About HPC
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Hanover Presbyterian Church is a local part of the larger body of Jesus Christ. At Hanover we gather to worship, we live life together (rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn), we learn from and put ourselves under the authority of God’s infallible and inerrant Word, and we ask the Holy Spirit to grow us into the likeness of Christ, both as a body and individually.
Hanover Church, founded in 1825, is a congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). We welcome you to join us as we proclaim to the South Side Beaver Area that true life is found in relationship to the Creator God (John 17:3) and that God is good all the time and all the time God is good! Whether you grew up in church, grew up in a different “brand” of church, or have never stepped foot in a church, we invite you to worship with us and become part of the Hanover Church Family!
Sunday School for all ages is at 9:30 a.m. and Worship is at 11 a.m.
Come join us!
Rejoicing in Christ,
Pastor Jefferson
Worship
Hours
Worship Hours
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Worship 11 a.m.
2462 State Route 18
Clinton, PA 15026
724-899-2911
At Hanover we focus on three things: Walking with the LORD, Worshipping the LORD, and Witnessing for the LORD.
Walk. God has called His people to walk worthy, walk in love, walk in the light, and walk in wisdom (Ephesians 4:1, 5:1, 5:8, 5:15). In other words, we are to live our life (walk) in the power given to us through God’s Holy Spirit! According to the scriptures, when one is born from above (or born again) (John 3:3) they repent of their sin, turn to Christ, and our indwelt with the Holy Spirit (John 14:17, Ephesians 1:13-14)! The Holy Spirit allows us to walk in God’s ways! Scripture pleads with us to “be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Faith in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection make that reconciliation possible (I Corinthians 15:3-4). Reconciled to God, we can walk with God. Walk with us as we walk in Christ!
Worship. As the body of Christ, indwelt with His Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Peter 2:5), we are called to make His name great! We worship in our daily individual lives (Romans 12:1) and we worship together as a body (Hebrews 10:25) every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Scripture constantly please with us to “remember” (Luke 22:19). Corporate worship helps us remember who God is, what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, and who we are as new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) in the body of Christ! Worship God with us!
Witness. The good news of salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not meant to be hoarded. We are called to share it with everyone! The scriptures plead with us to “make disciples” as we are going along in life (Matthew 28:19). We share the good news of Jesus Christ by loving those we can see in the name of Jesus whom we can’t see. We not only do good things for people but also proclaim the salvation message, found nowhere else but in the name of Jesus Christ. Witness to Christ’s Lordship with us!
We invite you to join us for worship and know you might be asking some of the following questions:
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But do I have to dress up?We are pretty laid back at Hanover. Yes you will see folks in suits and ties and Pastor Jefferson usually wears a tie. But, you will also see folks in jeans, shorts, t-shirts and quite often Steelers jerseys! Don’t worry about what you wear, just come join us.
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What about the noise our child makes?One of the things Pastor Jefferson (who has 4 children) appreciates most about Hanover is their love of kids. As a church body we don’t get too upset about kids making noise or fussing a bit. We praise God that we have kids who are in worship! Please don’t even worry about a child making noise!
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But you don't understand, if I came to church the building would......"We have heard that before! No, the building won’t implode or burn down because you came in. Jesus Christ didn’t come for those who have everything together. He came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). You cannot “sin too much” for God. The blood of Jesus Christ covers every sin for which the sinner is genuinely repentant. Come join us. The old saying is true – we aren’t perfect, just forgiven.
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Will I be asked to give?As a response to God’s word we have a time of giving in our worship service. The way Pastor Jefferson phrases it is that we “give to God of our time, our abilities, and the resources which He has given us in the first place.” We believe that those who trust in and follow Christ will want to give. No one is ever forced to give. No one watches or takes notes. If God has changed your life and you desire to give, please do. If you don’t want to give, there is no obligation.
What to expect at Hanover
Quick Links
History
Hanover Presbyterian Church was organized in 1825 and is one of the oldest churches in Beaver County. Our first church edifice was a large windowless log cabin built just above the intersection of State Routes 18 and 30. In 1836, the Trustees purchased two lots, one for a cemetery and one for the church, for a total cost of $16 from John Harsha. Then in 1844, the log cabin was replaced with a framed structure built on what is now the lower left side of our current parking lot. By 1888, congregational membership was 160 and annual income was $1,400.
In 1894, approximately 50 years after the original frame structure was built, Alex McCoy and Alec McDonnell designed and built “the white church on the hill”, as it was commonly known until March of 1956. This structure, which was constructed from local oak trees, served the Harshaville community well until March 18, 1956 when an early morning fire razed it to the ground. That afternoon, 175 members convened and decided to rebuild. Arrangements were soon made for joint Sunday services to be held with Mt. Olivet, Hebron, Mill Creek and Frankfort Springs Presbyterian churches while our new building was being erected. On August 18, 1957, at a cost of about $73,200, the original portion of our current church was dedicated to the service of the Lord with about 500 people attending and Dr. John Gerstner preaching. The mortgage was burned on October 2, 1966.
Many families living in the area today were responsible for the efforts that went into rebuilding Hanover Presbyterian Church. Soon after reconstruction, we incorporated and additional land was purchased from William Kerr. By 1968, membership had grown to 180 and yearly contributions were $11,150.
The church manse was built in 1970 and it was rented to families in the area in the early years. A significant addition to the church was made in 1986 that provided a larger kitchen, the fellowship hall and many different classrooms and storage areas.
Throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s the leaders and elders of Hanover watched as our parent denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA) began to drift from historic orthodox Christianity. In 2010 the session began seriously praying and discussing whether or not God had Hanover to continue to be in relationship with the PC(USA). In 2012 the elders unanimously voted to ask the local Beaver-Butler Presbytery for a dismissal to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). The congregation voted in late 2012 and Hanover was dismissed from Beaver-Butler Presbytery in January of 2013 and received into the EPC in February of 2013. Hanover is currently a part of the EPC’s Presbytery of the Alleghenies.
Hanover is moving ahead trusting God to provide for all needs and seeking to show the love of Jesus Christ to all those in Hanover Township and beyond.
In the spirit and practice of Christianity and in the memory of all those loving members who have served the Lord before us, we thank you for visiting our website and encourage you to attend our church and visit with us.
For those interested in researching ancestors buried in Hanover Cemetery, Internment.net has a useful page.
