Our History

In 1958 Highland Park Community Church (then known as The Brethren Church of Fairless Hills-Levittown) began meeting in the home of Mr. Phil Nolte in the newly developing post-World War II planned community of Levittown-Fairless Hills, PA. The home group soon grew out of their living room space and moved the services to the Fairless Hills Community Center. Attendance continued to increase, due to the growth of the surrounding community and the influx of Brethren folk from Johnstown, PA seeking work in the Fairless Works steel mill.

In 1959 the newly formed church called their first pastor, Pastor W.B. Bryant, and soon began making plans for a permanent location. Property was secured, and in the Spring of 1960 the work began for the new sanctuary. On June 15, 1962 the first service was held at the new location on Hoe Rd in Levittown, PA.

The Church continued to flourish through the 60’s under the pastoral leadership of Bob Keplinger, gaining as much as 150 on the membership roles. Through the 70’s the church experienced the leadership of three short tenured pastors and the difficulties of those transitions in leadership; thus began the decline of the membership and ministry involvement with the community.

The early 80’s brought healing to the congregation through the pastoral care of William Cole. Pastor Cole had a seventeen year tenure at HPCC; he retired from the church and from a life of pastoral ministry in August 1997.
After Pastor Cole’s retirement, Pastor James Kirkendall led the church for 9 years, and then Jayne Wilcox begin her pastorate at HPCC in the Summer of 2006.

Since then, then church has developed into a faith community of 20-some that have a Vision to see our community transformed into a people that are ‘Being about Jesus and His Kingdom’.