 In the years after the fiery devastation along 14th street following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in April 1968, Luther Place began to consider its property and location as an opportunity to help minister to the wounded of the city.In 1970, the church called a new pastor, John Steinbruck, who had served an intercity neighborhood in Easton, Pennsylvania.Under his leadership, the congregation began transforming dilapidated row houses on N Street into what became a smorgasbord of faith inspired programs (Bread for the City, Deborah's Place, Zacchaeus Medical Clinic, Sarah House, Bethany Women's Center, Dietrich Bonheoffer House, Abraham Welcome House, the DC Hotline, etc.)