A 1723 Settlement in Tulpehocken
Emmanuel's Evangelical Lutheran Church sits along Valley View Drive, a few miles west of Bath, between Bethlehem to the south and Northampton to the east, in eastern Northampton County. It is one of the older Lutheran congregations in Pennsylvania, tracing its origin to 1723, when German families from the Palatinate region of the upper Rhine made their way into a fertile valley the Lenape called Tulpehocken, which means "place of the turtle."
The families came carrying Bibles, a deep religious feeling about everyday life, and music that was a part of their devotion. They had been invited to Pennsylvania in 1722 by Governor William Keith, who traveled to Albany to recruit settlers willing to farm the contested lands between Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Family names from those first families - Miller, Beil, Becker, Schneider, Schaeffer - still appear in the church records and on local tax rolls today. The settlers built their first church as a log cabin roughly two hundred feet southeast of the present brick structure, sometime between 1723 and 1733. The oldest readable tombstone in the burial ground dates to February 14, 1760, but wooden markers from earlier burials on family homesteads may be lost to time.
The 1850 Brick Church and Its Pipe Organ
That first log cabin church served the congregation for a generation, but by the Revolutionary era it was too worn down to host worship. Services moved to the local log schoolhouse, which also stood on the property, and the group became known as "The Old Schoolhouse Congregation." Some of those members helped found daughter congregations in the surrounding country, including Stone Church at Kreidersville, Salem at Moorestown, Little Moore Church, and St. Paul's at Indianland.
In 1850, the congregation built a new brick church at a cost of $3,244.73 and named it Emmanuel's Church, a name that means "God is with us." That structure is still in use today as the Sanctuary. A cornerstone was laid on October 10, 1850, and when it was opened in 1953, a tin box was found containing a German Bible, two catechisms (one Lutheran and one Reformed), and a hand-written document thought to be a church history. The document was sent to the Pennsylvania Historical Society in Philadelphia for restoration; only part was salvageable, and it was sealed back inside the cornerstone.
A pipe organ was installed around 1910, with about half its cost covered by a grant from Andrew Carnegie. Cement sidewalks were laid in 1903, electric lights replaced kerosene lamps in the early twentieth century, and the original pews without a center aisle were eventually replaced with pews that had an aisle, considered better for weddings. A hardwood floor was given by the Harold Beil family in 1967. The first Christmas candlelight services were held in 1965, the year bathroom facilities were added.
Two Sunday Mornings, Two Rooms
Worship at Emmanuel's happens twice each Sunday morning in two distinct settings. The 8:45 AM Spirited Traditional service fills the historic Sanctuary and features hymns on the organ alongside modern liturgy that changes weekly and seasonally. At 10:00 AM, the Celebration Contemporary service fills the Contemporary Worship Hall, a separate space added in the early 1970s and finished in time for the church's 250th anniversary celebration in 1973, with a worship band, theologically rich and lyrically impactful music, and modern-language liturgy that also changes weekly and seasonally.
Coffee and light snacks are a regular part of the 10:00 AM service, with everyone welcome to enjoy them before, during, or after worship. Communion is offered at both services with rare exception. Both worship spaces use video projection so all the words and lyrics appear on screen, making printed bulletins optional. The dress is "come as you are" and the welcome is intentional. The church's own words: "No pressure, no expectations. Come as you are, and be affirmed exactly as you are."
God with Us, Blessed to Be a Blessing
The name Emmanuel, "God is with us," is more than a historical label. It is the congregation's stated motto and the lens through which they see their work. Their mission language calls members to reach out and grow in Christ's love, affirming that all are welcome to come as they are and that the church simply mirrors the unconditional love God has already given. The tagline "Blessed to be a blessing to others" turns the same conviction outward: at the heart of their mission is serving neighbors both locally and beyond, following Jesus' example in all they do.
The congregation belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Until 1968 Emmanuel's had been a union church shared with a Reformed congregation. That year, both congregations voted to separate, and effective January 1, 1969, the building became a Lutheran church alone. Most of the Reformed members simply transferred their membership across the aisle.
The Music Carried Down Three Centuries
Music has been a continuous thread from the first Palatine settlers to today's blended worship life. Bobby Siegfried serves as Director of Music and Dana Kaycon directs the choir and handbells. The Celebration band leads the 10:00 AM service while the Sanctuary organ and choir carry the 8:45 AM liturgy. Members of the congregation are invited to sponsor the flowers that beautify both worship spaces and the bulletins used each Sunday, with vases and bulletins dedicated by individuals and families throughout the year.
Children, Sunday School, and Summer VBS
Sunday School runs alongside the Sunday worship hour, providing a parallel program for children while their parents attend either service. The church celebrates graduates of all ages during a Sunday service in early June. Every summer brings Vacation Bible School to the building, with the contemporary worship hall and the first floor transformed into an immersive themed environment for an entire week in mid-June, an evening program designed for the kids of the church and the wider community. Confirmation classes for young people culminate in a special Sunday service each spring.
Worship from Anywhere
Both Sunday services are livestreamed simultaneously on the church's Facebook page and YouTube channel, and recordings are available on demand shortly after each service ends. No Facebook or YouTube account is required to watch the public livestreams. For those without internet access, an audio-only phone line carries each service live, a number published each week alongside the bulletin download links. Weekly bulletins and announcement inserts can be downloaded in advance, and past services can be revisited at any time on either platform.
The Slate Belt Service Area
The church draws members from Bath, Northampton, Bethlehem, Danielsville, and the surrounding townships. Its location makes it accessible to people scattered across the Slate Belt, a name long associated with this corner of Northampton County. The pastor and staff welcome questions, prayer requests, and pastoral conversations through the church office, and visitors who want to connect can reach out by phone, email, or the contact form on the church site.
Stay Connected Through the Informer
A monthly newsletter called the Informer keeps the congregation and friends current on classes, service projects, fellowship events, and seasonal rhythms like Lent, Advent, and the annual Christmas cantata. The church maintains active Facebook and YouTube presences, and a weekly e-news signup is available for those who want updates by email. Online giving supports the church's local outreach and broader mission work. Weather-related schedule changes are posted promptly, with any cancellations or shifts to online-only worship noted on the church site.