St. Peter’s Church celebrates 150th anniversary
Anniversary worship service and luncheon set for June 5
St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, Topton, is celebrating 150 years of serving God and our community with a special worship service and luncheon on June 5 at 10 a.m.
The Church was organized on March 9, 1872, with 21 members communing on May 12 of that year. The Rev. Alfred J. Herman served as pastor until 1888. The cornerstone of the first building located half a block from the present church was laid May 9, 1872.
The present church laid a cornerstone on Sept. 24, 1925. A journal entry of the day’s event noted: “An incident occurred during the laying of the cornerstone which seemed almost prophetic. A dove perched on a branch of a tree directly across the street from the church. The dove, a universal omen of peace, remained till the conclusion of the service.”
The building was first occupied on Palm Sunday April 10, 1926. The members of the church marched in triumphant procession from the old church building to their new house of worship. On June 5, 1927, the new building was dedicated.
Many faithful ministers have preached from our
pulpit over the years. Today we are in a combined ministry with Christ DeLong, Bowers and as communities of Christ’s disciples we stand on the strong foundation of our history and tradition while reaching out together to a future grounded in love and faith.
Co-organizer Susan Lishman stated, “It has
been an exciting journey planning the events of this milestone. The committee has worked very hard to organize a celebration that encompasses the rich history of this congregation.”
The 150th anniversary special worship service and luncheon on June 5 at 10 a.m. includes a slide show of the church history,
special music, joint choirs and a dialogue sermon between son of the church (long time member) and current pastor.
Our current pastor is Crystal Angstadt, and we are very excited to see where the Holy Spirit is leading us.