WORTH TWP — A group of farmers gathered to cook a batch of apple butter in 1841 and decided it was time to found a church.

By 1843, Zion Baptist Church, 148 Currie Road, was built, and the church and its congregation plan to mark its 175th anniversary Oct. 23.

Church members who gathered earlier this week for a photo at the venerable building included two of the church's oldest members: Harold McBride, 93, of Butler and his sister, Evelyn Knox, 94, of Slippery Rock.

“I joined the church when I was born, I think,” said Knox.

Asked if Zion Baptist had changed during his membership, McBride said. “It's about the same, I think.”

But the Rev. Tom Meling, pastor of the 60-member congregation for 20 years, said the original church gained an addition in the 1960s and a parsonage in the 1970s.

Meling said church history holds that Mount Zion began when a group of farmers met to make apple butter in 1841 at the site of the present Worth Township Grange Hall, and the talk turned to the need for a church closer to their homes.

“They decided it was too long a drive to get to Portersville,” he said.

“They wanted it to be between Grant City, Jacksville and Portersville. Two of those towns no longer exist,” said Meling. Grant City was on Route 19 and Jacksville was on West Park Road.

The fledgling congregation began work on Zion Baptist soon after.

“It was a farm church. Cooper Campground used to be a big dairy farm,” said Meling of the campground that neighbors the church. “Mrs. Betty Cooper is a member here and she still comes.”

Meling said the future congregation cut the church's timbers from nearby woods and baked bricks out of local clay taken from a nearby field.

The church history records that two members were disciplined for racing their buggies down Bilsburg Hill, which is about a mile from the church.

The church cemetery came later, Meling said, and noted it contains graves that date to the Civil War.

In the 1950s, Meling said, members dug out the basement fellowship hall under the original church.

“Some of the farmers also mined,” he said. “They had that expertise back then. On some of the farms you can still see some of the old coal shafts.”

“Several of the members lost their farms when the lake came in,” said Meling, referring to the creation of Lake Arthur in 1970.

But Zion Baptist is still the home church to descendants of many of the original founders, with a sprinkling of relative newcomers.

'It's more eclectic. We have people from Slippery Rock, Portersville. Some of it's family related, some of it's friends. People now drive more. My youth group is from all over,” Meling said.

Zion plans to recognize its anniversary with a special service at 11 a.m. Oct. 23 featuring former pastors and the congregation's oldest members.

Meling said that will be followed by a lunch featuring 1840s-era foods.

“There will be venison and, of course, apple butter,” said Meling. “We're also planning to have 1840s games. If the weather is good, we might also have a hay rack ride.”

Meling, who comes from farm country himself, having grown up in Ottawa, Ill., said it's the character of its congregation that has enabled Zion Baptist to reach its 175th anniversary.

“I think you have in the Western Pennsylvania area, these people have gone through some hard times, but they persist and they persevere,” he said.