Seeking peace and tranquility, Germans accepted William Penn’s invitation to settle in his woods. By 1735 some of these immigrants were gathering in a log church to give thanks to God for the new life they had discovered in the new world. The cabin church was built on land donated by George and Veronica Hain. Ten years before the Revolutionary War a more substantial stone house of worship was built. Walls of this 1766 church remain standing to this very day. The cemetery surrounding the church is the final resting place of 52 veterans of the Revolutionary War.
Over the centuries, St. John’s (Hain’s) has been a continuing witness to God’s presence and will in western Berks County. For more than 150 years the church reflected and transmitted Christian faith and practice in the German Language. Being a congregation of the German Reformed Church, the Heidelberg Catechism along with the Bible were the touchstones of the congregation’s teaching and preaching. As families prospered and grew St. John’s (Hain’s) also grew.
In the 1870’s there was a need to expand the sanctuary. With growing industrialization, more and more members moved off the farms and into the city and suburbs of Reading. However, they retained their membership at St. John’s (Hain’s). At the beginning of the 20th century the pastor held Confirmation classes in the city of Reading. By the beginning of the 21st century most of the open fields surrounding the church have been transformed into housing developments. The once German Reformed congregation is now a strong supportive congregation of the United Church of Christ. The small stone church has been transformed into a large facility. In spite of all the change and growth the commitment to God and the ongoing ministry in the name of Jesus Christ remains.