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Lutherans worshiped together for the first time in Greenbelt on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1944. The service was conducted in the home of Adele and Edward Trumbule by the Rev. E. Pieplow, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Mount Rainier.
Under the guidance of Pastor Pieplow and with the blessings of God, the congregation quickly outgrew the Trumbule's home and moved to the Greenbelt Center School while making plans to construct a church building.
The congregation purchased property at 22 Ridge Road and in July 1952, dedicated its first church building.
In August 1953, the Reverend Edward H. Birner arrived and became the first full-time pastor.
In order to serve the growing area better, the congregation requested Congressman Richard E. Lankford to aid them in securing land that was available due to the new Baltimore/Washington Parkway which cut through a portion of the Greenbelt National Park. Congressman Lankford introduced a bill in 1962 authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands in the state of Maryland to Holy Cross Lutheran Church. President John F. Kennedy signed HR 1151 into law on October 9, 1962, authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to convey to Holy Cross upon payment of value, the property located on Greenbelt Road. The present sanctuary was completed and dedicated in 1969.
In May of 1991, ground breaking for a new Fellowship addition took place. The new fellowship addition was dedicated on May 17, 1992.
On September 5, 1993, the Rev. Edward Birner who had faithfully served Holy Cross for 40 years retired from Holy Cross and from the ministry.
In November of 1993, Holy Cross called the Rev. Stephen H. Mentz of Palmetto, Florida to become its second pastor. February 20, 1994, Pastor Mentz was installed as pastor of Holy Cross.
Throughout its history, Holy Cross has been faithful in serving the community with the historic and Biblical teaching of the Lutheran Church:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8
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