Diverse. Urban. Historic.

A diverse congregation set in the East Village

Capitol Hill Lutheran Church is a congregation in the East Village of Des Moines, Iowa. Our members were born on five different continents, are from 23 different countries, represent a range of sexual and gender orientations, and live throughout the metro area. We celebrate our diversity in all that we do. This makes things a little messy from time to time, but we think that’s a genuine expression of the body of Christ - and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Capitol Hill Lutheran has a long history of supporting immigrant communities from the very beginning. CHLC was formed after the merger of two immigrant churches — Norwegian (Central Lutheran) and Swedish (First Lutheran). These congregations were safe havens for Latvians in the 1950s, Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s, and Sudanese refugees in the 1990s. They assisted in providing resettlement services to refugees of these and other countries by assisting with housing, education, food, and clothing for families in need.

Since the merger in 2001, Capitol Hill has continued to be a place for these refugees and others living in the margins to worship and participate as full members of the congregation. Capitol Hill Lutheran is in partnership with Lutheran Services in Iowa to offer weekly English language classes to refugees and immigrants in our building. Today we offer worship services in two languages and a Bible study in a third. We recently began an LGBTQIA+ group. God continues to provide new opportunities for our congregation expand this extravagant hospitality to others.

We are proud that, for generations, our congregation has been blessed by the presence of refugees and immigrants, and now to others seeking to hear the Gospel message. We will, through the power of the Holy Spirit, continue to be a place where all people will experience the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

All are welcome. We mean it.

CHLC is a welcoming community. Our diversity reflects God’s creation, and our shared unity is in Christ. Our history of welcoming refugees has extended to the work of anti-racism, uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community, and equity. We are an ELCA congregation rooted in the gospel message of Christ’s love and justice for all. We openly welcome and affirm YOU: your race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, as well as those of you who may have been excluded because of other human distinctions such as ability, age, addictions, mental health, imprisonment or economic status. We are committed to being the body of Christ because we believe: it takes a village.