On September 10, 1810 a small group, which called itself the Presbyterian Congregation of Walnut Bottom made an application to the Presbytery of Carlisle for the services of a supply pastor. Even though this congregation was apparently never formally organized, several early histories of area churches suggest direct link between the 1810 group and the current church which was formally founded in 1823 when a group of "seventeen to twenty" individuals residing in the vicinity of what is now Mooredale, applied to the Presbytery of Carlisle to be organized into a church. We accept 1823 as our founding year and celebrated our 175th anniversary in 1998.

On April 21, 1827, after several years without a place of worship it could call its own, the congregation met and initiated plans to build a church. An offer by William L. Weakly to give one acre of land was accepted. The sanctuary was built on this land and is the first and only sanctuary constructed by the congregation. There have, of course, been several renovations. When the Trustees met to clear the timber from the site they decided to save as many of the majestic oaks as possible and a few of those original oaks remain today. In the spring of 1996 one of them was severely damaged and, of necessity, taken down. Two hundred and fifty rings were counted making the tree at least 80 years older than the building itself. Several seedlings from the old oaks have been replanted on the church property. The current manse was built in 1867 and, with several renovations, continues to serve as the pastor's residence.

From its founding in 1823 until 1908, the church was served by 14 installed pastors. In 1908, Rev. James L. Glenn accepted a call and served the church until his retirement in 1943. There have been 6 installed pastors since Rev. Glenn. Dr. Randolph was awarded Pastor Emeritus of Dickinson Presbyterian Church on November 18, 1999 by an unanimous congregational vote. On October 14th, 2001 Rev. Kathryn Z. Johnston became the twenty-first pastor of Dickinson Presbyterian Church.

In 1925, the church purchased the no longer used one room school building across the road from the sanctuary, enlarged it and it became the Parish House. Much of the financial support for that effort came from Miss Mary Cameron of the Cameron Family which summered at Kings Gap. In 1994 planning began for an education building to be appended to the sanctuary and that building was formally dedicated in 1995. Financial support for the education building came largely from the G. B. Stuart Charitable Foundation. The Stuart Family has a long relationship with the church from its founding in 1823.

We believe, over the years, Dickinson Presbyterian Church has served the community well as a place of worship and as a community center. It has grown and changed along with the community which it serves. It was founded as a country church serving a predominately farming community and has evolved into a friendly church in the country serving a much more diverse congregation. Now, in the era of unprecedented change, the church is at yet another fork in the road. It can choose the road which holds on to the past and remain static or it can follow the lead of our Savior which leads us into the future with all its uncertainties and challenges. Dickinson Presbyterian Church has chosen the latter.

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Built in 1823 and finished in 1829, DPC's one and only sanctuary was provided for consistent worship since its first service in the early nineteenth century. Over the past 180 years, many minor changes have been made to the structure, but a complete renovation of the sanctuary's interior occurred in the mid-1990's. T

he structure maintains its historic presence with original windows, wood floors and the original library. The sanctuary is located among a number of majestic pines which are at least 200 years old. The brick structure sits on a stone foundation with a partial hand dug basement. The bricks have recently been repointed and sealed. A new roof has also been installed, replacing the aging standing seam roof. T

he sanctuary's interior maintains it's plain, but historical decor. The original wooden wide plank floors have maintained their beauty over the years, as has the original wooden ceiling with it's white wash finish. The pulpit is centered in the front of the sanctuary, just in front of the choir loft. The current organ has been located on the right front side of the sanctuary since the early 1980's. The library in the rear of the sanctuary still contains a collection of historic books, many of them original to the building.

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The Glenn-Cameron Parish Hall has a long and storied history! The original structure was a one room school house that stood on the north side of the present structure. The extended addition was added in the 1920's, by using bricks from two other one room school houses, which tripled the size of the structure.

The addition was made possible through the generous donation by Mary Cameron, who summered at the King's Gap Mansion and visited Dickinson for worship services.

The Parish Hall is also named in honor of James Glenn, Dickinson's longest serving pastor (35 years).

In the early 1900's, the parish hall was used as a community center, featuring activities like popular films, dances and basketball games.

Today the Glenn-Cameron Parish Hall is used for all of the church's large events and dinners. Annually, the Christmas Play is performed on the stage, the pig roast and chicken BBQ is held indoors. The Parish Hall also serves as a place to hold large Sunday School classes.

The Parish Hall is equipped with a full serving kitchen and restrooms. Sound can be provided as well as video projection. The Parish Hall is available for outside parties to rent out.

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Dickinson Presbyterian Church is nestled in the small village of Cumminstown, PA. Cumminstown is located in the Cumberland Valley in South Central Pennsylvania, one of the longest running valleys in America. Dickinson is located on Rt. 174 (Walnut Bottom Road) 8 miles west of Carlisle (pop. 17,000),

The church can be easily reached by exiting I-81 at exit 37 (Newville Exit), traveling South on Rt. 233. Turn left at the first stop sign. Dickinson Presbyterian Church is 7/10th of a mile on the right.

Cumberland County's Court Seat. Carlisle is a major transportation hub due to the its access to numerous major highways (I-81 and PA Turnpike to name a few). Carlisle is within a 2 hour drive of many major metropolitan areas such as Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Although transportation is a major economic impact on the Carlisle area, Carlisle maintains historic beauty through it's quaint downtown and numerous historic landmarks.

Aside from Carlisle, Dickinson is located near many historical and recreational attractions. Below are just a few!

Along with the numerous tourist attractions, Carlisle is central to numerous colleges that include: Dickinson College (Carlisle), Shippensburg University (Shippensburg), Wilson College (Chambersburg), Messiah College (Grantham), Harrisburg Area Community College (Harrisburg), Penn State Harrisburg Campus (Harrisburg, Temple Harrisburg Campus (Harrisburg), York College (York), Weidner College (Harrisburg), Dickinson School of Law (Carlisle). All of these colleges are within an hour drive of DPC.

Recreationally, one can find the Carlisle Area rich in history, arts and sports. Carlisle played major roles in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Carlisle also plays host to many arts and crafts events throughout the year. The Carlisle Theater often draws quality acts from all genres of the entertainment industry. The Carlisle Area boasts a wide range of athletic events. The Harrisburg Senators (AA Minor League Baseball) play at City Island. The Hershey Bears (Minor League Hockey) and the Hershey Wildcats (Minor League Soccer) play at Hershey Park Complexes. Local sports are also a large draw with high school Friday night football as an example.

If you are searching for outdoor retreats, DPC is located central to many venues. Four PA State Parks are within minutes of the church. There you will find hiking, swimming, fishing and much more. The Big Spring is the second longest spring in the world and boast some of the best trout fishing on the east coast. The Yellow Breeches also boasts excellent fishing waters. Ski Roundtop is just 30 minutes away.

Dickinson's location allows its members to enjoy the local beauty of the farmland and mountains, while at the same time having access to all of life's pleasures. Dickinson got its nickname of "The Church in the Country" from the thousands of acres of farmland that surrounds the church.

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Dickinson Presbyterian Church is governed by a unicameral body, called Session. Our session consists of nine elders, each chairing one of the nine major committees that run the business of the church. Each elder is elected by the congregation to serve a three-year term. An elder may serve two consecutive terms, after the second term an elder is ineligible to serve again until the next calendar year. Below is the list of current active elders serving on Session. Each elder has a photo and a link to their email. Feel free to email your elders any question, comments or concerns you have.