St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
of Williams Township
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
God’s Work. Our Hands.
Our History
The cornerstone for the original church, a “union church” shared with members of the Evangelical Lutheran church and the German Reformed Church, was laid 1848. Members donated their services to build the church. It was located at the northern end of our cemetery. In 1884, the Reformed congregation withdrew and built their own church. The Lutherans continued in the old building until 1886 when they decided to build their own new church. The building contract was given to Kern Contracting Co., of Allentown—total cost to be $8,000. A dedication service was held January 16, 1887, with Pastor Rev. Charles Sandt officiating. From the turn of the century for almost 40 years the pastors of the church either served a dual or triple charge or were supply pastors from other area congregations.
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Changes and improvements were made to the building over the decades. Electricity was installed in the church in 1928 as a gift of the teacher’s training class. On Sunday, May 11, 1930 a special rededication service was held after remodeling which included Memorial Windows paid for by donors. In 1939 Rev. Lawrence Deily became pastor and during his 18 year tenure, the church underwent many changes, including extensive renovations to the worship area. In 1949 the back section of the church including the kitchen, lavatories, and three upper stories of classrooms and offices was begun. The men of the church did most of the design and construction which took several years to complete. Under the leadership of the next long-term pastor (1972—1984), Rev. Malcolm Albright, the Sunday school room was renovated.
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During the 1985 anniversary year the church’s exterior was brick-coated and waterproofed. In the summer of 2011, air conditioning was added to the sanctuary. In 2014 the Secretary’s office was renovated, with new laminate flooring, dropped ceiling and more lighting added. The pew cushions were completed in 2016. In 2018, stained glass windows were added.
The two "St. John's" circa 1910.