First Lutheran Church of Boston

What First Lutheran Church of Boston does

First Lutheran Church of Boston is a Lutheran congregation founded in 1839 and affiliated with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), operating from a single location at 299 Berkeley Street in Boston, Massachusetts. The church delivers traditional Lutheran worship services (two Sunday services during the regular academic schedule, one in summer), sacraments, Bible studies, Sunday school for ages 2 and older, catechism instruction, and a dedicated student and young adult ministry. Its congregation and broader community are served by a four-person staff: a Senior Pastor (Rev. James Hopkins, since 2019), an Associate Pastor and Director of Student and Young Adult Ministry (Rev. Miguel Barcelos, since 2023), a Kantor and Director of Music (Dr. Jonathan Wessler, since 2016), and a Parish Administrator (Joy Wessler, since 2023).

The church's distinguishing asset is the Richards, Fowkes & Co. Opus 10 mechanical-action pipe organ—completed in 2000 with additional stops added in 2010—containing 1,730 pipes, 29 stops, and 35 ranks across Werk, Rückpositiv, and Pedal divisions. Known as "Boston's Bach organ," it anchors a Music Ministry that supports weekly worship and an external programming slate including the FLC Organ Recital Series, the annual Boston Bach Birthday celebration (held since 2009), and the Boston Bach International Organ Competition. Programming is delivered in person at the Berkeley Street facility and distributed digitally via YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and a Flocknote email newsletter.

Economically, the church operates as a 501(c)-style religious nonprofit funded by member tithes and offerings, supplemented by event-related income (e.g., $20 German lunch tickets and $25 suggested concert donations). No revenue, budget, or financial filings are publicly disclosed. No external investment, venture, or private equity ownership structure is evidenced; governance rests with a Congregational Council (President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary) under LCMS ecclesiastical polity. The organization has no commercial product lines, no patents, no certifications, and no AI/ML footprint.

Name

First Lutheran Church of Boston

Legal name

First Lutheran Church of Boston

Website

https://flc-boston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1839

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Lutheran Church of Boston is an LCMS-affiliated Lutheran congregation founded in 1839, serving greater Boston with traditional worship, education, and a music program anchored by a 1,730-pipe Richards, Fowkes & Co. Opus 10 organ and the annual Boston Bach Birthday festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN), Religious Radio Broadcasting (MPAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Lutheran worship services
• Religious education programs
• Bible study ministry
• Church music programs
• Community outreach events

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary donations from congregation members during worship services. The church also maintains a Flocknote mailing list and membership database for ongoing engagement.
2. Event Revenue: Ticket sales for German lunch at Boston Bach Birthday event ($20 at door). Donation-based support for concerts with suggested $25 donation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Lutheran Church of Boston is a Lutheran congregation that provides weekly Divine Worship Services with traditional liturgy, Holy Communion, and choral music, supplemented by religious education programs including Sunday School for children and Bible studies for adults and students. Its distinct offering is a music ministry centered on the Richards, Fowkes & Co. Opus 10 pipe organ, hosting the annual Boston Bach Birthday celebration and the Boston Bach International Organ Competition.

Product overview

First Lutheran Church of Boston offers a unified portfolio of Lutheran worship and ministry programs centered on its core spiritual mission. The church provides weekly Divine Worship Services with traditional Lutheran liturgy, supplemented by educational programs including Sunday School for children (ages 2+) and Bible studies available in-person and via podcast. The Music Ministry is a distinctive offering featuring the church's world-class pipe organ (Richards, Fowkes & Co. Opus 10, installed 2000), which serves as the centerpiece for the annual Boston Bach Birthday celebration and FLC Organ Recital Series. Additional programs include Student and Young Adult Ministry with dedicated Bible studies, retreats, and community gatherings. Together, these offerings form a comprehensive spiritual community serving the greater Boston area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Divine Worship Services Weekly Lutheran worship services celebrating the Divine Service with traditional liturgy, hymns, Holy Communion, and choral music. Regular schedule (September–June): Sunday Worship at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM, with Sunday School & Bible Study at 9:30 AM. Summer schedule (July–Labor Day): Bible Study at 8:00 AM and Sunday Worship at 9:30 AM. Open to congregants, families, and visitors.
• Sunday School Religious education program for children ages 2 and older, featuring group openings with the Pastor, music time, classroom instruction, catechism for early teens, and post-catechism classes for older teenagers. For families and children in the congregation.
• Bible Studies Bible study program including Sunday Morning Bible Study (covering books like Romans and Mere Christianity) and Midweek Studies (covering books like Galatians and a Law & Gospel series). Available in person, on YouTube, and on Apple Podcasts. For congregation members, students, and interested visitors.
• Student and Young Adult Ministry Ministry program serving Boston's student and young adult community, including dedicated Bible study, regular retreats, and get-togethers led by Associate Pastor Rev. Miguel Barcelos. For students and researchers from Boston area schools and young professionals new to the city.
• Music Ministry Music program featuring weekly organ and choral music during Divine Services, utilizing the church's Opus 10 pipe organ built by Richards, Fowkes & Co. (installed 2000, completed 2010) and known as 'Boston's Bach organ.' For congregants and visitors attending worship.
• Boston Bach Birthday Annual day-long celebration of Johann Sebastian Bach's music held every year since 2009 on the Saturday nearest his birthday. Features solo and chamber performances by organists, instrumentalists, and singers, plus a German lunch ($20 per person at the door, $10 reduced) and a Bach cantata Vespers service with $25 suggested donation. For organ and classical music enthusiasts from Boston and beyond.
• FLC Organ Recital Series Concert series featuring world-renowned organ artists performing on the church's Opus 10 pipe organ, serving as the centerpiece for the annual Boston Bach Birthday and Boston Bach International Organ Competition events. For organ music enthusiasts and concertgoers from the Boston area and beyond.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hosts Boston Bach Birthday annually since 2009, drawing hundreds of concertgoers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boston Bach BirthdaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Annual day-long celebration of Johann Sebastian Bach and his music presented by FLC since 2009. Features solo and chamber performances by organists, instrumentalists, and singers.
• Richards, Fowkes & Co.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2000Ooltewah, Tennessee organ builder that constructed FLC's Opus 10 pipe organ. The organ was completed in 2000 as the company's tenth instrument. In 2010, the organ was completed with additional stops installed by the same builder.
• The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLC is a congregation of LCMS, a doctrinally conservative church body with over 6,000 member congregations. FLC is in fellowship with Lutheran church bodies throughout the world.
• Boston Bach International Organ CompetitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual international organ competition hosted at FLC, drawing hundreds of concertgoers from Boston and beyond.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• St. Paul's Church, Harvard Square: Episcopal parish in Cambridge where FLC's current Kantor previously served as Assistant Organist. Directly comparable in employing professional church musicians and operating organ recital programs in the Greater Boston academic market.
• Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Boston): Episcopal cathedral in downtown Boston with a sustained sacred music and concert series. Comparable historic urban cathedral model with professional music programming serving a broad Boston audience.
• Old West Church (Boston): Historic Methodist congregation in downtown Boston offering community-oriented ministry in an urban setting. Comparable small historic Boston congregation profile with worship, music, and community programming.
• Lutheran Church of the Way (Raynham, MA): LCMS congregation in southeastern Massachusetts previously pastored by FLC's current Senior Pastor. Most directly comparable peer by denominational affiliation (LCMS), worship style, and pastoral leadership pipeline.
• Marsh Chapel (Boston University): University Methodist congregation in Boston with an active preaching, music, and community-outreach mission. Comparable in operating music-rich worship programming in the Boston urban core and serving a transient urban population.
• Park Street Church: Historic downtown Boston Congregational church with active in-reach and outreach programs. Comparable as a long-standing, high-visibility Boston congregation with traditional worship and downtown foot traffic.
• King's Chapel: Historic downtown Boston congregation (Unitarian Universalist) with a notable music program and recurring classical concert series. Comparable in operating a city-center worship venue with a strong cultural/musical identity.
• Old South Church in Boston: A historic Back Bay congregation (United Church of Christ) with a longstanding music and concert program serving downtown Boston. Highly comparable urban setting, denominationally Protestant, and similarly reliant on music-driven community engagement.
• Church of the Advent: Episcopal parish in Boston known for traditional liturgy and high-caliber sacred music. Comparable profile of a doctrinally traditional urban congregation anchored by a serious choral and organ program.

Broad incumbents

• Trinity Church Boston: Prominent Episcopal parish in Back Bay with one of the most celebrated church music programs in the U.S. Comparable Back Bay footprint and music-first identity, but with significantly larger scale and resources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@firstlutheranchurchofboston/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-lutheran-church-of-boston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about First Lutheran Church of Boston