A BRIEF HISTORY OF
ST. ANDREW'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

During the 1950's, the Lutheran population in Lower Providence Township was growing rapidly; however, there was no Lutheran church in the immediate area. Individuals had to drive to Norristown, Phoenixville, and Trappe to attend a Lutheran church service. As the Audubon area continued to grow, the need for a local Lutheran church became more and more apparent. In1959, St. Andrew's Evangelical Church was organized. The original congregation met in a rented store in the Colonial Shopping Center in Eagleville. The Rev. James Austin was called as St. Andrew's first pastor. In one year, church membership had grown so much that it was necessary to rent the adjacent store as well. The congregation continued to grow rapidly.

In 1960 the present ground was purchased. In 1962 the first sanctuary was built. The Rev. John G. Huber, Jr. accepted the call to St. Andrew's in 1965. Dramatic growth continued under his leadership. Soon additional programmatic space was needed.   Fellowship Hall was added and dedicated in 1971. St. Andrew's Nursery School was established in 1972 and went on to become the pre-eminent nursery school in the area.

In 1985, the Rev. Thomas T. Kochenderfer, Jr. accepted the call to St. Andrew's. Once again, a space crunch was felt in all areas of the church life. Additional space was needed for worship, Christian Education, Social Ministry programs, as well as for the Nursery School. A Long-Range Planning Committee was formed to study the congregation's needs and to propose solutions to the space crunch problem.

In 1994, the congregation embarked on yet another building program. By December 1995, a magnificent new sanctuary and beautiful St. Andrew's Hall were built and renovations to the original sanctuary were completed. Fellowship Hall area renovations were completed by February 1996, followed by final landscaping to the church grounds during the Spring.

As a consequence of the new sanctuary and renovated facilities, the congregation continued to grow and soon was faced with another space crunch; not enough room for classes, meetings and storage. In May of 2006, the congregation voted to buy the adjacent property on the east side of our parking lot. During the summer, the necessary renovations were made, making space in the house useable for classes, meetings, and youth activities. This has given us breathing room for our programs and opens up other options for the future.

St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Church lifts up Jesus to our community

 in worship through word and sacrament, education and service.

With God's help, we will continue the work of His son, Jesus Christ.