Welcome

Welcome to the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church of Ephrata, please explore our site to learn more about us and our witness to Christ. We strive to recognize and celebrate the presence of Christ in the world around us. Holy Trinity has a long tradition of outreach and service to its members and the community. We hope you will join us for worship.

Who We Are

Holy Trinity is a congregation that celebrates the traditional Lutheran liturgies and sacraments of the church.  We are committed to:

  • Daily  Prayer

  • Weekly Worship

  • Study of God’s Word

  • Faithful Service

  • Living in Grace with Others

  • Giving of Self in Thanksgiving to God

  • We are devoted to Serving God’s Community

Meet the Pastor and our Staff

Pastor Mark R. Luscombe

Pastor Mark R. Luscombe began serving Holy Trinity in August, 2019.

Pastor Mark is a native of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Pittsburgh. A 2004 graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, he has served 15 years as a parish pastor. Pastor Mark comes to Holy Trinity from Faith Lutheran Church, Cicero, New York.

Pastor Mark’s areas of expertise are preaching, leading worship, interpreting theology, ministry in daily life, recruiting and equipping leaders, pastoral care, and visitation.

“As a pastor I believe the central piece of my calling is to assist those, with whom I serve God, shoulder to shoulder, in exploring anew or for the first time their relationship with their Creator and their Savior. Augmented with prayer and reflection, such faithful exploration guides each child of God in developing his or her discipleship-the hallmark of which is moving beyond the physical confines of the church to serve the needs of the world into which Jesus has called each of us and continues to do so daily.”

Debbie began serving the congregation as Organist and Bell Choir Director in March, 2025. A graduate of Lebanon Valley College with degrees in Music Education and Sacred Music, she has served congregations as an organist and choir director since 1983.

Debbie Fortna

Organist

 Sue has been the congregation's administrative assistant since August 2001. She holds an Associates Degree from Penn State University.

Sue Johns

Administrative Assistant

Deb has been serving the congregation as Senior Choir Director since 2008. She graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education, and was a public school music teacher and choral director for 39 years, retiring in 2023.

Deb Olsen

Choir Director

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church History

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church was organized in 1868. Holy Trinity was the first church within what was then Ephrata Village (Borough). Worship was first held in the former Mountain Springs Hotel, located across Main Street from the present building on the property where the current Hampton Inn is located.

A church building was erected at the present site of Holy Trinity in 1869. In 1951 the congregation voted to replace the church building and build a new one at the same site. The new building (our present building) was completed in September, 1952.

Through the years, the building underwent renovations and expansions. During the same time, the membership continued to grow.

In 2006 an arson fire destroyed the office building (former parsonage) located next to the church building. After careful planning, the destroyed building was razed. In its place an addition to the building was constructed. The addition contains a new entrance, offices, an all-purpose room/gymnasium, a new kitchen, gathering area, and meeting space.