The Evangelical Christmas Lutheran Church is the oldest Lutheran Church in Palestine, started in 1854 by German missionaries. Today, it is one of six Lutheran Churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
The church building was designed by August Orth and was constructed from 1886 to 1893. Orth was astonished at the precision and fine quality of the work done by the Palestinian stone cutters. The organ, stained windows, altar, and bells (donated by German Emperor Wilhelm II) were all shipped from Europe to the Middle East, and then carried from port to Bethlehem by donkey. The majority of the church was built in the final two years of construction. Unique to Christmas Lutheran Church is the shape of the bell tower, which reflects the hat a 19th century Bethlehemite woman would have worn. The church building opened on November 6, 1893. The sanctuary itself is cruciform, with a lofted organ at the back of the sanctuary.
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