John Winebrenner, an ordained German Reformed Church pastor, came to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the early 1820s and pastored churches in the city and the West Shore. He was an evangelist and a revivalistic minister and soon gained a large following. In 1830, he broke with his denomination and founded the Churches of God Eldership. Forty years later, individuals began meeting in the public school building across the Lisburn Road from the Robert Sidle property and formed the Union Sunday School. Within 5 years, preaching services were held and by 1890, Bowmansdale became an appointment on the Shiremanstown/Shepherdstown Circuit of the East Pennsylvania Eldership. With thirteen members, Bowmansdale Church of God was organized on December 7th, 1890. On August 30, 1891, the new congregation dedicated its house of worship--part of the present sanctuary! Not until 1955 did a Christian Education wing and indoor plumbing become a reality. Additional space was required and in 1979, a separate Christian Education Building and Fellowship Hall was erected in cooperation with the IOOF Lodge. Three years earlier, Bowmansdale had become a single charge splitting from her sister church, Mt. Pleasant (joint charge since 1918) and purchasing its own parsonage in a nearby development.