Federated Church
East Springfield PA

The Federated Church is interdenominational; everyone is welcome. This is reflected in our doctrinal statement (see link on left), which affirms our commitment to the essentials of the Christian faith while allowing for diversity in non-essentials.

We are evangelical. We believe in the Triune God-Father, Son and Holy Spirit; we believe in Jesus Christ as the incarnate Son of God, and in His atoning death, resurrection, ascension, and imminent return; we believe in the depravity of man and in the necessity of salvation by grace through faith; we believe in the Bible as the written Word of God, with full authority and without error; we practice baptism and the Lord’s Supper regularly, as well as dedication of children to the Lord.

As a church, we are committed to the unity of the Body of Christ. We try to demonstrate that unity by participation in services and ministries with other local churches, and through supporting other local and global ministries. We take seriously the prayer of Jesus in John 17:21, “that all may be one.”

 

http://www.fedchurch.net/  

 

The Federated Church is a federation (union) of two churches in East Springfield, the Presbyterian Church, founded in 1804, and the Christian Church, founded in 1825. In 1931, under the leadership of the pastors of the two churches, the union was achieved and East Springfield had one church. Dr. P.H. Augustine

In the middle 30s, the church called Dr. P.H. Augustine to serve as pastor. For more than 40 years, Dr. Augustine led the church and led us through many stages of growth and ministry. This included the rebuilding of the church building after a fire destroyed it in 1938, and the addition of offices and classrooms, and expansion of the sanctuary.

Throughout the years, the church has had a strong commitment to reach young people. This led to the establishment of youth groups, Sunday School, and children’s choirs in the early years, and the building of the WLD Ranch in the 1960s. Dr. Augustine also led us into a world vision, and we became a supporting church for many missionaries, including some of our own people.

In the 60s, the church experienced dramatic growth, and Dr. Augustine began to develop a staff of pastors to share the ministry, including the preaching. One of those called to help was his son, Wayne, who later became the church’s pastor in 1977, upon Dr. Augustine’s retirement. Pastor Wayne maintained the strong ministries begun under his father, and took us further into both radio and counseling outreach, as well as seminars to strengthen families.

In the 1980s, our youth ministry began to take an aggressive approach to evangelism, and under Pastor Rick Plucknett’s leadership, an even stronger outreach to young people was established. At the same time, new efforts to minister to the elderly, to singles, and to children were begun. All this led to the need for a new facility, the Federated Family Center, which was built debt-free by the grace of God in the early 1990s.

In 1993, Pastor Wayne Augustine moved to a new ministry, and the leadership mantle was passed on to Dr. Ed Huntley, one of several homegrown pastors in our history. Dr. Huntley and his staff (Associate Pastor Rick, Student Ministry Pastor Steve Pettis, and Children’s Ministry Pastor Matt Pushinsky, and Church Administrator Sam Ring) led the church into the 21st century to fulfill our purpose of rescuing, equipping and mobilizing every generation to make disciples of Christ.

In the late 1990s, the sanctuary was expanded again, adding a new nursery, new classrooms on the basement level, and an elevator to access those classrooms and the church dining room. In the early 2000s, the Federated Preschool was opened across the street, and the church building and the the Family Center were connected, creating a Welcome Center.

In 2014, Pastor Rick became our senior pastor (our fourth senior pastor in 80 years), and Pastor Ed returned to the associate pastor role that he filled before becoming the senior pastor. Under Pastor Rick’s leadership, the church is moving forward to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission.