St. John History

The congregation of St. John Lutheran Church is a devoted family of baptized Christians called together by God to invite all persons to His love through Jesus Christ and share His vision for the world. As inheritors of a legacy of over 240 years of continuous ministry and community service, we dedicate ourselves to perpetuating this rich heritage. The congregation of St. John welcomes people of all backgrounds to a nurturing and supportive environment in which together they can worship, learn, serve, share the word and sacraments, and celebrate the passages of life.


St. John was founded in 1769 and is located on Skippack Pike in the Center Square area of Whitpain Township, Pennsylvania.  During the American Revolution, the troops of  George Washington's Continental Army used the church as a hospital.  Those soldiers who did not survive are buried in the church's cemetery.  The current  church was built on the site of the original building in 1834.  The school building was erected in 1955 and expanded in 1999.  

 
Our congregation is one of more than 9,000 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  The ELCA is the largest Lutheran denomination in the U.S. with over 4 million members.  Churchwide offices are located in Chicago and the ELCA is currently led by Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.  There are 160 ELCA member churches in the Southeastern Pa. Synod, headquartered  at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (Mt. Airy), and currently led by Bishop Claire Burkat.