It’s actually not a new idea to adapt a building to house Christian worship. In fact, Gloria Dei has been adapting its building and its worship practices almost since the current building was constructed in 1950.

In this presentation, I try to summarize the history of Christian architecture, with a special focus on the powerful changes that occurred as a result of Roman Catholic changes at the Second Vatican Council.  For Lutherans, Lutheran Book of Worship introduced many changes that still influence us:  frequent communion, centrality of baptism, shared leadership in the liturgy, and a focus on the joy of Easter.  Many of these changes are not consistent with the church architecture of the first half of the 20th century.  At the end of the presentation, I show some examples of how buildings have been adapted for both an organ project and to meet current liturgical needs.