Capital Area Christian Church started on December 5, 1976. The new congregation was sponsored by Christian Outreach Associates, a church planting organization composed of churches and individuals in the Pittsburgh area. George Stehle was called to be the initiating pastor of the church. The church began meeting in a member's home but soon moved to the Central Pennsylvania Business School in Summerdale.
On August 1, 1978 the congregation purchased two acres of land on Good Hope Road in Hampden Township. In May of 1981 construction began on a 5,000 square foot worship facility on this property. Major construction of the building was completed by the church builders of Mount Carmel Christian Church in Atlanta, Georgia on May 22nd. The first service was held in the new facility on July 5, 1981. The church has grown consistently from it's original 24 members.
In order to accommodate growing attendance, major renovations and expansions were completed on the original facility in 1989, 1996, and 1997. A modular building was placed on the property to contain offices, childcare, and Sunday School space. In 1996, the congregation purchased 53 acres of land on Lambs Gap Road. On August 26, 2001 the congregation relocated & dedicated a 23,000 sq. foot multipurpose facility on Lambs Gap Road.
Capital Area Christian Church is part of a fellowship of over 5700 churches worldwide who trace their roots to the revival and restorationist movements of the 18th and 19th centuries. The desire of these churches is to utilize the Bible as the sole authority for the church and to promote unity in the body of Christ among all denominations. Each church is independent and nondenominational. Christian Churches or Churches of Christ, as they are sometimes called, fellowship with Christians of various denominational backgrounds. They have no official creeds or hierarchical bodies. Congregations are led by groups of men known as elders, who meet Scriptural qualifications to serve in such capacities. Christian Churches practice believers baptism by immersion and share in the Lord's Supper in weekly worship services. Congregations join together to support over 1600 missionaries in over 53 countries and are served by 38 colleges and graduate seminaries. They maintain over 40 homes for children, 20 homes for the elderly, and numerous nursing homes and hospitals. In recent years, Christian Churches have been at the forefront of the new church planting movement in this country. Dozens of new congregations begin each year throughout the United States. They are also a significant part of the worldwide modern missions movement.
Capital Area Christian Church is a contemporary, community minded congregation, deeply rooted in the unchanging truths of the Bible. Families and singles of all ages find CACC to be a wonderful place to grow in Christ and serve God through the church's foundational values of prayer, fellowship, Bible study, worship, and service. The congregation is a dynamic, faith-filled community of believers who learn from the past, serve in the present, and look towards the future. God has done many wonderful things through the congregation over the years and the best is yet to come!