St. Luke's Lutheran Church to celebrate 150 years Sunday
SAXONBURG — When the founders of St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Saxonburg organized as a congregation, the Civil War was still a fresh memory and the local community was still growing.
Under the theme of “Thankful for the Past. Focused for the Future,” St. Luke’s celebrates its 150th anniversary Sunday, a day to honor the past but also to recognize the present and the future.
“One hundred fifty years of Christian ministry is a wonderful milestone for the St. Luke’s congregation, and we are excited to be celebrating this legacy that started in 1869 with a Lutheran service in English,” said David Fugate, vice president of church council.
“Our congregation has been a part of Saxonburg’s history, and this includes ties to the Roebling family with the donation of the original parcel of land for the first church building, and later a pipe organ after completion of the stone church in 1928. We welcome everyone to come visit the stone church on Main Street, to worship with us, to see the sanctuary and to hear the pipe organ.”
St. Luke’s is marking the occasion with a worship service at 9:45 am Sunday, followed by a luncheon in Centennial Hall. The church is at 310 W. Main St.
The church’s roots lie with a small group of immigrants who came from the Mulhausen and Zwickau areas of Germany to settle Saxonburg in 1832. One of the group’s leaders was John Roebling, known as the inventor of wire rope and the designer of the Brooklyn Bridge. A portion of the original congregation left to start a new church with English speaking services. Roebling donated land at the corner of State and Main streets for the church.
On Oct. 5, 1869, the cornerstone was laid for a brick structure that cost $2,800. It stood until the permanent stone church was built and dedicated in 1928. The church’s pipe organ, given as a gift by Roebling’s son, Ferdinand, was dedicated that same year.
St. Luke’s earliest members might not have envisioned just how much the congregation would grow and change over the next 150 years. Ongoing ministry grew and changed as did the physical component of the church. The church’s land mass increased to just under 59,500 square feet with the construction of Centennial Hall, the addition of a building occupied by Abba’s House, more parking spaces, and stained glass windows and other renovations of the stone church.
There have been 20 pastors plus interims who served the congregation as it grew in its understanding of the church mission and membership. Hundreds of baptisms, marriages, confirmations and funerals have been held over the decades.
