A little history will tell you how Christ Lutheran came to be. To
promote Christian teaching and practice in the Lutheran tradition in
this area, a young seminarian by the name of Fred Feinsinger, who was
supported by two large Lutheran congregations in Boston, led canvass
and door-knocking efforts, beginning in 1937. The congregation
incorporated in 1941 and purchased property at 597 Belmont Street. The
church building was constructed and dedicated in 1949. The congregation
began the Nursery School in 1950.
From a membership high of 250, Christ Lutheran began a new
congregation for many who were coming from further west, and thus gave
birth to Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Bedford in 1958. About 100
persons transferred to the new start.
In 1972 the church purchased its excellent tracker pipe organ, build by
Hutchins-Votey of Boston in 1901, from the Trappist monastery in
Spencer, MA. Twice a month professional organists come to play the 9
a.m. Sunday service on this fine instrument. On other Sundays
guitarists lead the singing.
In 1978 the congregation ended its membership in the
nationwide Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to pursue more ecumenical
ties with other Christian communities of faith in the Association of
Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC). In 1988 the AELC merged with two
other Lutheran bodies to form the 5.1-million member Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). But the growing power of bishops
over congregational polity forced the congregation and its pastor to
leave the ELCA in 2002, to become a free and independent evangelical
Lutheran congregation dedicated to providing needed services to our
local communities.
Into the future, Christ Lutheran is always looking for ways to
better serve the communities around it. We endeavor to be friendly,
welcoming people among whom the Spirit of God is evident to lead people
into deeper knowledge, faith and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ. If
you have a suggestion about how we can apply our considerable resources
to meet a need, please don't hesitate to
contact us about it.
