; however, Johannes Zug argued for the Mennonite way of pouring water over the person's head. Their differences became quite heated to the extent that discussion took place at several of the annual conferences during the 1780s-90s. In 1806 Christian Longenecker wrote a pamplet defending trine immersion. According to a descendent of Valentine Becker, "Regarding the feud with Johannes Zug, a Church of the Brethren history states that Longenecker published a pamphlet in which he wrote: "there is gone forth a spirit of Satan, and rules in the church, and of this Johannes Zug is the head."
While Elder Christian traveled to Marietta, Lancaster Co., PA on church business, he learned to know Jacob Engle from nearby Maytown. Jacob Engle and others paid Christian Longenecker a visit asking to be baptized, so they could start their own congregation. At the time, Elder Christian was very discouraged, because he felt that with all the dissension, the German Baptists would ultimately change to baptism by pouring. He suggested they go back and start their own denomination.
They returned and sought out help from others with slightly different biblical interpretations and later established a new denomination, the River Brethren, who also adopted the mode of baptizing by immersion. Actually, this was the first newly established denomination in America and is now known as The Brethren in Christ (BIC). The German Baptists later changed their name to The Church of the Brethren. They have continued baptizing by trine immersion to this day.
As for settling the dispute between the two elders, Christian Longenecker and Johannes Zug, a council of members effectively decided that Longenecker and Zug should alternate preaching duties and share baptismal rites. It was said that Longenecker never fully reconciled with the church.
Christian was the second of 12 children born to Hans Blaser Longenecker, and his wife, Elizabeth Wymann Kendig. Christian's elder brother, Jacob, was born in Rheinland-Pfalz, a refuge in Germany provided for anabaptists whose religious beliefs made them targets for persecution. Hans, Elizabeth, and Jacob emigrated from Rotterdam in 1727 on the ship, "James Goodwill." They arrived in America on September 17, 1727. Hans applied for and obtained a grant for farmland just north of what is now Manheim, Lancaster County, PA from the Penn family. Hans' farm adjoined land already claimed by his brother, Rev. Christian Longenecker.
After Hans and Elizabeth settled in, this Christian was born in 1731. Two years later, Hans' father, Ulrich, Sr., and brothers, Ulrich, Jr., and Jacob sailed to America on the ship, "Hope." They obtained land grants adjoining the land already claimed by Rev. Christian (1695) and Hans. When Hans' son, Christian, (1731) became of age, he obtained his own land grant from the Penn family on what is now along Temperance Hill Road, Lititz, Lancaster County, PA.
Christian's land remained in the Longenecker family for eight generations. His descendants provided land from the homestead for the Longenecker Meetinghouse and cemetery, one of four meetinghouses that were a part of the White Oak German Baptist/Church of the Brethren congregation. Christian's son, Solomon, wife, and grandson, Christian 11 and his wife are buried beside Christian, Sr. Many generations of his descendants are interred in the Longenecker Cemetery. However, Christian's wife, Margaret (Hertzel) Geib Longnecker, is buried in her Geib family's plot at the Penryn Lutheran Cemetery, Penryn, Lancaster Co., PA.
MINISTRY: Christian was baptized into the Conestoga German Baptist denomination in 1754, the year before he and Margaret Hertzel Geib married. Three of the main denominations following the anabaptist persuasion whose members fled persecution in Europe were the Mennonites, Amish, and the German Baptists. These denominations believed in adult believers' baptism by immersion rather than baptism of infants. They believed their Christianity should be separate from the government -- not a state-run church. They also did not believe in priests as being holier than the members; they believed in the priesthood of all believers.
As was the custom, Christian Longenecker was called and ordained into the free ministry in 1764 for the White Oak congregation of the Conestoga District of the German Baptist Church. In those days they referred to the ministers as elders. In 1769, he was made the main leader for the Conestoga District of the German Baptists that extended from Shaefferstown, Lebanon Co., PA to Marietta, Lancaster Co., PA. Most likely Christian was referred to as the head elder, rather than a bishop. Mennonites used the name bishop for their district leaders; rather, German Baptists called them head elders. Nevertheless, overseeing such an extensive area, needing to travel by horse and buggy to do the district church's business, not being paid for his extensive church workload, but providing for his young family by building up his land grant with buildings and farming the land, Elder Christian needed help with the church work. A co-elder was chosen -- Johannes Zug.
Johannes Zug's background was Mennonite and partly because of that, conflict developed between the two. One of the areas of contention was the mode of baptism. Since they both were anabaptists, they promoted adult believers' baptism. Christian Longenecker followed the German Baptists' mode of trine immersion; however, Johannes Zug argued for the Mennonite way of pouring water over the person's head. Their differences became quite heated to the extent that discussion took place at several of the annual conferences during the 1780s-90s. In 1806 Christian Longenecker wrote a pamplet defending trine immersion. According to a descendent of Valentine Becker, "Regarding the feud with Johannes Zug, a Church of the Brethren history states that Longenecker published a pamphlet in which he wrote: "there is gone forth a spirit of Satan, and rules in the church, and of this Johannes Zug is the head."
While Elder Christian traveled to Marietta, Lancaster Co., PA on church business, he learned to know Jacob Engle from nearby Maytown. Jacob Engle and others paid Christian Longenecker a visit asking to be baptized, so they could start their own congregation. At the time, Elder Christian was very discouraged, because he felt that with all the dissension, the German Baptists would ultimately change to baptism by pouring. He suggested they go back and start their own denomination.
They returned and sought out help from others with slightly different biblical interpretations and later established a new denomination, the River Brethren, who also adopted the mode of baptizing by immersion. Actually, this was the first newly established denomination in America and is now known as The Brethren in Christ (BIC). The German Baptists later changed their name to The Church of the Brethren. They have continued baptizing by trine immersion to this day.
As for settling the dispute between the two elders, Christian Longenecker and Johannes Zug, a council of members effectively decided that Longenecker and Zug should alternate preaching duties and share baptismal rites. It was said that Longenecker never fully reconciled with the church.
After Hans and Elizabeth settled in, this Christian was born in 1731. Two years later, Hans' father, Ulrich, Sr., and brothers, Ulrich, Jr., and Jacob sailed to America on the ship, "Hope." They obtained land grants adjoining the land already claimed by Rev. Christian (1695) and Hans. When Hans' son, Christian, (1731) became of age, he obtained his own land grant from the Penn family on what is now along Temperance Hill Road, Lititz, Lancaster County, PA.
Christian's land remained in the Longenecker family for eight generations. His descendants provided land from the homestead for the Longenecker Meetinghouse and cemetery, one of four meetinghouses that were a part of the White Oak German Baptist/Church of the Brethren congregation. Christian's son, Solomon, wife, and grandson, Christian 11 and his wife are buried beside Christian, Sr. Many generations of his descendants are interred in the Longenecker Cemetery. However, Christian's wife, Margaret (Hertzel) Geib Longnecker, is buried in her Geib family's plot at the Penryn Lutheran Cemetery, Penryn, Lancaster Co., PA.
MINISTRY: Christian was baptized into the Conestoga German Baptist denomination in 1754, the year before he and Margaret Hertzel Geib married. Three of the main denominations following the anabaptist persuasion whose members fled persecution in Europe were the Mennonites, Amish, and the German Baptists. These denominations believed in adult believers' baptism by immersion rather than baptism of infants. They believed their Christianity should be separate from the government -- not a state-run church. They also did not believe in priests as being holier than the members; they believed in the priesthood of all believers.
As was the custom, Christian Longenecker was called and ordained into the free ministry in 1764 for the White Oak congregation of the Conestoga District of the German Baptist Church. In those days they referred to the ministers as elders. In 1769, he was made the main leader for the Conestoga District of the German Baptists that extended from Shaefferstown, Lebanon Co., PA to Marietta, Lancaster Co., PA. Most likely Christian was referred to as the head elder, rather than a bishop. Mennonites used the name bishop for their district leaders; rather, German Baptists called them head elders. Nevertheless, overseeing such an extensive area, needing to travel by horse and buggy to do the district church's business, not being paid for his extensive church workload, but providing for his young family by building up his land grant with buildings and farming the land, Elder Christian needed help with the church work. A co-elder was chosen -- Johannes Zug.
Johannes Zug's background was Mennonite and partly because of that, conflict developed between the two. One of the areas of contention was the mode of baptism. Since they both were anabaptists, they promoted adult believers' baptism. Christian Longenecker followed the German Baptists' mode of trine immersion; however, Johannes Zug argued for the Mennonite way of pouring water over the person's head. Their differences became quite heated to the extent that discussion took place at several of the annual conferences during the 1780s-90s. In 1806 Christian Longenecker wrote a pamplet defending trine immersion. According to a descendent of Valentine Becker, "Regarding the feud with Johannes Zug, a Church of the Brethren history states that Longenecker published a pamphlet in which he wrote: "there is gone forth a spirit of Satan, and rules in the church, and of this Johannes Zug is the head."
While Elder Christian traveled to Marietta, Lancaster Co., PA on church business, he learned to know Jacob Engle from nearby Maytown. Jacob Engle and others paid Christian Longenecker a visit asking to be baptized, so they could start their own congregation. At the time, Elder Christian was very discouraged, because he felt that with all the dissension, the German Baptists would ultimately change to baptism by pouring. He suggested they go back and start their own denomination.
They returned and sought out help from others with slightly different biblical interpretations and later established a new denomination, the River Brethren, who also adopted the mode of baptizing by immersion. Actually, this was the first newly established denomination in America and is now known as The Brethren in Christ (BIC). The German Baptists later changed their name to The Church of the Brethren. They have continued baptizing by trine immersion to this day.
As for settling the dispute between the two elders, Christian Longenecker and Johannes Zug, a council of members effectively decided that Longenecker and Zug should alternate preaching duties and share baptismal rites. It was said that Longenecker never fully reconciled with the church.
Inscription
"The First Bishop of the White Oak Church of the Brethren - He was baptized in the faith of the Church on April 14th 1754 - Elected a Minister in 1764 - And Ordained a Bishop in 1769 - Born near Manheim, Lancaster Co. on the 22nd day of Nov A.D. 1731 and died on the 20th day of May A.D. 1808- Age 76 years 5 mos and 28 days-- Erected by the 6th generation in direct line of descent from their paternal ancestor."
Gravesite Details
Enter church parking lot from Temperance Hill Road. Pull into the cemetery; take an immediate left; take right so as to travel parallel to Longenecker Road. Rev. Christian, Solomon and Elizabeth, Christian 11 and Elizabeth are buried left of driveway
Family Members
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Records on Ancestry
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