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The History of Christ Lutheran Church 1883 - 2006
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The Early Years:- Early
documents indicate that the first organized worship services
were held here in the wilderness of Penn Forest Township in a
local school house in 1870 under the leadership of many
different ministers. The first church council consisting of
six members was formed on December 3rd 1877 and the
cemetery was started by a group lead by A. D. Christmans,
Charles Smith and August & Francis Behrens.
In November of 1882, land was donated by Edwin W. Reed
and his wife for a new church in Penn Forest Township. The
deed is recorded in the Carbon County Courthouse, Mauch Chunk
Book No. 28, Page 396. Under the supervision of The Rev. A.M.
Strauss, the original church building was constructed and the
first services held in 1883. By 1893 communed membership was
120 members with one service each month.
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The
Nineteen Hundreds:- In
early 1900’s the congregation combined with St Johns Church,
East Mauch Chunk with one pastor serving both churches. Since
then the rural wilderness surrounding our church has evolved
in to a community with several villages. In 1920 it was
decided that male members “in good standing” would pay
dues of $3.00 and females dues were $1.00.
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In
the early 1930’s under the direction of The Rev. Francis
Shearer (Pastor from 1931 to 1941) many new programs were
initiated including the Luther League and building
improvements made to the interior and exterior of the original
church building. In 1934 the growing congregation celebrated
the fiftieth anniversary. One year later the first Sunday
School was formed. Records indicate that the first Vacation
Bible School was held in the Drakes Creek schoolhouse starting
in 1936. Thirty children attended classes from June 8th
to the 19th, at a total cost of $7.80. |
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original church building was wired for electricity in 1937 and
the minimum voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 years of age
in 1938. Pictures
at left and below include Herb Helmer and Ivan Remmel
(deceased 2005). Marion Kuehner (diseased 2004) next to Pastor
(Below). |
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The
Rev. Harold Deisher served as Pastor for St. John’s and
Christ Church from 1941 to 1944. During the Pastorate of The
Rev. William Leifeld (1944 to 1966) council was increased from
6 to 9 members. The congregation celebrated our 50th
anniversary in 1953.
During the early morning of April 22 1966 the original
church building |
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During the rebuilding process the congregation met at St.
Paul’s Lutheran Church, in Albrightsville. Although the
building was only 50% complete, The Rev. Leifeld reported that
the cornerstone laying for the new building would be held on
November 20th, 1966 only seven months after the
April 22nd fire.
The
final cost to rebuild was $28,718.88 for the structure
and $14, 090.76 for the furnishings, for a total of
$42,809.64. The cost to rebuild was kept to minimum as a
result of volunteer labor and because 75% of the lumber was
donated by a church member. |
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January 1st 1967 the two-church parish of St.
John’s and Christ Lutheran Church established in the early
1900’s was dissolved. Christ Church, Penn Forest Township
eventually
called The Rev. W.R. Seigart as pastor until 1970 when The
Rev. John Warren, Vice Pastor of St Paul’s served our parish
as supply until installed in September of 1973.
In June of 1980, The Rev. Dennis Ulrich was called to
Christ Church. The one hundredth anniversary of the
congregation was celebrated in 1983. Five years later, on
October 30th 1988, new stained glass windows
donated by |
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members
were dedicated. The Oxford Stained Glass Studio from
Philadelphia was selected to do this work. Except for a few
modern techniques the windows were hand crafted as they have
been since the Middle Ages.
By this time the
congregation had grown to over 300 baptized members. The Rev.
George Hein became our fourth full time pastor in 1991. The
new one story Sunday School and Nursery was added to the rear
of the church in 1995. In 1997 The Rev. John Hassler answered
a call to be our pastor to lead us into the next century. A
second Sunday worship service was added as our church
continued to grow and serve the Penn Forest community. |
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Christ Lutheran Church in the Twenty-First
Century:
While
we are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, our
membership provides a place for growth, life and fellowship to
people with a wide variety of backgrounds within our
community. The Christ Lutheran youth group is active both
locally and in the larger church. Sunday School, Vacation
Bible School and Bible Study attendance are on the increase
and continue to be a strength in our community. A active Music
Ministry gives members the opportunity to share their gifts
and add energy and reverence to Sunday worship. The Christ
Lutheran women have been known throughout our history for
beautiful quilting and cooking talents.
In
2005 our church established an endowment ministry to manage
two very generous gifts received from a members estate and
from a friend of the church. Our members voted to tithe 10% to
charity in thanksgiving for all we have received. In 2005 we
voted as a congregation to have council
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an addition to our building in order to improve accessibility,
to add office space and to reconfigure for our growing church
school. The cemetery board voted to install a new fence and
memorial gate with the work completed in the early fall of
2006.
On a Saturday evening November 4th 2006 our
church was again heavily damaged by fire. The professional
work of nine local volunteer fire departments brought the fire
under
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before the church was totally destroyed. We continue our
ministries meetings in member’s homes and hold Sunday
Worship at the local Penn Forest fire hall. At a special
congregational meeting in December 2006 members |
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voted to salvage and rebuild the current structure. As we
rebuild our congregation continues to look forward to serving
our Lord welcoming all to join in our ministries and mission. |
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