More than 100 firefighters from Lebanon and its surrounding counties battled the blaze for more than four hours. But in the end ' nothing but the steeple was left standing of the turn-of-the-century church.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. Investigators from the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms joined local and state fire investigators at the scene.

The ATF routinely investigates church fires after a series of blazes destroyed churches in the South several years ago. An ATF, spokesman this morning said that a crane will be brought in to lift the beams that fell during last night's fire in order to determine the cause.

The blaze at the church was reported shortly after 6 pm. Worship leader Mike Fay and choir director Carol Stine said they discovered the blaze at nearly the same time as they arrived for a meeting and choir practice. No one was inside when the fire broke out, they said.

"I walked to the (rear) door, opened it and smelled smoke," Fay said. "There was smoke coming out; I closed the door and called the fire department."

As flames consumed the church, about 45 church members gathered in a circle among the tombstones and prayed, led by Bishop Peter Weaver, who had been attending a conference in Hershey when he learned of the fire. Smoke spread over the cemetery like a thick fog.

"This totally breaks my heart," said Linda Pyle, a parishioner from Palmyra.

"There are memories ... I was married in this church, my children go to this church. It's heartbreaking, that's the only word for it."

The church on the hill was built in 1904. Last night, it was a surreal scene as parishioners and Palmyra residents walked up the hill to watch firefighters battle the: raging blaze. Lights from fire engines illuminated the bare branches of trees and huge plumes of gray-brown smoke rose several hundred feet into the dark sky.

A ' wall of flames raged inside a rear wall of the church and blackened beams rested against an inside wall of he gutted sanctuary as firefighters battled to keep the blaze from spreading to the remainder of the building.

By 8 p.m., the sanctuary roof had fallen in, consumed by flames. In a short time, the interior of the church, containing nearly a century of history, was gutted. Flames still lapped at the top of the south wall, and flaming cinders fell to earth from the highest church walls.

By 9 p.m... a raging fire encircled the steeple, while firefighters fought to contain the blaze.

"It was a really stubborn fire," said one fireflghter.

Smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles.

"I guess I'm just in shock right now," the Rev. Douglas Smith, pastor of the church since 1994, said as he watched the fire. "We'll be awake all night tonight."

"Nothing in the sanctuary was saved," he said. Parishioners and other pastors came to offer their support to Smith and his wife, Karen.

Mrs. Smith said she was at their daughter's basketball game at Palmyra High, and there were nine seconds left in the game, she remembered, when a neighbor told her the church was on fire.

"We will rebuild," Rev. Smith said. "It's not too early to think about that."

Members of the congregation were to meet today to decide where to hold this Sunday's worship services. The chapel at the Lebanon Valley Brethern Home and the Palmyra Fire Hall were among locations being discussed.

James Seltzer, who lives along Gravel Hill Road within sight of the church, said he drove past it about 10 to 15 minutes before the first alarm was called in.

"I didn't see anything," Seltzer said. There was no smoke coming out."

Seltzer, a church member, said he was married in the church in 1965. His parents are also members.

Bishop Weaver, of the Eastern Pennsylvania United Methodist Conference, rushed to the scene to offer prayer and support.

Weaver said insurance would help rebuild the church, which was valued at about $1.5 million.

"This is a great congregation, not because of its building but because of its spirit and commitment for Christ," Weaver said. "As a conference of about 550 churches we will be in prayer for and with this congregation ... I don't believe it's in God's plan that churches burn down, but we know that we live in a world where all kinds of tragedies happen. Our faith is that God will see us through the future."

Added Stine, the choir director: "This is so devastating to a church community. We live here, we love here, we do everything here. It's hard to understand why a church goes up in smoke.

Darlene Panza, who lives near the church on Gravel Hill Road, said she and her husband, a fire policeman, heard sirens and the fire trucks coming,

"My husband and I were married in 1979 at the church and my children were baptized there," she explained. "I have (old) pictures of the church. My grandparents went here and their parents. It can be rebuilt. I pray it can be .rebuilt."

Panza said the congregation had spent about $20,000 recently on improvements to the exterior of the building.

"It was an act of the Lord, I guess," she said.

Rev. William Cluely, senior pastor of the Palm Lutheran Church in Palmyra and president of the Palmyra Area Cooperating Churches, said the 14-member organization would rally around Gravel Hill Church. Cluely said several pastors planned a meeting today to see what help could be offered.

"It's too early to know what they're going to do," Cluely said. "But we will provide support in any way that would be helpful."

Cluely said the church, with its long history, was prominent in life and "in death also."

"They will pull together and build for the future," he added. "I have no doubt that will happen ... that church has been a beacon on the hill for 150 years."

The church, which originated as United Brethern church, observed its 150th anniversary two years ago. Though not much is known about its early days, records show that membership was 63 in 1887.

For its first 65 years the church was a member of several different "circuits," consisting of many churches served by a single pastor. In 1904, as membership grew, a new church was built at a cost of $10,000. Additions to the original structure were built in 1952 and 1968.

In 1946 the Evangelical and United Brethren denominations merged and the church became the Second Evangelical United Brethren Church. It took its current name in 1968.

This morning, the charred remains of the church were still smoldering as investigators prepared to search the sanctuary for clues.

The Rev. James Stough, pastor of nearby Bindnagle -Lutheran Church, taught release-time classes at the church on Wednesdays. He stood this morning just behind a police cordon stretched across the lot along Gravel Hill Road.

"It's just devastating," he said. "There are mixed emotions ... on one hand, you know it's just brick and mortar, and there were no lives lost - but a lot of people had baptisms and marriages in there, and in a way, (the church) died, too."

Staff writer Tom Epler also contributed to this report.