Mission & Vision

The mission  statement of CVZ is To grow together in the family of God, seeking Jesus, sharing His love, and changing lives.

History

The history of Clarks Valley Zion EC Church begins with the pioneering work of circuit riders of the 18th century "Evangelical Association". In 1844, a Dauphin Circuit was established, covering a rather large area from Harrisburg to Lebanon and north to Pine Grove and all the territory along the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg to Lykens. By 1850, a Sunday School was organized in the Red Bridge School Building just two miles north of the borough of Dauphin. Ten years later a congregation was founded with the name, The Zionsville Evangelical Church. Its first building was constructed in 1863. Sixty-seven years later, in 1930, just a couple of miles from Zionsville Church, Grace Evangelical Church was also begun.Years later, terrific hurricanes took down the facilities of both congregations, and eventually led to their merger into one body. A hurricane damaged Zionsville Church beyond repair in 1954. A new building (our present structure) was erected on McKelvey Road in 1958. Then, in 1972, Hurricane Agnes destroyed the facilities of Grace Church. Rather than rebuild, the remaining folks of Grace Church merged with Zionsville Church and formed our present Clarks Valley Zion EC Church. 

Working together, by the wonderful grace of Almighty God, Clarks Valley Zion has been enjoying exciting and steady growth for quite some time. An addition to the building erected in 1958 was added in 1992. Thereby much needed additional Sunday School classrooms were added, and air conditioning was added throughout. The parking area was also expanded. And, today, we're feeling the pinch of too little space again. Glory be to God! 

Clarks Valley Zion EC Church is one of the approximately 150 congregations of the Evangelical Congregational Church. Found mostly in central and eastern Pennsylvania, the EC denomination dates back to the early 1800's when Jacob Albright, a Pennsylvania-German farmer and tile-maker from Lancaster County, and also a Class Leader in a local Methodist Church, responded to a call from God to preach. A difference of opinion with a Methodist Bishop over the longevity of the use of German as a viable language led to Albright's eventual establishment of far-flung preaching circuits among German-speaking immigrants in many counties of south central Pennsylvania. 

In relatively short time God blessed the spread of "Albright's People" far and wide, and a new denomination known as "The Evangelical Association" was born. Approximately two hundred years later, the EC Church has congregations, in addition to the many in central and eastern PA, in western PA, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Illinois, and Kentucky. There is huge block of EC Churches in northeast India, several in Tokyo, Japan, as well as, missions in Liberia, Mexico, and Texas.