St. Matthew's Lutheran Church to celebrate 75 years

By: Mike Conley | McDowell News
Published: May 20, 2010

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church will celebrate the 75^th anniversary of its founding with a special service on Sunday.

St. Matthew’s is the distinctive rock church located at 307 W. Court St. The anniversary service will be held at 10:30 a.m. The Rev. Keith Lee, a former pastor, will be the guest speaker at the service.

In addition, the Bell Choir from St. John’s Episcopal Church will provide some special music. And two musicians from Clinchfield Baptist Church, one playing the French horn and the other playing the piano, are scheduled to play.

After the service, a luncheon will be held.

Fred Kohls, the liturgical deacon, said he hopes many former members of St. Matthew’s will return for the 75^th anniversary celebration.

St. Matthew’s has it beginnings in the early 1930s. In the spring of 1931, a meeting was held to organize a church for Lutherans in McDowell County. The first service was held Feb. 14, 1932 at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Services later continued at the McDowell County Courthouse until May 19, 1935, when St. Matthew’s held its first service in the new rock church on West Court Street. All of the rock for the church came out of the Catawba River, said Kohls.

St. Matthew’s is part of the Lutheran Church-Missour Synod.

For more information, contact Fred Kohls at 659-8425.