Pastors of the Silver Run Parish

Rev. John O. Yoder

The Rev. John O.Yoder arrived to the Silver Run flock August 1, 1905, and stayed with us nearly seven years, until June 1912. During this period St. Mary's celebrated her one hundred fiftieth anniversary in 1912. This is the first recoreded anniversary celebration in her long history. At the end of our first century likely our people were too concerned with the struggles of the Civil War to think about the church anniversary.

For the 1912 celebration Pastor Yoder wrote a history of the church entitled -- "First Century and a Half of Lutheranism in Silver Run, Maryland, 1762 - 1912."

In 1912 Pastor Yoder left Silver Run to accept a call to a church in Akron, Ohio, where he remained until the end of his ministry. Special tribute is due to his wife, Annie M. Yoder, to whom the children of St. Mary's had a strong attraction. Their young interpretation of the kingdom of heaven seemed to be the privilege of sitting on Mrs. Yoder's lap during the Sunday sermon hour. There was a weekly waiting line for this honor.