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Who We Are: |
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We are a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran church in America. The Lutheran church evolved from the 16th century Reformation movement in Germany and was heavily influenced by Martin Luther. As Lutherans we emphasize that salvation is · A free gift of God by grace alone · Accepted by faith alone · Taught by scripture alone Founded in 1760, Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church is the oldest Lutheran congregation in the City of Lebanon and one of the oldest in Lebanon County. The founding pastor was the Rev. John Casper Stoever, who established several other Lutheran congregations across eastern Pennsylvania. He was succeeded by Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, a son of the American Lutheran patriarch Henry Muhlenberg. Frederick served Salem for a short span of years and, in the turbulent time of the American Revolution, entered politics and eventually became the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. For the first three decades of its life, the congregation worshiped in a small log building near the corner of Eighth and Willow Streets. In 1798 the gray stone building, now known as “Old Salem”, was completed and dedicated. It served as the primary house of worship for more than a century, undergoing a major renovation in the 1840’s. The sanctuary on the second floor is graced by an elevated pulpit and a well-known Miller tracker organ. Today the main worship area is the “Memorial Chapel”, a cathedral-like structure constructed in 1898, originally also used as an education building. In 1991 the present parish building was dedicated. It houses the administrative offices, the Richwine Fellowship Hall, and Christian education rooms.
Grateful for its historic heritage, Salem prefers to stress the relevance of the gospel to the world today. We are a congregation of over 600 baptized members that seeks to reach out and serve our community, the church at large, and the world. |
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The Chronology is a PDF file. To view it, you will need Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded free from the Adobe website. Click on icon. |
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Spirit of Salem – Hand Logo This symbol of Salem’s 200th anniversary celebration was designed by Jonathan Deck. It represents the Spirit of God providing a guiding hand that kindles the Spirit of Salem. It is also symbolic of the Spirit of Salem being passed from one generation to the next. It is a reminder of our responsibility to accept God’s guiding hand as we work to keep the Spirit of Salem healthy and strong for all who follow. |
