New Lutheran Church Gratefully Receives Stained Glass Window

PHILADELPHIA (ELCA) -- Because he loves the church, Dennis Roberts, a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod layman, has donated his time and $25,000 worth of materials for an unusual stained glass window. It's been assembled this week by more than 1,000 voting members and visitors to the biennial Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America meeting Aug. 14-20 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, presented the window to 20 members of New Life Lutheran Church, New Tripoli, Pa. Anderson commented that the creation of a window has "become a tradition" at churchwide assemblies where "we join hands with new ministries and offer them the prayers and best wishes of all the members of the ELCA."
Pastor-developer Robert D. Machamer Jr. started New Life Lutheran Church in 1989, a rural, family-oriented congregation with more than 300 members. Early worship services were held in an elementary school. Their new building was dedicated three weeks ago.
Machamer sees rich symbolism in placing the window in the church sanctuary. "All members of the ELCA are committed to support this new congregation with their prayers and gifts," he said. "The Spirit of God is the epoxy which holds the window together."
On behalf of the New Life congregation, Marilyn Oswald told the assembly, "A saint is a person who lets the light of heaven shine through. The light of heaven has shined through you in this beautiful stained glass window."
New Life Vice President Susan Reffie observed that many assembly participants who placed a piece of glass in previous windows "couldn't wait to do it again." This is the third window that has been assembled by attendees at an ELCA biennial meeting.
Dennis Roberts, IHS Studios, Fredericksburg, Texas, worked with Machamer and members of the church for six months to create the design for the window. The design incorporates the theme of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, "Making Christ Known: Alive in Our Heritage and Hope!" and the church's logo. Members of the congregation helped pour the epoxy which holds the pieces of glass in place.
During the first few days of the ELCA assembly, voting members and visitors placed 1103 glass pieces into the pre-planned design, which is the upper portion of the window's center panel. Participants received a duplicate piece of glass to take home for a souvenir. They also signed a huge greeting card for the receiving congregation.
Assembly participants assembled the upper half of the 15-foot- high center panel. The other two 12-foot panels will be built at the IHS studio in Texas. The entire window will be shipped to New Tripoli and carefully assembled at the church site. By Oct. 1 members of New Life will install and dedicate the window.
"It took the Lord several years to get me into this work and ministry," Roberts remarked. "Each year our studio looks forward to the congregation's excitement and anticipation" as the plans come together. In the computer-generated window designs he tries to use easily recognized Christian symbols, plus more abstract designs. He works with all denominations, usually with 25-30 churches at a time.
Roberts' company is a family effort with his wife managing the marketing and sales end of the business, while his son does fabrication. The glass used in the windows is supplied by Blenko Glass in Milton, W.Va.
New ELCA churches are started by a three-way partnership with the congregation, the synod, and the national church. Since 1988, the ELCA has activated 330 new ministries.

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