Church Compass

Churches in Delaware County, PA: a newcomer's guide

By ChurchCompass

ChurchCompass lists 201 churches in Delaware County, PA, all within about 8 miles of Wallingford (ZIP 19086). 130 have full profiles and 71 have basic listings. They come from more than a dozen Christian traditions and 34 towns, from Chester and Media to Springfield, Broomall and Newtown Square. The easiest way to find one near you? Type your ZIP code into ChurchCompass, sort by distance, and read what each church says about itself before you visit.

This guide walks you through what's on the list, how to read a listing, and where to go next. We don't rank churches, and no tradition is treated as better than another.

1. What ChurchCompass covers

ChurchCompass started with the area around Wallingford, so it covers part of Delaware County, not all of it yet. Every church on the list is within about 8 miles of the center of ZIP 19086, and every one of them is in Delaware County.

Live a bit farther out? You can still use the list. Type in your own ZIP and it re-sorts by distance from you. If your area isn't covered yet, the About page explains how to ask for it.

2. Full profiles and basic listings

You'll see two kinds of listing.

• Full profiles (130). Each one puts the church's own words (its About and What We Believe pages) next to service times, what to expect on a first visit, next steps, and a short set of draft ratings.
• Basic listings (71). These churches have no website of their own, or one with only contact details. ChurchCompass shows the basics, such as name, address and map location, plus denomination, phone or service times where they're published. These churches are marked "Not yet rated — limited public info". That reflects the website, not the church.¹

Every fact on a listing links to where it came from and shows when it was last checked, so you can always see the original.

3. Towns covered

Here are the towns with four or more churches on the list, A–Z (going by each church's mailing address). The other 20 towns have one to three each.

The other towns are Aldan, Booths Corner, Brookhaven, Clifton Heights, Crum Lynne, Eddystone, Essington, Folcroft, Glenolden, Lenni, Lima, Milmont Park, Primos, Rose Valley, Rutledge, Secane, Trainer, Upland, Upper Chichester and Woodlyn.

In Chester, 47 of the 71 churches have basic listings, so for many Chester churches a phone call or a visit is the best way to learn more.

4. Traditions you'll find

Here are the church families you'll find, A–Z, with how many churches are in each.

A label is a starting point, not the whole story. Churches with the same label can worship quite differently, and many independent churches don't name a denomination at all. Contemporary, traditional, liturgical: worship styles explained can help you make sense of the differences.

5. Churches nearest the center of Wallingford

Here are the 12 churches closest to the center of ZIP 19086, nearest first (miles as the crow flies). It's just a sample to show how the list works, not a recommendation.

To see the churches nearest you, type your ZIP code on the home page or use "Near me".

6. How to compare churches on ChurchCompass

1. Start with distance and service times. A church you can reach easily on a Sunday (or Saturday) is one you're more likely to keep visiting.
2. Read the church's own words. Each full profile quotes the church's About and What We Believe pages and links to them.
3. Check "What to expect on a first visit". 79 of the 130 full profiles have first-visit details from the church's own site, such as parking, what to wear or what happens with children.
4. Look at next steps. 110 full profiles list ways to get involved or grow, such as classes, groups or serving.
5. Use the ratings as a guide to what the website explains. The six rating categories measure how clearly a church's own website covers its message about Jesus and salvation, the Bible and teaching, core Christian beliefs, welcome and community, next steps, and how easy it is to find its beliefs. They are draft assessments based only on public information, not endorsements, and a low score often just means "not described on the website". How ratings work explains each category.
6. Notice the info coverage label. Every listing shows High, Medium or Low info coverage. Across all 201 listings, 55 are High, 63 Medium and 83 Low. The label describes how much the church's website shares, not the church itself.²
7. Try the preference quiz if you'd like the list reordered by what matters most to you. It never hides a church.

7. Before you visit

Times and details change, so check the service time on the church's own website before you go (each profile links to it). Then visit in person and talk with the church's leaders. No directory can tell you what a church is really like from the inside.

Spot something wrong on a listing? Use "Suggest a correction" on that listing. Churches can also claim their profile.

Keep reading

• How to choose a church: questions to ask
• Your first time at church: what to expect
• Contemporary, traditional, liturgical: worship styles explained

Information as of Nov 1, 2026.