Lutheran Church’s 150th year marked

First Lutheran Church, 314 E. Eighth St., will celebrate its 150th anniversary at 3 p.m. Sunday.

According to church records and Delbert Schmand’s 1988 book The History of the First Lutheran Church, the 1888 building is the second structure that has housed the congregation since the church’s founding in 1868. The congregation was originally formed when 24 Lutherans met at the home of area businessman Charles Miller to form the congregation. Services were originally conducted in German, transitioning into English around the beginning of the 20th century, and being held in both languages in the 1930s.

In 1907, a building built next to First Lutheran served as its first school, and a newer one built in 1965 became the present-day Christ Lutheran Church and School.

The Rev. Steven Teske, who was pastor of First Lutheran from 20032006 and is a current parishioner, said the congregation these days averages 62 worshippers, and that the church hosts the main Reformation service for central Arkansans each year on the last Sunday of October. At those services, multiple Lutheran pastors lead different portions of the services and a choir of members from area churches.