How Bethlehem faith is meeting changing community needs

In some corners of Bethlehem, churches that once had congregations filling the pews each week now sit quiet and vacant. 

Just blocks away, however, other churches are growing, drawing in young worshippers and multilingual communities and bringing people back to faith. 

Pastor Jon Schwartz of Life Church said empty and abandoned churches — once built to be beacons of hope, light and a place of safety — reflect a need for renewed community engagement.

He said this transformation has been shaped by the lasting effects of COVID, changing demographics and a growing expectation for churches to serve as both places of worship and centers of community support. 

“There’s an increase in hunger for God and spirituality,” Schwartz said. 

Schwartz, who has been a part of Life Church’s executive leadership for over a decade and the senior pastor for the past couple of years, said younger generations are showing increased interest in worship.

“They’re looking for answers,” he said. “They’re looking for authentic real-life encounters with God, not just talking heads. They want to truly experience God’s presence and opportunities and to put their faith in action. Churches that are like ourselves, that are very outward, focused and serving the community, are very much attractive to the Gen Z and the millennial generations.”

Young people’s search for authenticity and connection is shaping which churches grow and which struggle to survive. 

Some congregations in Bethlehem have seen declining attendance since the pandemic, a trend Schwartz said reflects a broader national pattern. He doesn’t expect those numbers to rebound on their own. 

“I don’t see (attendance issues) improving dramatically unless churches are much more intentional on reaching the next generation,” he said. “Churches like ours are growing because we have our ear to the ground and are willing to understand what the needs of the next generation are.”

At Nativity Cathedral, the Rev. Canon Maryann Philbrook Sturges said attendance has steadily increased since 2022 after dropping during the height of COVID. 

“People are coming back to church,” Sturges said. “Something has happened, and they want to come back and find that faith community.”

She said some returning congregants had left previous churches because they disagreed with the messaging or felt disconnected, and their return reflects a deliberate search for communities aligned with their values.

Sturges described Bethlehem’s religious landscape as vibrant and diverse.

“There’s a lot happening in different religious congregations,” Sturges said. “People are looking for what religion has to offer in new ways. There seems to be a revitalization and growth happening that Bethlehem is definitely a part of.”

That diversity is visible in how churches worship and who they serve. 

Nativity Cathedral introduced Spanish-language services in 2019. Since then, attendance has grown significantly, rising from around 15 to about 50 people in just a few years. Many other local churches now offer services in both English and Spanish to meet the needs of Bethlehem’s multilingual community. 

“We’re not a monolingual community, and our church lives reflect that,” Sturges said. “There are people worshipping in different languages all over Bethlehem.”

Nativity Cathedral has seen growth in younger Spanish-speaking members of its congregation. 

Apostle Ese Duke, founder of Ese Duke Ministry, said his congregation includes worshippers from more than 30 nations.

Duke said language barriers don’t prevent participation. Some Spanish-speaking attendees join English-language services, drawn by the experience of worship and prayer. 

“Praying for the sick — it doesn’t matter what language (it’s in), they understand,” Duke said. “People will come because they are not feeling well and they want to be prayed for.”

He said this distinction between intellectual engagement and experiential faith is shaping church attendance patterns.

At Ese Duke Ministry, he said services focused on healing and prayer draw larger crowds, while Bible study gatherings often see lower turnout.

“South Side’s atmosphere leans toward the prophetic and apostolic kind of ministry where people want to be prayed for,” Duke said. “People are struggling, so they need help. When they hear that a church is meeting social, economic and physical needs, they gravitate toward that.” 

Duke said this pattern reflects the pressures many community members face, including rising housing costs, gaps in health care access, food insecurity and ongoing economic strain. 

Across Bethlehem, religious leaders at Life Church, Nativity Cathedral, Ese Duke Ministry and Bethlehem Interfaith Group are responding by providing both practical and spiritual support. 

Schwartz said many people participate in Life Church’s “Serve Day” initiatives, where hundreds volunteer in community projects addressing homelessness, poverty and the needs of the city’s Hispanic population. The church also partners with local nonprofits and is exploring ways to support affordable housing development. 

“We’re definitely seeing an increase in community and church involvement,” Schwartz said. “We can’t be the answer to everything, but we want to be a part of it.”

Nativity Cathedral regularly hosts nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, outreach programs and organizes events such as school supply drives that serve hundreds of families. 

“Our goal is to make our church building a public space that is used by the community, for the community,” Sturges said. 

Ese Duke Ministry takes a similar approach, providing food, laptops and school supplies — efforts that often bring new people to the ministry. 

Deborah Appler, a founding member of the Bethlehem Interfaith Group, said the network has grown steadily since its founding in 2017 by Rabbi Michael Singer. It now includes 26 active congregations representing Christian, Jewish, Bahá’í and Muslim traditions.

Appler said monthly meetings focus on friendship, education and social justice, bringing together leaders from churches, synagogues, mosques and institutions, including Lehigh and Moravian University. 

“The group really cares about building relationships,” Appler said. “That means paying attention to words, theology, and really recognizing how much each tradition brings to everyone’s journey. I find that really powerful.”

Through interfaith visits to different houses of worship, known as “Faith Crawl,” and shared events, the group works to build understanding across traditions. 

Appler said members have recently responded to concerns about antisemitism, Islamophobia and food insecurity. 

Bethlehem Interfaith Group has also written letters to elected officials and supported affected communities in response to local issues. 

As faith communities continue to adapt, leaders said the future of congregations depends on embracing change, welcoming new populations and reimagining how they serve their communities. 

Local leaders see opportunity in greater collaboration.

“I would really like to see the churches come together, work together and focus on being a force in the area,” Duke said.