About
Celebrating our 275th Anniversary in 2026!
Our Beliefs
St. Daniel’s Lutheran Church is a Christian congregation, guided by the following beliefs:
We believe that the Bible is God’s Word. It is accurate, authoritative, infallible, and applicable to our everyday lives. The Bible is the highest source of authority in a Christian’s life and faith.
We believe in one God who is the Creator of all things and continues to sustain, provide, and rule all things to accomplish His purposes. He eternally exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, whose death on the cross freed us from our sin and whose resurrection assures us of the victory of life over death.
We believe that the Holy Spirit guides us through our daily lives according to the will of God and equips each of us so that we can successfully achieve His purpose for our lives — to worship God, love our neighbors, and serve the community in which we live.
We believe that a person can be saved, not by his or her own merits, but only by one’s faith in and acceptance of God’s grace, mercy, and loving-kindness.
We believe that God continues to be at work in the world today and that Jesus Christ is coming back again as He promised.
We worship, pray, study, give, and serve.
We do all of this with a healthy dose of good humor, fun, food, and fellowship!
You are welcome here.
Our History
The need for a place to come together as a faith community to worship and serve the Lord was the foundation of St. Daniel’s Lutheran Church.
(A need that continues to this very day!)
In 1751 German immigrants were farming the land that was once occupied by the Lenape Tribe of Native Americans. Answering the need to establish a church, three families generously gave a corner of their land for the building of a church. The land spanning these corners gave us the nickname of “Eck Kirche” or “Corner Church”.
Artist’s concept view of the original church building, constructed 1751-1754 on the “corners” of three adjoining farms.
View of the second church building, constructed 1814-1817 and remodeled in 1846. John Moyer and Joel Kantner are standing on the wall of the oldest section of the cemetery. Photo taken in 1886.
View of the second church building after remodeling in 1911, the addition of a church school building in 1951, and remodeling in 1964. This building was destroyed by fire in December 1976.
View of the current church building constructed 1977-1978, with an addition completed in 2005 for office facilities, meeting rooms, expanded social hall, kitchen, and narthex. The steeple was removed in 2023 due to design issues with stability. Photo taken in June 2024.
The original church building was constructed in 1751. The second church building was completed in 1817 and was in use until it was destroyed by a devastating fire in December 1976. The third church building is the present structure, which was completed just under 2 years after the fire. It stands diagonally across the street from the Memorial Garden, which is the site of the old church. An amazing artifact rests in the Garden: what remains of the original church bell that crashed into the church basement when the bell tower fell during the fire. Created in 1911 and originally weighing approximately 1800 pounds, about 1/3 of the bell remains.
The original church bell created in 1911 and damaged in the 1976 fire. Located in the Memorial Garden. Photos taken in June 2024.
Stained Glass
Our beautiful windows reflect both our Christian heritage and the symbols most closely associated with our particular congregation.
The six windows included in the nave of the church along with the two windows located on either side of the chancel were created by a noted local artist, Mr. Leonids Linauts of Mohnton, PA, using colored faceted glass, hand-shaped and embedded in epoxy as a frame. The symbolism of the stained glass windows is as follows:
North Window Panels (left to right):
1) Seal of Martin Luther, reflecting our Lutheran heritage;
2) “Eck Kirche” designation (“Corner Church” in Pennsylvania Dutch), recalling farms at whose meeting points St. Daniel’s was founded;
3) Symbol of the Christian ministry and reference to the Rev. Daniel Ulrich, Pastor from 1811-1853, after whom our congregation is named.
South Window Panels (right to left):
1) Six-pointed star and menorah, symbolizing our Israelite heritage;
2) Crown of Thorns, depicting the sacrifice of Christ for us;
3) The “Christus Victor”, signifying the ultimate triumph of the Gospel over all creation.
Chancel Windows: Alternating crosses placed in a blue background.
The origin of the agricultural community helping one another through times of plenty and times of drought continues to define our caring community approach to ministry and service. We are a church family who cares for, supports, and lifts up each other and our local community.
275 years since we began, our vibrant worship life is blended with Children’s Church, an active social ministry, Bible studies, social activities, Preschool, a free medical clinic, and a wide swath of service to neighbors old and young.
Come follow Jesus with us!
Our Team
Rev. Mary Etta Mest
Visitation Pastor
Having joined us in the Spring of 2022, the Rev. Mary Etta Mest serves as our Visitation Pastor, assisting our Coordinator of Congregational Ministries. In this role, Pastor Mary Etta faithfully ministers to our hospitalized and homebound members, offering prayer, conversation, and the reassuring presence of Christ to those unable to worship in person.
Through compassionate visits and attentive listening, she brings comfort, strength, and spiritual encouragement, reminding our most vulnerable members that they remain deeply connected to the life and ministry of this congregation.
Pastor Mary Etta also serves as pastor at the UCC of Robesonia and has a passion for preaching and sacred music—gifts that enrich her ministry and deepen the worship life of the communities she serves.
Joy L. Kline
Coordinator of Congregational Ministries
If the Congregation is the backbone of this Church, Joy is its beating heart! For 30 years, Joy has been an integral part of the life of St. Daniel’s; first through her volunteer work and now by planning/leading Christian education, fellowship activities, worship services, and ministering to our homebound members.
Join Joy as she leads us in: worship services, children’s sermons, Bible studies, Women of Worth (WOW) devotions, People Enjoying People (PEP) Club, field trips and excursions, the church picnic, special celebrations, and much more.
Marlin Kerchner
Director of Music
Marlin earned a BS in Music Education from Millersville University. He taught elementary music for 35-½ years. During that time, he also held positions in church music ministry for a total of 25 years, serving as organist and director of choirs at several Berks County churches. Marlin began serving as organist/choir accompanist at St. Daniel’s in 2014 and is presently the Director of Music.
Marlin says, “I try my best to allow the hymn text to guide and inspire my playing. I often begin hymns with imaginative introductions and vary the accompaniment of the hymn stanzas according to the words. By playing the hymns in this manner, I strive to inspire our congregation to reflect upon their faith as they worship God through music. At St. Daniel’s our services include different styles of music to enhance the worship experience. In addition to the traditional music of the Lutheran church, our liturgy includes music of Hispanic, Celtic, African, and Caribbean backgrounds as well as contemporary hymns sung with both organ and recorded accompaniments of appropriate instrumentation. I find the members of our church to be very receptive to these various musical styles.”
Jim Griesemer
Office Administrator
We welcomed Jim to the St. Daniel’s staff as our Part‑Time Administrative Assistant on March 31, 2025, and he quickly became an invaluable member of our team. Having literally grown up at St. Daniel’s, Jim brings a deep knowledge of our church’s history, people, and facilities—which is a benefit to both the church office and the care of our building and grounds.
In addition to supporting the church office, Jim assists the teachers at St. Daniel’s Preschool and also manages his own business, Griesemer Beekeeping. Jim, his wife Christine, and their son Charlie are active members of our church family and faithfully worship with us each week.
We are grateful for Jim’s dedication and versatility and the many gifts he brings to his role at St. Daniel’s.
Larry Bashore
Most Valuable Volunteer
Larry can often be found in the Church Office doing what he does best – helping to get the work done and done right! With years of administrative experience, he is on hand to do all he can to serve the St. Daniel’s congregation and the Lord.
Ron O'Brien
Most Valuable Volunteer
Ron is a long‑time member who faithfully serves behind the scenes to help keep our church running smoothly. His quiet dedication and willingness to step in make a meaningful difference in the daily life of St. Daniel’s, and we are deeply grateful for all he does for our church family.
With a deep commitment to the life of this congregation, Ron brings practical knowledge and dependability to his work, helping to keep our facilities safe, functional, and up-to-date. In addition, his service on the Finance Committee and the Fall Fest Committee is invaluable to the ongoing ministry and community life of St. Daniel’s.
Ministers
The congregation of St. Daniel’s