A church whose congregation has roots going back to the 19th century is closing and donating hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sale of its building to charity in a Pennsylvania city named for the biblical birthplace of Jesus.
Trinity United Church of Christ in Bethlehem will host its final service Sunday as its members end decades as a parish with Christmas season charitable donations of nearly $400,000, the Morning Call of Allentown reported.
Trinity has — like many other houses of worship — suffered a decline in membership and sold the Gothic Revival-style church building with large stained-glass windows to another congregation.
Three Bethlehem United Church of Christ congregations formed Trinity in 1972: Zion, Calvary and St. Paul’s Reformed Church, which started in 1888.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
St. Paul’s bought the church building in 1957. It was built in 1913 and, after selling it, Trinity church leaders chose donations based on church members’ participation with the recipients.
“The congregation is very proud of the work we have done in the community through our food pantry and volunteer efforts, and we wanted to leave a legacy to continue those efforts,” said Trinity's pastor, the Rev. Den Schappell.
Recipients will include homeless shelters, food pantries, church ministries, the nearby Jefferson Elementary school, the Moravian University music program and a local Boy Scouts of America council.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Trinity members will hold a final liturgical service Sunday, Schappell said.
