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About Us: Our History
Our History -
Epiphany Lutheran Church
 Epiphany Lutheran Church began as a mission church in 1959. The first worship service was held July 12, 1959, at Dr. John Hole School, with 73 persons in attendance. The first church building was dedicated in 1961. In 1967, an education unit was added, and in 1978, a new sanctuary was dedicated.
In 1991, with 1650 baptized members, in order to meet the needs of the congregation, a new and renovated facility was dedicated including sanctuary, child care center, Sunday school classrooms, kitchen, fellowship hall, and mini-gym. In addition, the parking lot was nearly doubled in size, with designated spaces for handicapped and senior persons.
| In 2002, Epiphany underwent a major expansion, including the addition of many new Sunday School and classrooms, a large gathering area, bookstore, library, and all new staff office space.
In addition, a Celebration Center was added, providing additional worship space, a full sized basketball court, and stage facilities for music and drama.
Now, with approximately 3000 members, Epiphany moves into the 21st century eager to serve church and community with the love of Christ.
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Our History -
Springboro Lutheran Church
 "Believing that our Lord Jesus Christ desires that new congregations be planted in developing areas of our country, and
pleased that our American Lutheran Church has decided to begin a congregation in our neighboring area, Springboro, and
having been supported in infancy by other Lutheran congregations, We, the congregations of the Quad-parish make the following covenant with the new Lutheran Mission in Springboro." Words of support in the areas of personnel, finances, and resources followed the preceding preamble of the Quad-parish Covenant. These good words were written in late 1984 to encourage the "springing up of a new mission congregation!" While the first meeting of the new Lutheran mission was attended by over 200 persons, when it came time to make a commitment to mission and those visiting from other Lutheran churches were dismissed, just eight brave souls voted to call The Reverend Eugene Bensch as the first pastor and mission developer. Rev. Bensch arrived in May, 1985 and conducted the first service on June 16. Sixty persons attended this service at the Grange Hall (currently, The Brass Pig Tea Room) on South Main Street. By March 23, 1986 the Christian community was ready for their organizational service. This milestone service was conducted at Springboro High and attended by nearly 400 Lutherans from neighboring congregations. Regular worship services moved from the Grange Hall to Springboro Junior High on November 16, 1988 after the Grange Hall floor "shuttered" during Sunday morning services.
| It seemed as though the congregation was being encouraged to move onward with their mission and ministry! By October 1987, the members of Springboro Lutheran Church had purchased land for an initial building and access to 20 Elenor Drive was opened June 13, 1988. A ground breaking ceremony was held July 31.
The first and current building was completed in time for Easter, March 26, 1989.
Five years, two months, and two weeks after conducting his first service, Pastor Bensch accepted a call to Trinity Lutheran Church, Circleville, Ohio. Following Pastor Bensch were:
- Interim Pastor Robert
Heiliger; Rev. Terrence Goad, (February 1991 - April 1993),
- Interim Pastor Heather Eeman Hammond; Rev. Kim Alan Stover (August 1994 - August 1998),
- Interim Pastor
Neve; Rev. Joseph Trester (January 1999 - 2001).
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Merger into "One Church - Two Locations"
Epiphany Lutheran Church merged with Springboro Lutheran Church in the spring of 2006. We are now One church with two locations, with the Centerville and Springboro Campuses we are very excited about our future.
The following is the letter from Pastor Bradosky to the congregation in the May/June Star newsletter:
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Dear Disciples of Jesus at Epiphany,
“I decided my article for this issue of the "Star" should be focused on the potential merger with Springboro. That decision mandated that I wait until the conclusion of our vote at the congregational meeting. I am pleased and excited that both congregations passed the merger agreement. In addition, we extended a one-year term call to Pastor Bryce
Formwalt. Our decision is clearly mission-focused and a clearly calculated leap of faith. If you didn't see or hear the brief video presentation that I prepared for our information meetings I referred to Esther 4. It is a wonderful chapter to read again. Where there is need there is always the call and opportunity to risk meeting the need. There is no opportunity to lovingly care for others and risk nothing. The call of Jesus to faithful obedience as his disciples will always mean taking risks. Queen Esther was challenged by her uncle to look at the larger view not the smaller details of caring for herself and protecting her own interests. She had received great blessings and was in a position to offer support but her fears initially caused her to retreat until her uncle, Mordecai, challenged her with these words, "And who knows but that you have come to this position for just such a time as this?" It is not possible for everyone to attend a mission trip and visit another continent but it is possible for everyone to visit Springboro and be involved in an exciting mission in our own back yard. These first several months will be a time of needs assessment, initiating relationships and celebrating the merger. The next phase will include the strategic planning process, purchasing property, building design, essential ministry starts, implementing evangelism goals and methods and community-wide celebrations focused on this new beginning and all the future holds. The entire congregation will be consulted and have opportunity for input during each of the important steps we will take.
These words from my Easter sermon express my sentiment concerning the importance of the decision we have made. "For far too many years Christians have re-invented the mission of the church of Jesus by finding ways to play it safe, preserve the institution, domesticate the Lion, and blend in with the culture and look where that path has taken us! We are falling behind the population growth curve. We are not in the limelight of our culture but in the shadows. Rather than engage others in the center of our culture we sit in a corner and talk to ourselves. At worst, we condemn the world and blame others for all its problems. We often use our faith like a rabbits foot, trying to avoid all problems and pain we look to Jesus as a good luck charm that we can keep safely tucked away in our spiritual pocket and pull him out and use him when and if we need him.
I want you to know today that I did not become a follower of Jesus in order to play it safe. I became a follower of Jesus because his body, the church, is the only hope for a dying world. I became a follower of the Lion of Judah because people are lost and in need of transformation and Jesus is the only source of life that can save, redeem and transform.
I became a follower of Jesus because I want to live a dangerous, adventuresome life for the best cause in all the world, the cause of Jesus the Christ.
What I need most this Easter is not a pat on the back but a kick in the pants and Jesus is here this morning to do just that! More than anything - most of all - I need to hear the Lion roar! Jesus is alive, He loves, He lives, He leads, and He is calling you and me to follow him, to jump on and ride with him. Like a crazy crash of Rhinos, let us run full speed with Jesus. What ever is out there beyond this day-look out-the Lion of Judah is in the lead and here we come!"
With you enjoying the ride on the back of the Lion of Judah, Jesus,
Pastor John
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The following is an excerpt from Bill Gilberts "Greetings from your Epiphany Church Council" letter in the July/August Star newsletter regarding the merger:
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“Welcome to all new members and visiting guests to the new Epiphany Lutheran Church, and a special welcome to the new members of the former Springboro Lutheran Church. With the approval by the executive committees of the respective congregations, we are now one! We, now, want to focus on making sure that the new Epiphany is the church that welcomes and continues to foster an environment in which you can grow in your faith, establish additional friendships, and find an outlet to serve the Lord which is well matched to your interests and Spiritual Gifts.
The State of Ohio has approved the merger and we are moving forward with several initiatives to effect the transformation, communicate it to the southern Dayton suburbs creating interest and excitement, locate a future suitable site, and understand the requirements of a future building. Four teams have been chartered to accomplish these objectives: Property - chaired by Pete Nichols, Community Events - chaired by Tom Flynn, Public Relations chaired by George Brooks, and Building - chaired by Gary Shooter. Each team has a wealth of talent and we thank each of them for sharing their gifts and time. Council member Darren Harville will be a council resource for these teams and assist in representing the teams to the council and streamlining the communications.” . . . .
Yours in Christ,
Bill Gilbert, Council President
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Background Information On Epiphany
This background information on Epiphany is an excerpt from the 2007 - 2009 Strategic Plan. Click here to view the entire plan.
Epiphany’s history is rich in growth and development, from its first service in an elementary school in 1959 to its current expansion as a multi-campus church. The following information summarizes Epiphany’s development over the past 47 years.
A. Epiphany’s Growth in Number of Disciples
In 1957, several members of Hope Lutheran Church
in downtown Dayton decided to start a new Lutheran
congregation south of town. After over two years
of planning, the church held its first
organizational service on July 12, 1959, in the
gymnasium of Dr. John Hole Elementary School in
Centerville. Seventy-three people attended that
service. On “Organizational Sunday” (October
11, 1959), 134 people attended church with 69
people in Sunday school. By the end of 1959,
Epiphany had 138 baptized disciples.
In 1981, the congregation grew to 913 baptized
disciples. The church reached 1700 baptized
disciples by 1991. As of December 2005, the congregation had grown to 3,007 baptized disciples.
B. Epiphany’s Pastors
Epiphany has been led by nine pastors since 1959. Until 1981, only one pastor at a time served the congregation. However, the church’s rapid growth, under the leadership of Pastor Larry A. Hoffsis, led the congregation to call an associate pastor. Three pastors guided the congregation starting in 1993 when Epiphany’s first female pastor, Pastor Rebecca G. Pivetta, was installed. Pastor Fritz A. Wiese was called to Epiphany in 1996. Pastor John D. Bradosky received his call as Epiphany’s senior pastor in 2001. The congregation installed Pastor Bryce Formwalt as an associate pastor in 2006.
C. Epiphany’s Worship Facilities
As Epiphany’s congregation and number of pastors have grown, so have its facilities. The First Sanctuary was dedicated in 1961 at the 6430 Far Hills Avenue location. The Second Sanctuary opened for worship in 1978. The outdoor chapel was built in 1983 to seat 100 people and was expanded in 1993 and 1996. It now seats 300 people. The Third (and current) Sanctuary was dedicated on June 2, 1991, and it seats 650 people. Epiphany converted the Second Sanctuary into the Celebration Center.
D. Epiphany’s Ministry Opportunities
Along with worship, Epiphany’s commitment to Christ is demonstrated through its ministry opportunities. There currently are approximately 80 ministry programs at Epiphany. Some examples include: Interfaith Hospitality Network (a coalition of area churches who provide weekly hospitality to homeless families), Alpha (classes for disciples to explore the Christian faith), J.O.L.Y. (Just Older Lutheran Youth – a fellowship group for seniors), and the Storybook Project (giving incarcerated women and men the opportunity stay in contact with their children). Many of Epiphany’s ministries are led by lay people.
E. Epiphany’s Partner Congregations
Epiphany’s outreach also spans the globe. It has partnered with congregations as close as Mt. Enon Baptist Church in Dayton, as well as other American and international partners. Epiphany is partnered with Spirit of Joy Church in Buffalo, Minnesota. Epiphany’s partnerships with Lutheran congregations in Mecklenburg, Germany (Pritzier and Dabel) began in 1986. In 2003, Epiphany formed a partnership with Imani Lutheran Church in Mwanza, Tanzania. Partnerships also exist with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Vladivostok, Russia; the Augustine Church in Gotha, Thuringia, Germany; and the J.A. Komenskeho Gymnasium, Kosice, the Republic of Slovakia.
F. Epiphany’s Merger with Springboro Lutheran
Epiphany’s relationship with Springboro Lutheran began in 1987. At that time, Epiphany’s congregation voted to give $20,000, which was added to similar amounts with three other Ohio churches, to start a new congregation in Springboro. The new church was dedicated in 1989 with 125 baptized members.
In March 2006, the congregations of Epiphany and Springboro Lutheran approved a merger of the two churches. Epiphany also voted to call Pastor Formwalt for a one-year term. Epiphany now has two campuses – one in Centerville and one in Springboro. Springboro Lutheran’s property was sold to Minds in Motion in May 2006; however, Epiphany may use the church building rent free through May 2007. In May 2006, Epiphany began a property search for its new Springboro campus. The Springboro campus will have new worship, education and recreation facilities.
G. Epiphany’s 50th Anniversary
Epiphany will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2009. Epiphany looks forward to celebrating its successes of the past, as well as its opportunities to continue growing disciples in the future.
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