A Brief History of Church of the Manger

United Church of Christ
Bethlehem, PA

As young families began to fill new homes in the Kaywin section of Bethlehem in the late 1940's, the Evangelical and Reformed Church's East Pennsylvania Synod sent a young seminarian, Harry Kissinger, to survey residents about starting a church. It wasn't long before the Kaywin Community Church held its first worship service—with six adults, and Sunday School—with 25 children. By the time the Rev. William Arnold, the first full-time pastor was called in 1952, 117 members were named on the charter. When the charter was closed on Pentecost of that year, the congregation celebrated the birthday of Christ's Church along with the birth of their new church, which they renamed Church of the Manger. The name was appropriate not only because of its location in Bethlehem, but also because the congregation's commitment to children was evident in the programs for young families in the community. As the congregation grew, obviously so did its need for space. By 1954 the Sunday School overflowed with 230 children. The 200 adults—members drawn from 21 different denominations—were kept busy with a variety of educational and mission activities. So they purchased some land near the parsonage to build a modest 80-seat chapel. But within 15 years, the congregation and its growing ministry was housed in a building that included classrooms, a social hall, and a sanctuary which can seat more than 300 people. A distinctive tower with a sculptured manger and cross on its pinnacle sets the complex apart as a house of God.

The new facilities were begun during the brief ministry of the Rev. William Harner. By the time the new sanctuary was completed, during the ministry of the Rev. Richard Aulenbach, the congregation had grown to 900 members. When the Rev. Walter C. Long arrived to lead the congregation through 25 years of ministry, the congregation filled their beautiful space with programs for the community. They even had their own softball team. When the Rev. Sharon Solt Joseph began her ministry in 1999, the congregation, like most mainline churches, was declining. But the ministry of the church continued to be vital. Standing the test of time have been their continued ministries to children, music programs, a healing ministry (the Order of St. Luke), and the covenant process that requires membership in the church to be renewed annually. The program staff includes Mark Dennis, the classically trained organist who has guided the music program for 25 years, Sam Creyer and Loretta Hein, church members who have served together as choir directors for 25 years. A Sunday School is offered for children, starting at age 3-adult. The church has programs for fellowship, education, and ministry. The Church of the Manger is the youngest of 5 remaining congregations in Bethlehem affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The UCC was born in 1957 by a merger of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches. It has more than 1.4 million members across the United States.