St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church sits at the corner of North Main and East Church Streets in Sellersville, a small borough in northern Bucks County just up the road from Perkasie and Telford. For more than 160 years the congregation has served the Pennridge community, and the corner it occupies still holds two of its earliest trusts: a tall stone church with a pipe organ donated by Andrew Carnegie, and the Sellersville Cemetery that wraps around the back of the property.
An ELCA congregation formed from a divided Union Church
The parish traces its roots to about 1859, when Lutheran pastors Reverend Ferdinand Berkemeyer and Reverend Frederick Walz joined with German Reformed pastor Reverend Peter S. Fisher to begin holding services in an old schoolhouse on Walnut Street. The arrival of the North Pennsylvania Railroad in 1865 brought new growth to towns along the line, including Sellersville, and the pastors and their members began looking for a more permanent home. In 1868 the two congregations purchased three acres from William Schlichter. One acre was set aside for a new Union Church building; the other two, where Schlichter's family cemetery already stood, would be sold as lots to raise construction money. The Sellersville Church and Cemetery Corporation was chartered in 1869, the cornerstone was laid in 1870, and the first story of the building was dedicated in 1874. It still stands as the Sunday School and office wing.
The two congregations voted to separate in the summer of 1900. After an auction, the Lutherans outbid the Reformed for the church property and the building became St. Michael's Lutheran Church. The Reformed body built a new facility about two blocks away, now St. Paul's United Church of Christ. The Cemetery Corporation continues to be governed by a board made up of three representatives from each of the two congregations, and St. Michael's still shares responsibility for the grounds. The three founding pastors and William Schlichter are all buried in the cemetery.
The building, expanded across three generations
A second-floor sanctuary was added in 1904 and dedicated the same year. Its pipe organ was a gift from Andrew Carnegie, and the stained glass windows and altar artwork were completed by the well-known liturgical artist Nicola D'Ascenzo. A steeple clock and electric lights were installed at the same time. A first-floor chapel and enlarged Sunday School area followed in 1926, and a fellowship hall and kitchen were added in 1956. Because the sanctuary is on the second floor, a chair lift was installed in 1982 to make the worship space accessible. Visitors today find a stone church with a steeple on a Main Street corner, a chapel on the ground floor for summer worship or anyone who prefers a single-step setting, and a Fellowship Hall at the back where the congregation gathers for coffee after the service.
Sunday morning at 9:30
The single weekly worship service is held at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays, both in person and online on YouTube, with the prelude music beginning at 9:28 a.m. The service follows the form of the Lutheran liturgy and is printed in the bulletin so visitors can follow along. Music varies with the church season, drawing on the work of the Alleluia Choir and the Bells on the Hill handbell choir. Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday and on feast days, using wine or grape juice and bread. The congregation practices open communion: anyone who professes faith in Christ is welcome to partake, regardless of church affiliation.
Two Christmas Eve services are offered each year. The early service is family oriented, often interactive with the children, and features a blend of modern and traditional carols. The late service is a more traditional candlelight service of lessons and carols. Lent begins with an evening Ash Wednesday service, then continues each Wednesday evening with a soup and sandwich supper in the fellowship hall followed by a brief worship service, running through Palm Sunday. Good Friday brings a separate evening service, and Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday bring the traditional morning services.
What to expect on a first visit
The building is at 25 East Church Street, Sellersville, and the main parking lot is directly across the street. Visitors enter the lot from Penn Street, with additional parking available in the adjacent Sellersville Museum lot. Handicap parking is right next to the church and is accessed through the driveway between the two stone pillars near the cemetery. The church has a no-step entry from the parking area and a chair lift to the second-floor sanctuary; the chapel, where the service is also live-streamed, is comfortably air-conditioned and easy to reach on the first floor.
Children are welcome to stay in worship. Materials are provided for them to use during the service, and families whose children need a quiet space are invited to use the chapel, which carries the live stream. A formal nursery is not currently active. Sunday School for children ages 3 to 14 meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Gathering Rooms from mid-September through mid-June and runs alongside the worship service, so parents can drop children off and head into the sanctuary. Sunday School is called Kid's Time with Jesus; it includes a Bible story, a craft, games, and a snack.
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The staff can answer questions about weddings, baptisms, and programming, and the building is available for community use by arrangement.
Beliefs and mission
St. Michael's is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The parish confesses belief in the Holy Trinity, Creator God, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit of peace, and summarizes its faith in the rhythm of gathering, loving, and teaching: gathering to hear the Word of God through worship, song, and prayer; loving neighbors as Jesus taught; and teaching God's love and grace through adult, youth, and children's Bible study. The mission statement the congregation has adopted is "Live God's Word Daily," and it is lived out through five CROSS principles: Community with Jesus and others, Rooted in prayer, Open to God's Spirit and welcoming to all, Serve one another, and Scripture reading.
The welcome extends a step further in the parish's own words: "Our doors are open to all. Wherever you are in your faith journey, we invite you to come, bring your questions, and join us. Together we can share our joys and find comfort for our burdens in the knowledge of our saving Lord, Jesus Christ."
Music ministry for singers and ringers
The Alleluia Choir leads worship at the Sunday services. It is open to anyone who would like to sing, from confirmation age on up, and no prior music background is required. Rehearsals are weekly except during the summer, with music planned well in advance and web links sent out so members can listen to the tunes at home. The choir's repertoire stretches across styles and occasionally uses flute or other instruments, and even full orchestra through digital recordings. Bells on the Hill is the handbell choir, ringing three octaves of Schulmerich bells and Malmark handchimes. The group rehearses most weeks except in the summer and provides special music several times a year. If you can count, you can play bells.
Faith formation for children and youth
Kid's Time with Jesus meets on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in the Gathering Rooms from mid-September through mid-June for children ages 3 and up, with Bible stories told through crafts, videos, storytelling, food, games, and connections to faith in everyday life. Vacation Bible School is shared with other area churches so that programs can be larger than any single church could host; children ages 3 to 12 are welcome whether they have been attending church for years or are new to faith, and friends are always welcome.
Confirmation is for young people in grade 6 and above, with classes meeting on the second and fourth Sundays of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Classes are run as a partnership among Lutheran congregations in the Pennridge cluster, and meeting locations rotate throughout the year. The Senior Youth Group gathers 6th through 12th graders about twice a month to plan church and youth events and to serve the wider community. Talent Night, Winter Watch Night, the Souper Bowl of Caring, the Gallery of the Arts in Sellersville, and packing weekend food bags through Ram Packs and Rachel's Closet are a few of the regular events on the calendar, along with outings for ice cream, sporting events, and joint youth gatherings with neighboring Lutheran churches.
Scouting America at St. Michael's
St. Michael's is the chartering organization for two scouting units that serve the wider community. Cub Scout Pack 1 is for boys and girls in kindergarten through fifth grade, ages 5 to 11, with dens meeting weekly or semi-weekly and the full pack gathering once a month. Scouts participate in camping trips, the Pinewood Derby, the Blue and Gold Banquet, summer camp, parades, road clean-ups, food drives, and visits to local retirement and nursing homes. Scout Troop 1 B serves boys ages 11 to 18, organized into patrols of mixed age and experience, with an emphasis on outdoor adventure including mountain biking, the Klondike Derby, swimming, canoeing, fishing, and camping. The pack and troop are led by volunteers under the guidance of the Chartered Organization Representative Joel B. Grove.
Adult learning and small groups
Dwelling in the Word is a small group of adults who meet weekly to listen to scripture together, guided by the Holy Spirit. No prior Bible knowledge is required; the only expectation is to come and dwell with the Word. The group is open to anyone who would like to join. Pub Theology is another adult offering, gathering at a local restaurant to discuss faith, life, and everything else with the pastors over a beverage of choice.
Music and the arts
Carol Nase has served as the Director of Music since 1996. She came to the Pennridge area in 1971, helped establish the Pennridge Cluster Choir, and has built a multi-decade career as an organist and choir director. She also runs a long-running Suzuki piano studio and, for nearly two decades, organized a summer music camp. She holds a BA in music from Muhlenberg College. Under her leadership, the Alleluia Choir and Bells on the Hill share the chancel each week with the praise of the gathered people.
Fellowship, prayer, and pastoral care
Fellowship Hour follows every Sunday service in the Fellowship Hall, with coffee, tea, baked goods, and conversation. The homebound are visited by the pastor and lay visitors, who offer prayers and Holy Communion. The church's prayer team lifts up members and the broader community in regular prayer, and a card ministry sends encouragement, congratulations, and get-well wishes to parishioners. Pastor Ann M. Shade, who joined the congregation on April 1, 2024, and was ordained on May 11, 2024, sees the relational heart of ministry as central. After more than twenty years in administration and human resources and a Master of Divinity from United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia, she describes her call as one focused on Christ's peace and grace working through human relationships.
Community meals and the Garden of Eat'n
St. Michael's invites the community to join it for a free meal on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Garden of Eat'n is a partnership with Jerusalem Lutheran Church in which the two congregations maintain a garden whose harvest goes to local food pantries.
Appalachia Service Project and supported ministries
Each summer the congregation fields a team of youth and adults to the Appalachia Service Project, where they help make homes in central Appalachia warmer, safer, and drier. A yearly chow chow sale helps fund the trip, with volunteers cutting, canning, and packing jars of the relish over a long weekend each fall.
The congregation also supports a long list of regional ministries through monthly special offerings, volunteer time, and the regular collection of needed items. The monthly calendar includes Upper Bucks Code Blue, which works to keep people experiencing homelessness safe during the cold months; Pennridge FISH, a local food pantry and clothing ministry; Fostering Hope, which supports children in foster care; NOVA, working with the Hogar Cuna community; Lutheran Community at Telford; Gemma Services; Ram Packs, which provides weekend food for schoolchildren; and Welcome Church, reaching out to people in recovery. In addition, the congregation collects socks, underwear, and toiletries for these partners during seasonal drives and supports the Pennridge Crop Walk for Hunger each year.
Wider Lutheran and ecumenical ties
Beyond the immediate Pennridge area, the church gives through Lutheran World Relief, an ELCA affiliated ministry, and supports the broader work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Confirmation and youth ministries are intentionally cooperative with the Pennridge cluster of Lutheran churches, and the Sellersville Church and Cemetery Corporation remains a shared trust with St. Paul's United Church of Christ next door.
Sellersville Cemetery
Because the cemetery is part of the church's story and remains an active ministry, the church maintains maps, grave indexes, and a veterans index for the grounds. Graves date back to 1823, predating the founding of the church, and the cemetery is sometimes referred to as St. Michael's Cemetery because of its proximity to the building. The Cemetery Corporation is the steward, the Sellersville Cemetery is open to the wider community, and the church office can field questions from families seeking records.
The pastoral team and how to get involved
Pastor Ann M. Shade leads worship, preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. Carol Nase directs the music ministry. Barbara A. Nemecek, a lifelong member of St. Michael's and a retired Pennridge School District teacher, serves as Director of Christian Education and organizes Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. David Alburger, a retired information technology professional, has maintained the church's web presence since 2005 and now produces the livestream and runs the sound and projection systems. Barbara Grove serves as Office Administrator and often is the first voice a visitor hears on the phone or the first face at the door. To get involved, newcomers can call the church office at 215-257-6040 between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or email st.michael.luth@verizon.net to be put in touch with the pastor or with the ministry that interests them.