Founded in 1925, Mount Lebanon United Lutheran Church is one of 8,400 congregations of the 2.68 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We are a congregation of about 800+ baptized members.
Some of our members were born and raised in this congregation, but the great majority have joined more recently. Many come from a background other than Lutheran, which means that we welcome people from all sorts of faith journeys, and we welcome the questions they bring. What we have in common is a desire to know and love God more deeply and use our gifts to care for all God’s people.
Welcome to Mount Lebanon Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! Our congregation is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran denomination in North America.
We formed as a faith community in 1925 and moved to our present location in the mid-1950s. We have been blessed by God with faith to meet challenges and celebrate joys. Christ is the center of our life. We believe Jesus is Lord, sent into the world to redeem us from sin and to create God’s beloved community. Our values are grounded in faith, our biblical and Lutheran confessional sources, and our love of God and neighbor. They speak to the way we live and practice our faith, and guide how we journey as a church.
We are reconciled to God by forgiving mercy. Forgiveness and reconciliation flow from what God has done in Jesus Christ.
Each person is created in God's image. We respect this God-given dignity and, following Jesus as Lord, show love and compassion for all people.
As Christ's church, we value the richness of God's creation and offer a radical welcome to all people, appreciating our common humanity and our differences.
The 66 canonical books of the Old and New Testaments – is God’s word, the authority of our life. We read and interpret scripture in light of our belief in the revelation of God as Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The historic church creeds are a part of our weekly worship.
Faithful stewardship is the belief that everything belongs to God, which we manage with great care.
My wife, Barbara, and I have served in Mount Lebanon for over 14 years. We have three grown children. I welcome you to join us for worship, to experience Jesus’ love for you, and to become a part of our church family.
--Pastor Douglas M. Heagy
Guided by Faith, United in Service
Mount Lebanon Lutheran Church was founded in 1925, shortly after the opening of the Liberty Tunnels connected the city of Pittsburgh with what is now the South Hills. Our first church home was built in today’s uptown business district, but the congregation quickly outgrew the space and began seeking a larger property to serve the growing, automobile-centered community. In 1957, our current sanctuary was dedicated, later underwent significant renovations, and still serves as our spiritual home. For more than a century, Mount Lebanon Lutheran has persevered in faith, serving the Lord in our neighborhood, the wider Pittsburgh area, and beyond.
In the early years, worship services were held at Washington School and were led by our first senior pastor, the Reverend Hervey E. Harman, who died unexpectedly in 1926 at age 51. Our first church building was completed in 1927 at Academy Avenue and Washington Road. The congregation continued to grow through the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war years. Recognizing the need for more space and off-street parking, the congregation purchased land near the corner of Washington and Cochran Roads in 1950.
In 1954, ground was broken for a new Education Wing, and by 1955 the lower level was ready for worship services. Work on the current sanctuary began in 1957, the steeple was raised in 1958, and the full church building was dedicated that same year. During the 1960s, Sunday School and other congregational programs expanded, local mission efforts continued, and the church began supporting missionaries in Tanzania and Malaysia.
From the late 1980s into the new millennium, the congregation undertook a series of significant building improvements. The altar area was redesigned with surrounding communion rails to evoke the table of the Last Supper, a columbarium was added, and both the Narthex and Nave were renovated to enrich the worship experience. Accessibility and comfort were enhanced through the installation of an elevator, an accessible restroom and changing area, air conditioning, wider aisles, and improved acoustics. The music program was reenergized and expanded.
In the early 2000s and beyond, Mount Lebanon Lutheran continued to steward its facilities and ministries. A custom-designed Fratelli Ruffatti pipe organ was installed, a second columbarium was added, and classrooms and educational technology were updated. The church library was relocated and expanded, the Youth Room was reimagined, and new broadcast capabilities now allow worship services to be livestreamed. Under current pastoral leadership, outreach ministries have grown in impact locally, regionally, and globally. We look forward to our next 100 years!
