 By 1798, he had become so successful as a farmer and miller that his financial holdings were calculated by tax assessors to be the area's highest — totaling $18,182.As a member of one of Lebanon County's prominent families and the son of a former officer with the Continental Army during the American Revolution, Christian Ley also chose a path of public service, becoming a driving force behind the planning and development of the western Tulpehocken Lutheran Church and a captain in Pennsylvania's state militia.According to Pennsylvania historian William Henry Egle, Ley was commission captain of the Sixth Company of the Dauphin County Militia's Fourth Battalion, serving under Lieutenant-Colonel James Woods and Major George Bowman.