About Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church was formed in 2015 from the consolidation of Edgwood Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Edgwood section of Wheeling and Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem.  Zion had previously been located in downtown Wheeling and moved to the Ridgecrest Road site in 1965.

Both congregations had strong ties to solid Lutheran understanding and teaching and a rich history of mission work dating back for more than a century.  The consolidation moved forward after several years of discussion with the understanding that the resources of the two congregations for mission and ministry were stronger when pooled together.

The congregation currently has approximately 260 Baptized and Associate Members, with just over 130 Voting Members supporting the mission and work of the congregation. 

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church is part of the Ohio Valley Cluster of the West Virginia – Western Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which was formed in 1988. The Synod is one of 65 synods in the ELCA.  It is part of Region 8 along with seven other synods in PA, MD, DE, and Washington DC.  The Synod is led by Bishop Matthew Riegel.  The Presiding Bishop of the ELCA is Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, who has her office in Chicago, IL.