Christ on Capitol Hill Church

(Lutheran)

St. Paul, Minnesota

Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill in St. Paul has a strong tradition of service to immigrants, from its earliest days as a Norwegian church, to welcoming and supporting Southeast Asians and continental Africans since the 1980s.

Christ on Capitol Hill Church Photo by Laura Delventhal

Christ on Capitol Hill Church Photo by Laura Delventhal

2024 Cohort

Christ on Capitol Hill Church

(Lutheran)

St. Paul, Minnesota

Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill in St. Paul has a strong tradition of service to immigrants, from its earliest days as a Norwegian church, to welcoming and supporting Southeast Asians and continental Africans since the 1980s.

The membership of Christ Lutheran Church, now known as Christ on Capitol Hill (COCH), was first organized in 1868 by Scandinavian immigrants. Their 1915 Beaux Arts building was designed by Buechnner and Orth in 1915 to be in stylistic harmony with the Minnesota State Capitol, located directly across the street and completed in 1905. In its early days, the congregation was primarily composed of Norwegian immigrants, and their focus on serving newcomers to the United States has continued to the present day, welcoming immigrants and refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Eritrea, Liberia, and Nigeria, all now part of the COCH community.

COCH’s strategic location allows the congregation to play an active role in its community. Their historic building is home to five non-profits serving a range of community members, including: facilitating solutions to language-, transportation-, and housing-related challenges for job seekers; advocacy for food justice in the areas of hunger, poverty, and the environment; a pay-as-you-can food truck that serves meals 4 days per week across St. Paul; and support for affordable housing through advocacy and policy development. In 2023-2024, COCH hosted over 25 legislative advocacy events, giving over 5,000 Minnesotans a space to gather before walking across the street to the State Capitol.

A National Fund grant of $175,000 with matching funds of $175,000 raised by the congregation will support masonry rehabilitation, creating a water-tight enclosure to prevent further deterioration of the walls and improving safety and public access to the building.

Christ on Capitol Hill Church Photo by Laura Delventhal

Spotlighting Women’s History at Historic Houses of Worship

Religious institutions have served both as a platform for the advancement of women’s rights and opportunities, and women have played critical roles in advancing religious traditions. The leadership and community building opportunities within these sacred sites have been critical to increasing female independence outside of the home and allowing women to develop institutions that strengthen their congregations and broader communities. The four historic houses of worship highlighted embody positive examples of how the histories of women and religion are inherently linked.

First Church in Oberlin

Stories and Media Coverage

Read more about how the National Fund for Sacred Places is helping congregations around the country rehabilitate their sacred places.

Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church by Luis P. Gutierrez