St. Lukes Church History

The history of our new St. Luke’s Fellowship Church is actually incredibly short, at this time. In July of 2024, St. Luke’s moved into the future and chose to become St. Luke’s Fellowship Church, a Non-denominational Christian Church. God is still writing our story! With God’s help, this new chapter of the St. Luke’s story will move this congregation towards new opportunities that will help us continue to spread God’s Words of love, hope and joy.

For the original story of this congregation, however, you have to go all the way back to 1742, back when George Washington was only ten years old. Long before Trappe Borough had a name, the area was known as Providence. During this time Rev. John Philip Boehm, a former schoolmaster from Germany, settled in the area and founded twelve churches. In November of 1742, with the first services held in German, 19 members gathered in a barn and held the first recorded communion of The Reformed Church at Providence.

By 1747, the small congregation had grown large enough that they could build a log church at the corner of what is now route 113 and Ridge Pike. During the Revolutionary War, this church building was used as a hospital for soldiers who were wounded at the Battle of Brandywine.

In the year 1835, the congregation built a more permanent stone church on the site of the first log church. At that time, the people of the church decided to honor the time the past building had served as a hospital. They called their new church St. Luke’s, after Luke, the writer of the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. Paul's "Luke, the beloved physician" Colossians 4:14.

As with many congregations, membership fluctuated through the years, especially during the Civil War. The congregation remained strong, though, and dedicated themselves to spread God’s Word. In 1867 ground was purchased for a new church building. Finally, in 1874, the present church was completed. Materials from the second church, as well as the quarry in Yerkes, were used and the final cost of their new Sanctuary building was $8,000.00.

The buildings, the pastors, the people and the church affiliations have changed through the years, but the spirit and love of the congregation has not. The people of St. Luke’s remain rooted in a deep faith in God to lead us into the future.

Come join us on Sunday mornings to be part of our next chapter.