History Of Emmanuel Lutheran Church

History

As a christian church, we understand ourselves to be a part of the Body of Christ. As such, we believe that it is important to build for the future, just as it is important to remember the past.


The history of our congregation begins with the German-Lutheran pioneers who settled in this region in the late 1700s. Small clusters of families would meet for worship in cabins or clearings, with the services typically conducted by layman. Emmanuel was formally organized in the 1820 by Rev. John Steck, a 'circuit rider' who served a number of churches in the area.


Our congregation's first house of worship was a tent. A small log structure constructed in 1831 was a Union Church shared by German Lutheran and German Reformed denominations, and stood at the intersection of Cherry Lane and Hills Church Road. In 1856 the log structure was replaced by the brick structure which still serves Emmanuel Reformed United Church of Christ.


Emmanuel Lutheran congregation moved to a separate facility in 1884. This white clapboard church still stands on Roosevelt Avenue in Export. It was deeded to the Borough of Export in the spring of 2001 for use as a historical center.


In 1965, in a decision to minister to the growing Murrysville community, the congregation moved to its present location just off highway 22 in Murrysville. Additional classroom space was created in 1981. A new sanctuary was dedicated in the fall of 1997 and provides for increased worship seating, increased parking, a greatly enhanced narthex, and additional classroom space.


Like many other congregations, Emmanuel Congregation was profoundly affected by the ELCA decisions in 2009, and it was only after a difficult process of discernment that we joined the NALC in the fall of 2012. We both lost and gained members at this time, and we have used this transition as an opportunity to reevaluate our mission, which we now summarize concisely in our Mission Statement:

  • Welcoming all in Christ’s name;
  • Growing Together in Faith;
  • Sharing God’s Love in the World.

Our present baptized membership is about 300 and our average Sunday worship attendance is on the order of 60 persons at our Sunday worship service.


Come join in the breaking of bread at worship.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church Mission

Welcoming all in Christ's name,

Growing together in Faith,

Sharing God's Love in the world.

We confess the apostolic faith in Jesus Christ according to the Holy Scriptures. We affirm the authority of the Scriptures as the authoritative source and norm, “according to which all doctrines should and must be judged” (Formula of Concord). We accept the ecumenical creeds and the Lutheran Confessions as true witnesses to the Word of God. 


We believe that the mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel and to make disciples for Christ. We believe that making disciples — in our congregations, in our communities and nations, and around the world — must be a priority of the Church in the present age. 


We affirm the ecumenical creeds and the faithful witness of the Church across time and space. We endorse the form and practices of the universal Church that are consistent with Scripture, particularly the office of the ministry and the tradition of worship under Word and Sacrament. We seek dialogue and fellowship with other Lutheran churches and with faithful Christians of other confessions.

 

We strive to be a church body that is organized to facilitate the ministries of local congregations in a posture of servanthood and a spirit of partnership, through the provision of resources, connections and information. 

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