St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church is on Church Street in Fogelsville, a Lutheran congregation with roots in 1834. It is known for Word and Sacrament-centered worship, Holy Communion every Sunday, a long tradition of music and education, and practical community work that includes free dinners, produce collection, fundraisers, and volunteer projects. The congregation's present church was begun in 1874, and its history remains visible in the church interior, pipe organ, stained glass, bell tower, and 1883 Martin Luther statue.
A Church Born as Fogelsville Grew
St. John's roots reach to the High German Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Church founded in 1834. As houses and families increased in Fogelsville, people who previously belonged chiefly to Trexlertown, Ziegel's, and Jordan congregations wanted a church of their own. At a meeting in George Guth's public house, the group decided to build. The cornerstone was laid on May 9, 1835. The Revs. Joseph Dubbs and Isaac Roeller conducted services and preached, while the Rev. George Wartman read the Proclamation. Dedicatory services were held October 31 and November 1, 1835. On November 22, the Rev. Isaac Roeller was elected pastor of the Lutheran congregation. The first known Lutheran Communion was held May 17, 1837, with 47 communicants and 17 people confirmed.
The Rev. Roeller served 15 years, from 1835 to 1850. The Rev. Jeremiah Schindel followed for eight years, and the Rev. E. H. M. Sell served the next three years. Under the Rev. Owen Leopold, pastor from 1861 to 1904, most of the Lutheran congregation withdrew from Union Church in Neffs and built its own place of worship. The cornerstone of the present church was laid on Whitsunday in 1874.
Later pastors shaped the congregation's educational and physical growth. The Rev. John F. Keller served from 1908 to 1939, and the first parish-owned parsonage was built in 1948 under the Rev. Robert A. Laubach. The Rev. Robert C. Schiebel led the four-church Fogelsville Lutheran Parish from 1953 to 1966. He was serving as pastor when a new educational and social addition was dedicated on September 26, 1965. The Rev. Thomas A. Berg served the new Fogelsville-Morganland Parish from 1966 to 1969. In 1970, St. John's became a single church parish under the Rev. Robert L. George, who served until 1984. The Rev. Christopher N. Hershman followed from 1984 to 1992, and the Rev. John P. Fritch served from 1994 to 2001. The Rev. David D. Long led the congregation from 2002 to 2006, the Rev. MaryAnn Hamm from 2007 to 2011, and the Rev. Andrew Carlsson from 2011 to 2012.
The 1874 Building and Its Layers of Care
Physical changes record the congregation's long stewardship of its church. Gas lights and space heaters came first, followed by a new heating plant in 1924 and a pipe organ in 1930. Basement space was adapted for Sunday School rooms, and major roof and tower repairs were completed in 1938. The 1940 remodeling, undertaken during the Rev. Keller's pastorate, cost about $20,000. Ladies Aid, organized in 1903, paid the interest on borrowed money and a large part of the principal, helping make the work possible.
The 1965 addition created dedicated educational and social space. Later improvements brought air conditioning and an elevator. In 2010, extensive repairs to the pipe organ added a digital interface with recording capability. A restoration begun in 2013 repaired the bell tower and stained-glass windows and concluded in 2016. Work in 2015 and 2016 included restoration of the stained glass by Willet Hauser Architectural Glass, aluminum recladding of the eaves, replacement of wooden dentils, larger gutters, an additional downspout, and chimney-flashing repairs.
The church also holds a piece of its regional Lutheran heritage. An 1883 Martin Luther statue, originally from St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Allentown, was dedicated at St. John's in 2023. A plaque placed beside it in 2024 commemorates 150 years of ministry in the present building. The building continues to support worship, education, music, and community activity, with a nursery, narthex, Adult Sunday School room, fellowship hall, and kitchen.
Blessed Together With Word and Sacrament
The congregation's mission is to be blessed together with Word and Sacrament and to become more perfectly the Body of Christ in the world. Its commitments include creative and meaningful worship, more opportunities for Christian Education, intentional witnessing to the congregation and community, Christ-centered social ministries, and effective stewardship that helps people recognize both what the church can offer and where it has needs.
Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday. The Altar Guild sets up for Communion before worship and cleans the altar afterward. Music is a substantial part of church life: the pipe organ has been part of the building since 1930, the Senior Choir rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. during September through June, and Sunday School children sing during worship when announced. Choir participation is open to any age.
Sunday at 9:15: What to Expect
Sunday worship begins at 9:15 a.m. year-round. From September through May, Sunday School follows worship; Sunday School does not meet during June, July, or August. Weekly Communion, a regular choir, the historic organ, and participation by children are all part of the Sunday rhythm.
St. John's specifically welcomes children to participate fully in worship. Children's bulletins and activity bags are placed in the narthex, and the nursery room is always available. The church is handicapped accessible, with an elevator at the back. Hearing-aid sets and large-print hymnals are provided for people who benefit from them.
Weather-related cancellations are announced on WFMZ and through the church office answering machine on mornings when conditions require it. Sunday worship has also been livestreamed through the church's Facebook account. The church is at 1028 Church St., Fogelsville, PA 18051, and the office is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The church office can be reached at 610-395-5535 or stjohns.lutheran@verizon.net.
Learning, Music, and Service Across the Generations
Sunday School is part of the congregation's education work during the September-to-May worship rhythm, with lessons chosen by the Sunday School Team. That team teaches children, youth, and adults and plans the annual curriculum. Christian Education works alongside Sunday School and the youth group, helping choose materials, teach classes, and prepare young people for religious and social questions they encounter.
The youth group is for middle-school and high-school students. It meets after worship when announced and organizes service projects, retreats, fundraisers, and other activities. Vacation Bible School has been offered as a one-day program combining stories, games, music, crafts, and lunch. The Adult Sunday School room provides space for church education, while the music ministry includes the Senior Choir and children who sing during worship.
A Congregation Organized Around Many Kinds of Service
St. John's relies on committees and groups that pair practical work with fellowship. The Altar Guild cares for the altar and prepares it for Communion. Ladies Aid raises funds through bake sales and other activities, supports church projects, and hosts an annual covered-dish Christmas gathering. The Evangelism committee extends an invitation to the community and encourages people to join the congregation.
Other groups carry defined responsibilities. The Finance Committee tracks giving, budgets, and expenditures, while the Endowment Fund trustees oversee the church's endowed funds. The Property Committee attends to repairs and upkeep. Stewardship encourages financial and volunteer support. The Worship and Music Committee assists with weekly and special services and meets on the last Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. The Social Ministry committee oversees events involving community outreach, while Team Ministry listens with the congregation and looks for ways St. John's can assist the wider community.
Volunteer opportunities extend across worship, property care, fundraising, dinners, youth activities, and community events. Some responsibilities are organized by committees; others are hands-on roles such as food preparation, basket assembly, setup, and cleanup. The church recruits volunteers for regular service throughout the week and the year.
Free Dinners, Produce, and a Wider Community
Community Free Dinners are among St. John's most direct forms of outreach. The meal is served on the third Friday of every other month at 5:00 p.m., while supplies last, with November shifted to the second Friday. Everyone is invited. Volunteers prepare and serve the dinner, turning a regular gathering of the congregation into a neighborhood meal open to all.
In summer, St. John's serves as a drop-off point for Plant a Row Lehigh Valley. Produce collected there goes to St. Paul's Food Pantry in Trexlertown. The Harvest Home tradition also directs proceeds and donations to local food banks. These efforts connect the congregation's food, fundraising, and volunteer traditions with needs beyond the church itself.
Recurring traditions include the Cinnamon Bun Bake Sale, Halloween Hot Dog Stand, Basket Social, Christmas craft night, covered-dish Christmas party, and Community Tree Lighting with St. John's United Church of Christ at the Fogelsville Playground. Community outings, fundraisers, and shared observances make room for neighbors who may not otherwise enter the church. The congregation's combination of celebrations and service reflects its commitment to intentional witnessing and Christ-centered social ministry.
Giving and Shared Stewardship
St. John's accepts gifts in several forms: numbered annual giving envelopes, envelopes available in the pews, online bank bill pay, credit or debit card gifts, and electronic donations through Vanco's Simply Giving program. Donors may direct money to the church or select the Memorial Fund for a gift in memory of a member following a funeral. The stewardship emphasis is practical: it helps the congregation understand what it can offer and where needs exist.
The Ladies Aid links fundraising and fellowship, while the Stewardship Committee works to involve people in both financial and volunteer support. Online giving is available through St. John's giving options, and the church also provides instructions for using bank bill pay. These choices let members give regularly, in memory of someone, or in support of a particular project.
Pastoral Care and Present Leadership
St. John's also provides pastoral visitation and Home Communion for people who are hospitalized or homebound. Lay distribution visitors and the pastor share this responsibility, and the church office handles requests for a sacrament or visit.
The Rev. Mark Wimmer serves as Bridge Pastor. He works with the Rev. Matthew Hacker, St. John's Designated Pastor, who also serves Nativity Lutheran Church in Allentown. Their partnership follows the 12-year ministry of the Rev. Nelson Quiñones, who served from June 2013 until 2025. Beth Stottmeister leads the music ministry as Director of Music.
That mixture of continuity and adaptation is characteristic of St. John's. The congregation has moved from an 1834 founding to a 1874 building, from gas light to a recording-capable organ and restored stained glass, and from its earliest services to ministries that include Sunday School, youth, choir, adult education, hospital and home visits, dinners, food collection, fundraising, and service alongside neighboring organizations.
Its mission remains centered on Word and Sacrament, Christian Education, witness to congregation and community, Christ-centered social ministry, and shared stewardship. In Fogelsville, St. John's continues that work through weekly worship, classrooms for children and adults, a welcoming nursery, accessible facilities, music led by the Senior Choir and organ, and a schedule of service that reaches neighbors through meals and other forms of practical help.