Our Churches

The moral guidance that nurtures this trust is bolstered by the churches of our community which continue to play a vital role in the growth and beautification of Brentwood.

Nearly 9,000 members are listed on the rolls of the eight churches located in our borough. Every community throughout this great nation points with pride and reverence to its churches as the backbone of the community. Not only do they provide the religious services and guidance, but also enrich the lives of the residents with many social activities.

Concordia Lutheran Church

Concordia Lutheran Church, located at 3109 Brownsville Road, dedicated its church on December 18, 1927, with a membership of approximately 230 souls. The Reverend George Thomas was its first minister when the church group met in February, 1924, in the basement of the Elroy School. German services were held every other Sunday at 4:30 P.M.

The church building was renovated and expanded with an educational and fellowship building in 1960. Like so many churches, the Concordia Lutheran Church grew out of the development of the suburbs. Members of First St. Paul Lutheran Church, South Side and Trinity Luthern Church, Mt. Oliver, who had moved to the Carrick and Brentwood areas formed Concordia.

Concordia has Divine Service at 10:30 a.m. during the school year and at 10:00 a.m. during the summer.

Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer

First Church of Christ, Scientist

The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Brentwood, held its first services in its own building at 3337 Brownsville Road in 1958. This church is an authorized branch of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Massachusetts.

Dedication was held September 21, 1931. The church added a new sanctuary and ten classrooms in 1960 at a cost of about $85,000.00.

The church began with a membership of seventeen and now numbers two hundred seventy-five. The present clergyman is Mr. David A. Freeman.

Services on Sunday include Bible School at 9:45 A.M. and Morning Worship at 11:00 A.M.

Brentwood Presbyterian Church

The Brentwood Presbyterian Church, located at 3725 Brownsville Road, uses May 5, 1929, as its birth date. But the real beginning in the hearts and minds of a small group occurred on October 24, 1920. These people met in the home of Mrs. Mary P. Cowan on Brownsville Road and organized a mission of Concord Presbyterian Church. The Reverend C. E. Ludwig, pastor of Concord Church led this group.

More than a year later the church had grown sufficiently to form a Ladies Aid Society, which was the nucleus of the fund-raising campaign and provided much of the preliminary planning for the present church. The first morning church service was held March 4, 1923, in the Brentwood Municipal Building for twenty persons. Services were held in the Municipal Building from 1920 to 1926.

The Graper Property, present site of the Church, was purchased June 11, 1924. The congregation moved to Moore School on October 24, 1926. Ground was broken, and the cornerstone laid for the new church on March 26, 1933. Formal dedication for the church and Sunday school building was held on September 24, 1933. The church has grown in membership from 68 to 850 members.

On March 1, 1931, Reverned Louis Westphal, the first full-time minister, preached his initial sermon. On March 8, 1951 Miss Elizabeth Sharp became the first Director of Christian Education.

Sunday Service and Church School are held at 11:00 A.M. and 9:45 A.M., respectively.

Saint Peter's Episcopal Church

St. Peter's Episcopal Church, located at 4048 Brownsville Road, began as a Church School for sixteen persons, and first met at Moore School in Brentwood in March, 1939. A few months later, Sunday services were offered at Baldwin High School. The new congregation was first called "St. Mary's Episcopal Church," but soon St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Oakland accepted the congregation as their parochial mission, and the name of the mother church was taken. The Reverend J. Frederick Virgin, Rector of the Oakland Parish, served the new mission for some time.

A site was purchased and a small church building was erected for $20,000.00 and dedicated June 15, 1941. A second unit was completed in 1950.

In January, 1945, the Reverend James Joseph became Vicar of the mission, and a rectory was purchased on Prospect Road, Whitewall. He served until 1951, when Reverend Don Gross became the second Vicar for congregation.

The new beautiful green stone church was designed by the late Father Joseph when he was Vicar. When built in 1958, St. Peter's Church was the first Episcopal edifice designed around a free-standing Altar.

Minister was Reverend Richard W Davies. The Reverend Everett Campbell, Ph.D., became assistant to the Rector in 1962. One of the outstanding outreach programs begun by the Parish in 1959 is St.

Peter's Child Development Centers, Inc., a developmental service for mentally retarded children and their parents. Present Vicar is Reverend Ira Houck, III.

Sunday services are offered at 8:00, 10:00 A.M. and 12:00 Noon. Weekday services are offered each morning.

St. Sylvester's Roman Catholic Church

St. Sylvester's Church, 3754 Brownsville Road, was formed from parish territory taken from St. Wendelin's Church. It was to include the Borough of Brentwood, then a sparsely settled area of ninety Catholic families.

A committee of L. McLaughlin, J. E. Muenz, W. G. Horn, M. Dowling, B. P. Elker and C. W. Calverly, petitioned Bishop Hugh C. Boyle for the establishment of a Church with a priest to provide Mass for the people of the borough. The petition was granted to establish a mission church, and Father Jules Utecht, Pastor of St. Wendelin's was assigned to the mission. This effort resulted in the purchase of the property on West Willock Road and the completion of a mission church. The small frame church was dedicated by the Very Reverend William McMullen on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1924. Formal burning of this mortgage took place on Thanksgiving Day, 1926. In

1927, due to expansion, St. Sylvester's was raised from mission status to that of a parish.

The Reverend Joseph V. Sharp was appointed the first pastor of St. Sylvester's and took up residence in a rented house near the Church. He purchased a plot of ground of the Cowan estate with a frontage of 220 feet on Brownsville Road and a depth of 150 feet on Willock Road, adjoining the original plot obtained in 1924. This property, with the rectory, was purchased for the price of $20,000.00. Upon the death of Father Sharp, Father Richard Hamilton assumed the duties of pastor.

Work on the combination Church-School building was begun in June, 1933, and the church portion was dedicated on Sunday, September 9, 1934. In 1948, the original frame church was converted into the present convent after many major alterations. The school opened in September, 1948.

Ground breaking for the present stone church took place April 3, 1955. The cornerstone was laid on September 16, 1956, and the dedication was held February 23, 1957.

St Sylvester's mission began with approximately 300 families, and the church has grown to 2100 families.

Mass: 6:00 p.m. Saturday, 8:00, 10:00 and 12:00 Sunday.

South Hills Congregational Church

The South Hills Congregational Church, located at 3319 Brownsville Road, opened its doors in Brentwood on April 7, 1963, With a church population of 132. Reverend Victor F. Patterson was the first minister.

The sanctuary of the church was enlarged, remodeled, refurnished and air conditioned in 1975. This building had been a private residence and was converted into the church.

The congregation is independent, but voluntarily affiliated in fellowship with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ministers of this church have been: Reverend Victor F. Patterson, Reverend George W. Kemp, Reverend Louis B. Holzer and the present pastor, Reverend David M. Clawson.

Church services are held on Sundays at 9:30 A.M.. Church school classes for all ages are held each Sunday at 10:30 A.M..

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

The Zion Evangelical Church located on the corner of Brownsville Road and Route 51, is considered the oldest Lutheran Church west of the Alleghenies and began in the closing years of the I 700's. The congregation was formed by the Reverend Johannes Stauch who labored in Washington County as early as 1794.

On August 20, 1810, the original church site was deeded by John Varner for the purpose of erecting a meeting house and grave yard.

in 1812, the first church home was erected. It was a log building constructed during the pastorate of the Reverend G. Heinric Waygandt. In 1836, a second church structure was erected. A third church, red brick and stone, was dedicated on February 25, 1906. This brick church was to serve the congregation for nearly, fifty years, and was a district landmark in the community. In March, 1906, the congregation was officially incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The name was entered at that time as Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Baldwin Township.

The fourth and present church building was constructed during the pastorate of Dr. O.H. Boening and was dedicated on December 18, 1955. It is the fourth Lutheran worship center to be constructed on this site! It is handi-capped accessible.

The church has a membership of 875. Reverend Paul F. Gysan and Reverend Susan Lutter are the pastors of Zion. Church services are held Sundays at 8:15 and 10:45 A. M. Summer worship, 9:30 A. M. Sunday. School, September-May, at 9:30.