Holding a shovel and scooping some dirt off to the side, Leonard Borger and other members of Jerusalem United Church of Christ in Trachsville held a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday for their new addition.

“This is the best church around. It has always been my home church,” said Borger, who at 92 is the oldest member of the church. “I was baptized here July 6, 1930.”

He was later confirmed and married here, too. His father, Raymond, used to dig graves in the church cemetery by hand and was the church custodian, along with his wife.

While Borger was in the center of the group scooping dirt, 10-month-old Charlie LaSala was bundled up in his coat and hat, as mom Kirby LaSala stood behind the group trying to keep them both warm during frigid temperatures and a brief snow squall.

He and 7-month-old Keith Adamson, son of Jillian and Byron Adamson, are the church’s youngest members. Both were recently baptized.

The $1 million project includes a new multipurpose room, restrooms, a Sunday school classroom/nursery, along with updating the kitchen, its appliances and sanctuary. The new part is 3,036 square feet.

Lesher Construction and Bruce George Paving and Excavating were hired to do the work, said property committee member Rick Anderson.

“In 2023, we will celebrate our 175th anniversary. How appropriate it is to have our new building done in time for the festivities we will have throughout the year,” said Consistory President Wendy Hoppel.

Hoppel and Anderson, along with Consistory Vice President Jaclyn Wonderly and property committee member Ed Brader, are working with the congregation on this project.

“We have an amazing congregation to support us,” said Hoppel.

Adding space to the church has been an idea for two decades, but they were met with challenges along the way.

“Twenty years ago, we were planning to do a free-standing satellite building. We didn’t do it. It fell to the wayside for various reasons, including a change of pastors,” said Hoppel.

In 2016, they revisited the prior plans but decided not to do a free-standing building. Instead, they wanted to add on to the existing building.

“But then COVID-19 hit, which put a stop to plans once again,” said Hoppel.

The consistory and property committee were also faced with a lot of red-tape ordinance issues from Towamensing Township, the municipality where the church is located.

Finally, on April 4, the excavating machinery could begin their project.

After worship on April 10, Hoppel and Anderson gathered everyone in the lobby and led them outside to their shovels.

“The excavation will occur this month, and weather permitting, the construction will begin the first week of May,” Anderson said.

The new addition will be complete by fall 2022. Once it is, they will begin work on the sanctuary, which is part of the original structure built in 1848.

Updates to the sanctuary include painting the walls, a new ceiling, new pews, redoing the hardwood floors underneath and replacing carpeting on the aisles, Anderson said.

When the church formed, it was home to two congregations - the Lutherans and the Reformed. The congregations used the same building for worship, fellowship, fundraising and special events until 2003, when the Lutherans moved across the street into their new church.

An addition was put on in 1942, behind the sanctuary. It includes office space, Sunday school rooms and an open area where they have coffee and doughnuts before worship.

“People really enjoy the refreshments. They come early on purpose. It’s a nice way to socialize after being home due to COVID for so long,” Hoppel said.

For the past two summers, worship has been in their grove at 9 a.m. They will resume that June 6 and stay there through the fall.

When it gets too cold outside, they will have worship in the social hall until the sanctuary is finished, which is anticipated to be summer 2023.

“The property committee was the driving force, and the congregation is behind this project 100%,” said Hoppel.

Financing it comes from benevolences from living wills, as well as fundraising efforts.

Upcoming fundraisers include a two-day flea market on June 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. They will sell their “Happy Bowl” of homemade stuffing at the Palmerton Community Festival on Sept. 9 through 11.

“For our 175th anniversary, we will be worshipping God and celebrating our people. We are talking about doing a membership directory and children’s events. We just started planning,” said Hoppel.

Worship is at 10 a.m. until early June. The church address is 545 Church Drive, Palmerton, PA 18071. For more information, www.jerusalemucc.org.