Who We Are
Atonement was established in 1894 and is located in the fabulous Fishtown neighborhood.
We are a congregation of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We are a Reconciling In Christ (RIC) Congregation.
The Church of the Atonement is a community of disciples seeking to grow in faith and in love towards God and our neighbors. Worship on Sunday (11 am) is the central part of our life together. We follow the pattern of worship that has been used by Christians since ancient times. In other words, if you've seen Catholic or Episcopal liturgies then we will look similar. We are a people who are constantly being renewed by Jesus Christ. We aren't perfect. But we put our faith and trust in a God who is gracious and forgiving. That gives us hope for a new day.
Reconciling In Christ
Being a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation means that we have committed to a process where we publicly welcome LGBTQ+ people into the life and ministry of our church. It is an ever evolving process. We never settle for believing that we have reached a perfect state. Rather, we seek to create a ‘brave space’ where we can honestly strive together to be the kind of community we believe Jesus is calling us to be. As a RIC Congregation, we were accepted onto a national roster maintained by ReconcilingWorks after adopting an affirmation of welcome at the full congregational level. Other denominations use "Open and Affirming" or similar terms to describe the same concept.
Find an RIC Community Near You
The following links can help you find a community like ours near you:
There are many other welcoming and affirming Christian communities that may not appear in those lists. Please contact us if you need help in connecting with one more convenient to you.