Grace@Calvary sold
Nearly 132 years of history will come to an end Feb. 27, when Grace@Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church, 123 E. Diamond St., will have its last worship service. But its site as a center of services to the community will continue under new ownership.
The church, organized on Aug. 31, 1890, is the victim of the dwindling number of Lutherans in Butler and an excess of Lutheran churches in the city limits, said Jim Thompson, the church council president.
“We have a congregation of 140 to 150 people and average 45 people in attendance on Sunday, either in-person or by Zoom,” he said. Grace@Calvary hasn’t had a pastor since the Rev. Tara Lynn left in August 2020, said Thompson.
Acting Bishop Abraham Allende of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America said the synod worked with the church to find another pastor, but “the church decided it couldn’t afford one and made the decision to close.”
Thompson said the handwriting was on the wall. “There are four Lutheran churches in town (St. Mark’s, First English, Grace@Calvary and Trinity Lutheran) and not enough people to go around,” said Thompson. “We are in the process of dissolving the congregation and closing the church.”
A portion of this story is shared with you as a digital media exclusive. To read the full story and support our local, independent newsroom, please subscribe at butlereagle.com.
