OUR HISTORY
Founded in 1726
Our Beginnings
Our congregation traces its roots to worship at Rock Presbyterian Church in Lewisville, MD. Over time, however, distance and internal disagreements made that arrangement increasingly difficult. As Rev. Robert DuBois later recorded, “the great distance, feuds and disagreement over stipends caused dissatisfaction.”
On May 11, 1726, residents north of the Big Elk petitioned the Presbytery of New Castle to establish a church in New London, PA. The request was denied. Undeterred, this already-formed fellowship built a log structure for worship, marking May 11, 1726, as the true beginning of New London Presbyterian Church.
Two additional petitions were submitted that same year and again denied. A turning point came when the New London congregation issued a call to Rev. Samuel Gelston. The Presbytery approved the call on September 21, 1728, making Rev. Gelston the church’s first full-time minister. Finally, on September 16, 1731—six years after the original petition—the Synod voted decisively in favor of the New London people, granting them freedom to chart their own course. With that vote, New London Presbyterian Church was officially born.
From Logs to Bricks
The original log Meeting House, built in 1726, served the congregation until 1744, when it was replaced with a new structure. In 1818, that building underwent a complete remodeling. By 1844, it too required replacement and was rebuilt within a year, debt-free upon completion. That building still stands today as our Route 896 campus.
Alongside the church, three successive session houses—also known as study houses—were constructed to serve both church and community needs. The first, built of logs in the mid-1700s, was followed by a second structure in 1797. This building hosted Session and Trustees meetings, day school instruction, township elections, and winter worship services, as the main church lacked a fireplace. In 1855, a third session house was built of brick, designed as a miniature version of the church itself and affectionately compared to a mother and child.
The congregation also established two off-site houses of worship for afternoon services. A plain brick building was erected in Auburn in 1836, followed by a smaller-scale replica of the church in Kimblesville in 1852. Between 1845 and 1855, members constructed 49 carriage sheds arranged on three sides of a hollow square for public use. One of these sheds remains today on Route 896 across from NLPC.
Our Current Building
In the 21st century, continued growth led the congregation beyond the capacity of our historic brick church. Worship services were held at Avon Grove High School for several years while the church purchased the New London Airport on Saginaw Road. On that site, the Christian Life Center was built and in 2007 became our new home for ministry and worship.