CENTER TWP — Rider Lutheran Church, 189 Rider Church Road, has named its 175th anniversary observance “Rider Through the Years.”

Lynn Cumberland, chairwoman of the steering committee for the commemoration, said, “There's a group of us that have been putting together this event. We have been working on it since the beginning of the year.”

Running from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Cumberland said the anniversary observance will include a display of “antique items that were used at the time. Church members are bringing in their family heirlooms.

“Antique quilts will be on display,” Cumberland added. “We have a couple of women working on old photographs. We have quite a few of them.”

She said the quilts, antiques and photos will be displayed in the church's fellowship hall.

The church plans to make apple butter in a large kettle, as well as boil ears of corn in another.

Cumberland said food will include hot dogs and German potato salad.

In addition, said Joyce Hutchison, church treasurer and leader of the evangelism committee, there will be games and activities for children including pumpkin carving and bean toss.

Hutchison said the church's old pastors have been invited to attend, and the church has also invited Bishop Kurt Kusserow, leader of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, although the bishop hasn't said definitely if he will attend or not.

A special invitee will be the Rev. Melissa Elfer, an ordained Lutheran minister in Maryland who was once a member of Rider's congregation.

The 40-member congregation at Rider has a lot to celebrate, starting with the fact that the church still has descendants of some of the original charter signers as congregation members.

According to an anniversary flier prepared for the event, Rider Church dates back to 1837 when its first services were conducted in German in a one-room schoolhouse located near the church's present location.

Formally organized in 1843, the original church was on land now occupied by Rider Cemetery. The present church was dedicated in 1899.

Carl Hutchison, the president of the church council, said, “The cemetery has quite a history. Our former pastor, (the Rev. Cynthia Baxter) did a survey of the cemetery. Over 300 graves were identified.”

But, said Joyce Hutchison, it was revealed the cemetery records were less than perfect when a coffin was discovered where none was expected before a February funeral. More coffins were discovered without accompanying gravestones.

Joyce Hutchison said, “The cemetery has an old section and a new section. We sell lots in the new section and discourage burial in the old section.”

An oil chandelier, taken from a church in Pittsburgh, hung in the sanctuary. It was later wired for electricity and remains in the sanctuary today.

It's a church with deep roots in the community.

“My husband's family was here,” said Joyce Hutchison.

“There are Renicks and Wicks still in the church,” said Cumberland.

Carl Hutchison, the president of the church council, said he was baptized in the church 75 years ago.

“I've been in this church as long as I can remember,” he said. “There was a coal-fired furnace here that as a kid I would build the fire in.”

“We're an old congregation. We don't have young kids a lot here,” Cumberland said.

But she said Rider Lutheran has joined in the Butler Area Lutheran Ministry networking group.

“We've become more active in that. There is strength in numbers. That might be able to keep us going,” she said.