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Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church of Allentown, PA was established in 1903. At that time, there were people in other Lutheran congregations that felt a Lutheran church should be built in the growing Western edge of Allentown and that it should be English-speaking. In other Lutheran churches at the time, services were still spoken in German. Members largely from two downtown Lutheran congregations, St. John’s and St. Michael’s, came together to start this “mission congregation” by purchasing the plot of land and constructing the temporary worship space, “the shanty.” Worship services began within months of the decision, with Sunday school classes and ministry groups forming soon afterwards.
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church of Allentown, PA was established in 1903. At that time, there were people in other Lutheran congregations that felt a Lutheran church should be built in the growing Western edge of Allentown and that it should be English-speaking. In other Lutheran churches at the time, services were still spoken in German. Members largely from two downtown Lutheran congregations, St. John’s and St. Michael’s, came together to start this “mission congregation” by purchasing the plot of land and constructing the temporary worship space, “the shanty.” Worship services began within months of the decision, with Sunday school classes and ministry groups forming soon afterwards.
Since its formation, Christ Church has been an important presence in the community. An important representation of this commitment was the establishment of a Community Kindergarten within the building in 1907 under the leadership of Miss Alice S. Cooper. This dedication to serving the children who live in the neighborhood surrounding the church continues today in programs like Head Start, the church's partnership with McKinley Elementary School, along with summer Day Camp and Vacation Bible School programs. The church has always had a strong commitment to supporting charitable organizations and mission projects, both locally and globally. When the Christian Education building was built in 1936 to meet a growing need for Sunday school space, this large facility also became available to serve the community. From early uses during the World Wars for bandage rolling for the troops or serving as an air raid shelter to modern accessibility to community organizations, such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Al Anon, Allentown Literacy Center, and various musical programs, the church is dedicated to sharing the gift of this space with this community.
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