Francis Schaeffer (Assistant Pastor 1940's)

Dr. Jack Murray (Assistant Pastor)

This congregation now meets at the former St. Martin's Episcopal Church building in Marcus Hook, PA.

The original building at 13th & Potter Sts., now called "Lathem Hall", is a part of the Widener University Campus.

Second home of the World's First Summer Bible School
(reprinted by permission of the author, Mr. Jon M. Clayton)

Summer Bible School Report Card c. 1947-1949, courtesy of Betty Embert (Martino)

"Schaeffer and his wife, Edith went to Switzerland and began the internationally famous L'Abri ministry.  They were writers and scholars (many books) and he became widely read in colleges as a conservative apologist for the Christian Faith.  Edith, I believe, is still living.

"Another assistant pastor was Dr. Jack Murray who later became President of Faith Seminary in Philadelphia and Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, PA.

"Other notable accomplishments by Bible Pres under Dr. Lathem was the establishment of the Summer Daily Vacation Bible School---the FIRST ever in the world!  Also, AWANA bands (now prominent throughout the country and especially now in the midwest) were begun by Mr. Pentecost (I believe he was a Math teacher at CHS in the 1930s) under Dr. Lathem's guidance and then Lance Lathem (Dr. A. Lathem's son) popularized them in the midwest when he became the pastor of a church in Chicago.  Both DVS and Awana have had a long and influential life.  Somewhere (not certain where) there is a booklet that was written to describe the history of these organizations and the seminal influence of Bible Pres."

E. Kuhlman, ginedk@innernet.net