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    God's Missionary Church is a Christian denomination in the tradition of Wesleyan Methodism, a conservative holiness movement. They believe in strict interpretation of the Bible, living a life of holiness, and strong belief in family. It was organized in 1935 as a result of gospel tent meetings throughout central PA, held by evangelists Rev. William Straub and Rev. Daniel Dubendorf.
    Today, there are nearly 50 churches, most in PA, as well as missions stations in other countries. They also operate a non-accredited training school called Penn View Bible Institute.
    Penn View Bible Institute sits high on the hill north of Penns Creek and has been a fixture in the community since its ground-breaking in 1966.
    During the God's Missionary Church Conference of 1965, after nearly fifteen years in planning, the possibility of beginning a Bible School was brought to the conference floor. A sixteen acre plot of ground, owned by Clair Knapp, became available and on August 5, 1965, ministers and delegates went to the hill and joined together in prayer. They decided that they would buy the land and build their vision of a Bible school.
   A groundbreaking was held on July 31, 1966 as a large number of people marched to the hilltop, with one man remarking, "It looks like the children of Israel marching toward the Land of Caanan." Music was provided by the Lebanon Valley Gospel Band.
    In what some call a "Seal of Approval", a photograph was taken by Rev. Arthur Thomas on a Polaroid camera, the type that used to instantly dispense the photo. Waiting a few minutes, the photo would develop itself.

125 Years Ago - 1885
    L.B. Haines of Adamsburg claims that he has the oldest bake oven, wedge, and cow bell in Snyder county. The bake oven was made 51 years ago, the wedge bears the date of 1790, and the cow bell was made by his great grandfather in 1784.
    On Saturday evening last, a number of the young bloods of Middleburgh amused themselves by partly demolish-ing the chimney, braaking slate, and otherwise damaging Dr. Barbers house in the course of erection on the French Flats. There is entirely too much of this kind of work carried on by some of the boys and if they do not quit it they will be compelled to have the sheriff give them quarters at the "Hotel de Middleswarth".

100 Years Ago - 1910
     Monday, while Earle Feese was feeding the large cylinder press at The Post, his foot was caught in the machinery and inflicted a very painful injury.
    Last Friday forenoon, Lewis Minium was hauling corn fodder through Mt. Pleasant Mills when his horse commenced to run. When he came to the store the wagon upset and threw Mr. Minium against the brick building. He was knocked unconscious. He died Monday morning and will be buried Friday forenoon.
    While on the homeward road one night last week, F.M. Kessler of Hummels Wharf connected with an automobile. Result: a few bruises and a broken buggy.

50 Years Ago - 1960
    Middleburg Chamber of Commerce at its regular meeting at the Hotel Middle-burger received a report that showed a profit of more than $6,000 realized from the three day Harvest Jubilee held from October 27th to the 29th.

35 Years Ago - 1975
    Mrs. Florence Shively of Troxelville was a lucky bird to bring home a twelve pound turkey hen last week.
    Twenty members of the West Snyder Young Farmers sponsored a day to pick corn on the farm of Richard Moyer in RD1 Middleburg while he recuperates from an operation had last week. The group picked 15 acres of corn and put it into storage. Three double row corn pickers and six wagons were used in the operation donated for use in the fields for their ill fellow member.

From the Archives of
The
Middleburg Post

Penns Creek's School On The Hill...
Penn View Bible Institute

    The Snyder County Historical Society is proud to announce that Fawn Arndt will present a program on the Richfield Fire Company on Tuesday, Novem-ber 23 at 7:30 pm.
    The presentation will describe how the fire company got its start following the town’s devastating fire of 1925. The fire destroyed half of Richfield on New Year’s Day 1925. Fawn Arndt is a member of the Richfield Fire Company Auxiliary and Ambulance League.
     Following the presentation, election of officers for the Snyder County Historical Society for 2011 will be held. Lifetime memberships are $200, Annual memberships are $20 and Junior memberships (until high school graduation) are $10.
    The Historical Society is located at 30 East Market Street, Middleburg.

Richfield Fire Company
Founding To Be Subject
At Historical Society

This is a copy of a Polaroid photograph taken by Rev. Arthur Thomas at the groundbreaking for Penn View Bible Institute on July 31, 1966. It shows a flame like appearance above the open Bible, held by Rev. Truman Wise as he read Scripture. The photograph was sent to Polaroid for analysis but they offered no explanation for the irregularity.

Construction of the Dining Hall, 1981

Posters such as this were a common site in the past. The camp at Penns Creek as well as the former Holiness Grove Camp, in Shamokin Dam, drew hundreds throughout the summer for revival and renewal services.

When he removed the photo and allowed it to develop, it showed an image that resem-bled forked lightning that arose

from an opened Bible. This photo has been widely cir-culated over the years and copies distributed.

    On September 6, 1966 the school opened with Rev. Edwin Mayes serving as the principal. Fifty-two students enrolled in grades one through eleven. Dormitories and other buildings that were used for the camp were remodeled for classrooms and rewired.
    The steel structure for the school building was erected during the camp of 1967.
    The School has gone through many changes of leadership over the years, but is currently headed by the longest running President, John Zechman. Rev.

Zechman has served since 1990 and has overseen growth in the music, academic, and construction at the school. He serves the school with his wife, Martha.
Today, Penn View has an enrollment of over 300 students and have come from 20 different states and several other countries. It has purchased the adjacent Penns Creek Elementary School, which was closed after the Midd-West School District consolidated several schools.
The School On The Hill has produced many pastors, mis-sionaries, and church workers over the years. They give all the credit to God for their success and look forward to many more years of educating today's children.