We Are Dille Parish
We invite you to come do life with us and join our family in Christ.——-
What Do We Believe?
The Bible
We believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God. It has been divinely inspired by God and written by man. As the Bible is inner at it is useful for teaching correcting and rebuking.
Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is the helper sent by God, and the third person in the trinity. He was there at the creation of all things and convicts the lost. He seals the believers and indwells them to bring the body of Christ.
Mission Statement
We, as the Dille Parish, strive to spread the good news of Christ and to show His love to all. (Based on Isaiah 6:8)
God
We believe in God the Father, the creator and sustainer of all things. He is the first person in the trinity and he is timeless and omnipotent and omnipresent.
Jesus
We believe the Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, and the second person in the trinity, who has come to Earth to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. By his death on the cross we may have atonement by his blood.
Vision Statement
The Dille Parish exists to be the hands and feet of Jesus, the Son of God. It is our goal to come along side people and meet the needs they have, both spiritually and physically. We want to do life with our community and demonstrate Christ’s love for all. (Based on Ephesians 2:8-10)
Ministries
Inside and Outside
Angel Tree Ministry
Christmas Time Seasonal
We collect the names of the individuals that need some help purchasing gifts for their children, send a letter and forms to these families, and create the angels for the tree for the congregation to take to do their shopping. When the shopping is done and the gifts have been brought back to the church, the gifts need to be sorted and accounted for before calling the families for gift pickup or delivery.
Head of Ministry: Becky Hicks
Christian Education / Sunday School
Wednesdays @ 6:30PM
Participate in readings, workbooks, and discussions. To provide our members, families, and friends with the opportunity to learn and understand more about what God wants for us through Sunday School, Confirmation and Small Group Bible Studies.
Ages: Pre-K – 6th Grade
9am-10am on Sunday from Sept-May
Head of Ministry: Linda Carr
Youth Group
Sunday Nights from 6-7:30PM
Every week we meet on Sunday nights from 6:00-7:30 PM. During our meeting times we will have an activity and a Bible time for the youth. We will discuss topics such as family, pride and purity as well as many other topics. We continue to strive to be an example of Christ in our every day life and we will encourage the students to do the same.
Head of Ministry: Pastor Judd
Vacation Bible School
July 15-19, 2024
Teach and assist small groups of children with daily activities -crafts, games, music, and stories.
Head of Ministry: Katelyn Young
Homebound Letters
Every Tuesday
Communicate with our homebound members and friends through letters, phone calls, visits, and communion.
Head of Ministry: Ada Milnes
Prayer Chain
As Needed through Email
When prayer needs or requests are received, an email prayer chain is activated to share these with all of the Dille Parish members and friends that are part of the Prayer Chain.
Head of Ministry: Pastor Judd
Growing Together & Reaching Others
Various Times
To reach the community with fun events to bring everyone together In fellowship.
Head of Ministry: Katelyn Young
Church Operations
Our Team & Leadership
At the Dille Parish we exist to be the hands and feet of Jesus within our community. In addition to the Inside and Outside Ministries listed on this page, our church operations and leadership teams support our efforts to be good stewarts of the mission the Lord has given to us.
Our Pastor: Justin "Judd" Ford
Pastor Judd is a 2003 graduate of NEB, 2007 graduate of Eastern University with a major in Youth Ministry and Minor in Biblical Studies. He’s also a 2013 graduate from Grand Canyon University with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. He married DLouisa (Dee) in 2008 and together they have four children…Demos, Arabella, Samuel and Jovie. Revelation and end times is Pastor Judd’s favorite thing to study in the Bible. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, reading and the playing the occasional video game.
Administrative Staff
Our Administrative Staff take messages and promptly respond to inquiries, provide information to all callers and visitors, pick up and distribute mail, assist in equipment setup and storage, maintain our supplies, and handle many other administrative tasks as needed.
Contact: Nancy Alderson
Praise Team
The praise team strives to reach every congregant and to provide each person the opportunity to develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior. Including Music on Sunday morning, A/V Ministry, Drama Ministry, etc.
Contact: Janean Eastman
Facilities & Maintenance
Oversee the maintenance issues—preventatively and as needs arise to maintain all of our properties, which include the Parsonage, the Parish House, the Potterville Church, the Potterville Hall, and the Le Raysville Church
Contact: Chris Young
Finance Committee
Make recommendations to the Parish Board regarding all matters of congregational finances including, but not limited to, congregational budget, investment decisions, audits, major financial transactions, and fiscal liability.
Contact: Martha Young
Parish House Coordinator
In charge of coordinating the rentals for the Parish House, scheduling activities for Bible Studies, birthday parties, etc.
For a copy of the rental form to print please click here.
Contact: DLouisa Ford
From the 1700’s to today
The History of the Dille Parish
1700s
In the early 1700s Moravian missionaries passed through this area. They were the first white settlers to arrive. The Moravians’ main purpose was to Christianize the Native Americans living here at the time. Conrad Weiser, in 1737, was one of these explorers hoping to contact them to spread Christianity. In 1766 a meeting house was built just east of Wyalusing. There is still a monument there today marking the place of the meeting house, called Friedenshutten, meaning “Huts of Peace.”
Following the American Revolution, circuit riders came through the area, holding church services approximately once every month. Settlers moved into the area from the south and the northeast, especially from Connecticut. They established Pike Township, which was much bigger than it is today and was part of the Tioga Circuit, which was discontinued in 1828.
The first church built in Pike Township was the St. Matthews Episcopal Church in 1799 on Route 706 East of Stevensville, which is still holding some services today. This was built by the settlers from Litchfield County of Connecticut.
1800s
In 1833 it was incorporated as the First Congregational Church and Society of Pike Township, which is still our legal name today.
In 1803 a Congregational Church was established in Pike Township in what today is the Le Raysville Borough. The services were originally held in homes or barns. The first minister was secured in 1812, and in 1825 the first sanctuary was built here.
This sanctuary building was torn down in 1857, and the present Le Raysville Church was built on the same spot. It took three years to build, from 1857 to 1860. In 1866 it was voted to build a parsonage for the preacher to live in. The parsonage was not built until 1871.
The Potterville Church we worship in today traces its roots to a meeting of eight people in 1815. These people met in the home of Preserved Buffington in South Warren and organized a congregational church knows as the church of Warren and Orwell.
The early church, while starting as congregational, was Presbyterian from approximately 1824 to 1828. The Warren and Orwell church divided in 1828. The church members met in homes and schools until a church building was constructed on Ridge Road, near the Eastman Farm. The Potterville church became a separate congregation in 1851, splitting from what was then the Orwell church.
The current community hall (that is next to the Potterville Church) was constructed in 1849 for use as a church and was used as such until the present church in Potterville was built in 1875.
1900s to Today
About 1940, five groups of people decided to build a community hall next to the Le Raysville Church. The five groups were: Grange, Borough Council, Le Raysville Congregational Church, Church and Home League, and People at Large. Much of the materials and the windows for the building came from tearing down the Methodist Church.
On March 8, 1937, members of the Congregational churches in Potterville, Le Raysville, and Neath gathered for the purpose of yoking these three churches and calling a minister. The vote was unanimous to call Rev. Carl Dille as the minister of the newly yoked churches, and this call was extended March 21, 1937. The congregation of the Congregational Church of West Warren later became associated with this cooperative.
On March 17, 1963, the Le Raysville Congregational Church voted for the church to be affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The Neath Church elected not to affiliate with the newly formed United Church of Christ, leaving the Dille Cooperative Parish a parish of three churches: Le Raysville, Potterville, and West Warren. Worship services rotated between each of these three churches for nearly two decades.
In May of 2023 after 60 years of being in the United Church of Christ, The Dille Parish voted to leave the denomination and reverted back to their roots of being a congregational church.
The Dille Parish Pastors
Rev. J.D. Jones: 1886 -1892
Rev. David Davis: 1892 – 1896
Rev. Hugh Jones: 1896 – 1912
Rev. James Williams: 1912 – 1919
Rev. Andrew Drew: 1919 – 1921 (Supply)
Rev. Charles Morrison: 1919 – 1921 (Supply)
Rev. D. Glyn D. Lewis: 1921 – 1924
Rev. David Harris: 1925 – 19??
Rev. Donald Corwin: 19?? – 1934
Rev. Merton Fritz: 1934 – 1936
Rev. W. Gilbert Condit: 1936-1937
Rev. Carl Dille: 1937 -1938,
Rev. Theron Zimmerman: 1938 – 1943,
Rev. Jordan Cole: 1943 – 1947,
Rev. H. Marshall Budd: 1947 – 1951,
Rev. Charles F. Hood: 1951 -1953,
Rev. Reginald Merrifield: 1953 – 1957,
Rev. Jerome Cleveland: 1958 – 1961,
Rev. Jacob Zang: 1961 – 1963,
Rev. Daryl Clemens: 1963 (Summer Student Pastor)
Rev. Benjamin Klauser: 1963 – 1964 (Interim)
Rev. Daryl Clemens: 1964 – 1968,
Mr. Jeff Kistler: 1968 (Summer Student Supply)
Rev. Barry Harbach: 1969 – 1973,
Rev. Richard T. Peebels: 1973 – 1979,
Rev. Joseph Merchant: 1979 – 1980 (Interim)
Rev. Gerald Cobb: 1980 – 1983,
Rev. Daniel Yolton: 1984 – 1986,
Rev. Richard Druckenbrod: 1986 – 1987 (Interim)
Rev. Steven Crabtree: 1988 – 2000
Rev. Jose Valencia: 2000 – 2001 (Supply Pastor)
Rev. Sharon Temple: 2002 – 2008
Mrs. Sharon Rockefeller & Mr. Shawn Burns: 2008 – 2010 (Supply Preachers)
Rev. Tom Burlington, D. Min.: 2010 – 2019
Mrs. Sharon Rockefeller 2019 -2020 (Interim Lay Pastor)
Rev. Barbara Rowlett, M. Div. 2020 – 2022
Pastor Justin “Judd” Ford 2023 – Present
LeRaysville Church
24 Church Street, Le Raysville, PA 18829
Potterville Church
51 Potterville Street, Rome, PA 18837
Parish House
903 Main Street, Le Raysville, PA 18829
Hours: M-F 9am - 12pm
Contacts
Parish House: 570.744.1637
Pastor's Study: 570.744.1943
Bright Beginnings: 570.744.2225
LeRaysville Church: 570.744.6020
Potterville Church: 570.744.1638