The issue came before a special meeting of the District Council of the Brethren in Christ Church in April of 1895 where two resolutions were passed. The first stated that the Council favored the establishment of a "home for the aged, the afflicted and the poor, including all ages...." The second suggested that the home be located in or near Harrisburg. However, when church support of the project failed to materialize, it fell to a small group of individuals to carry the idea forward.

Within a year, on March 1, 1896, the group dedicated and opened the first Messiah Rescue and Benevolent Home in one-half of an existing building at 1175 Bailey Street in Harrisburg. Meager donations and gifts of goods and furniture supported the new ministry. By May 1897, the group had purchased the Bailey Street property. Later in the year, the building was razed to allow construction of a new, three-story frame structure that included a chapel seating 300. In May 1899, the Brethren in Christ Church was asked and formally accepted ownership of the home.

The Orphanage

In 1901, through specially donated funds, a separate brick building was constructed on the Bailey Street property, specifically as an orphanage. By 1914, the orphanage moved to a 16-acre property near Grantham, PA and ultimately to a site in Lancaster County.

The Home

During the early years of the century the population of the home grew steadily. By 1932, those housed and cared for were no longer referred to as "inmates," but as "guests." And for the first time, Brethren in Christ applicants received preference in admission, since most of the home's support came from the Brethren in Christ Church.

By the 1960's the Paxton Street facility, which could accommodate approximately 120 residents, had become crowded. The fact that the building was unsuited for nursing care, and considering the high cost of renovations required for new fire and building codes, made remodeling the site out of the question. Also, new concepts in care were emerging that led to plans for independent living cottages and expanded recreational programs and activities. For a while, a site in Carlisle was considered. But after a long and tedious process that included the consideration of a number of potential sites, the Board chose to build the new facility on a farm south of Mechanicsburg along U.S. Route 15. Ground for the new facility was broken in October 1976.  It opened in 1978 under the new name of Messiah Village.

Messiah Village Today

A children's day care center operates on the premises sparking many rewarding intergenerational experiences.

After over 110 years, Messiah continues its tradition of caring and ministry to those in need, fulfilling the vision of one generation while passing it on to the next.