New Bethel Church stands at 135 New Bethel Church Road in rural Kempton, within Albany Township. Rooted in 1761, it is known for a shared Lutheran and UCC ministry, a Sunday liturgy combining both traditions, education from nursery age through adult, music, and a churchyard shaped by more than two centuries of local history. Three churches have been built on the church grounds, and the church cemetery holds veterans and notable figures from the Kempton area. Sunday worship begins at 9:00 a.m., with Sunday school at 10:15 a.m.
Two Congregations Sharing One Pastor
In 1993, New Bethel began a shared ministry church. The UCC and Lutheran congregations share Pastor David Blitch, and most of the church's ministry is carried out cooperatively. Their shared life is especially visible on Sunday morning, when the congregations worship together rather than holding separate services.
The Sunday liturgy combines the Lutheran and UCC traditions. This blended worship makes the history of both congregations part of one Sunday service. The shared relationship is not limited to worship alone, since education, music, outreach, fellowship and community traditions are also carried out cooperatively.
New Bethel describes its being and strength as grounded in Christ's love and forgiveness. In faith, its members are bound to one another and to the Lord, Jesus Christ, and they speak of proclaiming his love among each other and to the whole creation. The shared congregation is therefore both a practical expression of cooperation and a central part of the church's identity.
Sunday Worship at 9:00 and Sunday School at 10:15
Every Sunday at 9:00 a.m., the UCC and Lutheran congregations gather for their combined worship service at 135 New Bethel Church Road. Sunday school follows at 10:15 a.m. The morning sequence gives children and adults distinct learning times while keeping the congregation together for the 9:00 service.
For a first-time visitor, the essential pattern is simple: come for the combined Sunday worship at 9:00, then join Sunday school at 10:15 if you are helping a child or participating yourself. Nursery care is offered during church services, and Sunday school includes nursery-age children through adults. The worship itself uses a Lutheran and UCC liturgy, with the adult choir singing each Sunday.
Beyond the regular Sunday schedule, the church's worship life has included a strong Holy Week and Easter pattern:
- Palm Sunday has included an exploration of the Passion and the events of Holy Week in both worship and an interactive Sunday school lesson.
- Maundy Thursday worship has included a shared Seder meal commemorating the Last Supper.
- Good Friday has centered on a Passion reading and the Crucifixion of the Lord.
- Easter has included sunrise worship, a shared breakfast, the main Easter service and an egg hunt for young children.
New Bethel also has held an annual Litany of Family Renewal. The ritual celebrates families of marriage, birth and church, reaffirming them as part of congregational life. New members have traditionally been welcomed during this Sunday gathering.
Choir, Liturgy and German Heritage
The adult choir sings every Sunday and gives music a regular place in the church's shared worship. On occasion, the Sunday school choir or solo performers supplement the adults. This combination gives both the established choir and younger or visiting musicians a place in the 9:00 service.
The music is closely connected to New Bethel's Lutheran and UCC identity. Rather than separating the congregations musically or liturgically, the service brings them together in one sanctuary and one Sunday rhythm. The resulting worship is blended but centered on the shared congregation.
Music also carries New Bethel's older Pennsylvania German heritage. Christmas Eve worship has highlighted that heritage through language and music, while traditional greenery and candlelight have formed part of the sanctuary's appearance. Choral participation, congregational song and seasonal music thus serve both the church's present shared life and its historic character.
ULTRAS, Crosswalk and Sunday School
Sunday school at 10:15 a.m. spans nursery age through adulthood. Two named youth groups give young people distinct places within that wider educational community:
- ULTRAS serves young people in grades 5 through 8.
- Crosswalk serves high school youth.
The church's children's programming has extended beyond regular Sunday school classes. Vacation Bible School has used a wilderness setting called SonRise National Park, teaching children that they can depend on Jesus and his promises of true peace, true riches, true power, true love and true hope. Kids' Night Out has combined a Bible lesson, craft, light snack, memory verse and a surprise activity during Wednesday evenings.
Rally Day has brought together creative activities such as moon bounces, arts and crafts, balloon games, and food. These events connect Christian teaching with play and creativity while allowing different ages to participate together.
The Christmas program has been held during the 9:00 worship service and followed by a Christmas cookie social and a caroling hayride through Kempton. The hayride has included hay wagons and a shared lunch, extending the Christmas celebration beyond the church grounds. Sunday school children have also taken part in service projects connected with Friend Incorporated, giving their education a practical connection to families in the area.
Bible Study, Book Clubs and Questions of Justice
Adult Bible studies, discussions and book studies are regularly scheduled. The curriculum has included basic study of what the Gospels say about Jesus, as well as discussion of poverty, public responsibility and justice. An Education Committee helps guide the church's educational offerings and invites people with a strong interest in education to participate.
One Lenten series examined a biblical vision linking poverty with justice. Its discussions considered compassion for poor and marginalized people, the responsibilities of people with greater resources, and the need to advocate for justice. The study showed how biblical teaching is connected to concern for social conditions beyond the church itself.
Book discussions have reached beyond devotional material. Titles have included Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Phillip Yancey's What Good Is God? and Jim Wallis's God's Politics. A pre-Lenten discussion of Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture focused on living fully, pursuing dreams and considering the legacy one wants to leave. These groups make room for conversation about faith, literature and public life.
Lenten gatherings have also paired discussion with shared food. Wednesday soup suppers have been followed by worship, with child care featuring a craft or story time. The rhythm connects study, fellowship and family participation within the life of the congregation.
Women of New Bethel, NBC Quilters and Scout Troops
New Bethel hosts Women of New Bethel and the NBC Quilters. These groups add fellowship and practical activity to the church's shared ministry. The church also hosts three Scout troops: a Cub Scout troop, a Brownie troop and a Daisy troop, creating space for Scouting across multiple ages.
Together, these organizations show several forms of community life within the same church setting. Women's fellowship, quilting, Scouting and adult study all take their place alongside the Sunday congregation, making the church a place for regular small-group participation as well as worship.
Covered Dishes, Lemonade and Kempton Gatherings
Covered dish suppers and lemonade socials are frequent expressions of fellowship at New Bethel. The Fellowship Committee organizes these gatherings, bringing people together around shared food and conversation. They complement the larger worship schedule and help make social time part of ordinary congregational life.
Annual events for all ages have included the Kempton Cup miniature golf tournament, the Volunteer of the Year Dinner and Family Game Night. Each uses a different format, but all bring members and friends together outside the Sunday classroom and sanctuary.
Garden sales have featured flowers, hanging baskets, annuals, perennials, vegetable plants, herbs, small shrubs, garden tools and accessories. Coffee, barbecue and baked goods have been part of these gatherings, with donations used to expand the selection. The emphasis is on plants, garden produce and practical items that visitors can take home.
Mayfest traditions have included trolley rides through the surrounding country area, chicken dinners, pulled-pork sandwiches, local musical groups, vendors, games and children's crafts. New Bethel's Chime Choir has performed as part of the entertainment. A Chinese auction, cake walk, bake sale and activities for children have made the gathering both a social celebration and a fundraising event.
Harvest Fest has combined food, bingo, hay rides, entertainment and ghost-story talks. Other features have included a Chinese auction, a pumpkin-pie eating contest and donated goods for games and prizes. Volunteers have staffed the different stations and helped prepare food and activities, allowing church members to support the event while working alongside one another.
Smaller food fundraisers have included pulled-pork meals, sandwiches, hoagies and chicken barbecue. These events have helped church members raise money for ministry and community needs while also bringing people together for meals. Wedding guidelines at New Bethel apply to both members and non-members.
Food Boxes, Soup and Work Beyond Kempton
Service projects connect New Bethel's Sunday school and adult congregations with families and organizations in need. The Sunday school has filled holiday food boxes for families in the area and collected clothing and other necessities. The UCC and Lutheran congregations have also made annual appeals for a variety of social service agencies.
Food and personal-care drives have focused on practical items such as:
- Jelly, spaghetti sauce, cereal, healthy snacks and canned meat or fish.
- Soap, shampoo, toothpaste and other personal-care products.
- New coats, hats, scarves and gloves for children during the winter.
- Canned food and monetary donations for food boxes and soup collections.
The church's annual Souper Bowl collection pairs a request for soup with a special offering that has gone to Friend Incorporated. In one recurring collection, the congregation set a goal of 100 cans of soup while encouraging additional donations. Friend Incorporated has been a recurring partner in food-related service efforts.
New Bethel's mission ministry has also reached beyond the local area. Youth participated in a mission trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, working with Habitat for Humanity alongside members of Ziegels Church. Other projects have included making blankets or quilts for children attending Camp Noah. These projects combine volunteer labor, fundraising and practical support.
Not every project takes place inside the church. The annual Christmas caroling hayride has carried music into the community of Kempton, followed by a shared meal at the church. Food drives, clothing collections, quilting, volunteer work and mission travel reflect a recurring pattern of turning congregational life outward.
Three Churches on the Same Church Grounds
Three churches have been built at the church's present location. The first was erected in 1761, the second in 1791 and the third in 1853. These successive buildings form a physical record of New Bethel's long history in Albany Township and help explain why the congregation's identity carries such a strong sense of continuity.
On April 19, 1761, Lutheran minister Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, Reformed minister John Philip Leydich and 18 co-signers founded the church. The founding congregation brought together German Lutheran and Dutch Reformed members. The first church's cornerstone was laid on November 11, 1761, only months after the founding agreement.
Over time, the congregation has carried several names, including Rosenthal, Bethel, Corner Church and New Bethel. Each name belongs to the same long local history. The building history and the succession of names together show a congregation that has repeatedly adapted while remaining rooted in the same Kempton-area community.
New Bethel's origins also reach into the period surrounding the French and Indian War. The church traces its roots to the circumstances of that era and to atrocities experienced in Albany Township as early as 1757. Its Lutheran and German Reformed traditions grew from this specific historical setting, not from an abstract idea of church heritage.
Remembering 250 Years of Ministry
At its 250th anniversary observance, New Bethel honored its founders on All Saints Day. A children's pageant presented aspects of the church's founding, with young participants wearing clothing associated with the 1700s. The observance connected children in Sunday school and confirmation classes with the people who established their congregation.
The church's history was also displayed through Pennsylvania German quilts, church artifacts and memorabilia. Commemorative pottery, glass paperweights and ornaments extended the anniversary beyond the sanctuary. Together, these pieces represented the congregation's craft, documents, material culture and continuing connection with its German heritage.
The Albany Township Historical Society held a special meeting in the sanctuary. Local historians John Robertson and Jon Bond gave a multimedia presentation about the 19 original signers of the church charter. Rare parchment documents were displayed, allowing the anniversary to focus on both the known founders and the documentary evidence of the church's beginning.
A Sunday school and confirmation class presentation titled Is This Not the Promised Land? helped young people portray people connected to the founding. The production used mid-1700s costumes and period props, and the entire group joined in singing Jesus Loves Me in German. The anniversary thus became an intergenerational expression of church history rather than simply a marker of elapsed years.
Veterans, Artists and a Church Cemetery
The New Bethel church cemetery is the final resting place of veterans from American conflicts dating back to the War for Independence from Great Britain. This long record gives the cemetery significance beyond its role as the burial place of the congregation.
Among those buried there are artist Ben Austrian and local figure Matthias Schambach. Their graves connect New Bethel's churchyard to artistic and local history. The cemetery therefore serves as a place of rest, remembrance and connection to the wider Kempton area.
Love, Forgiveness and a Shared Calling
At the center of New Bethel's ministry is the church's statement that its strength is grounded in Christ's love and forgiveness. Its people are joined in faith to one another and to Jesus Christ, and they understand worship as a means of proclaiming his love among each other and to the whole creation.
This faith is expressed through shared worship, education, music, hospitality, service projects and fellowship. It also appears in attention to poverty and justice, in cooperation between the UCC and Lutheran congregations, and in care for the church's historic buildings and cemetery.
Together, these strands define New Bethel's life at 135 New Bethel Church Road: shared worship, education across generations, music, service, fellowship and a historic churchyard shaped by generations of congregational life.