A Local Church Celebrates 180th Anniversary

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – A local church will celebrate its 180th anniversary with an open house that will showcase many historical relics. 

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Pastor Andrew Wilson shared his perspective of the milestone along with some of the ways the church remains vibrant in the community. 

“A hundred and eighty years is a long time for a church to be around. The average church nowadays is about 80-years, is a lifespan for a church. So 180 years is something that we are so thankful to God to celebrate. It’s hard to understand what that is. That’s back before the Civil War. That’s back before indoor plumbing. That’s back before air conditioning and a lot of the the… and telephones and a lot of the things we are so accustomed to today,” Wilson said. 

The church is proud of its traditional Sunday morning ceremonies along with its heritage of community involvement. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Co-Historian Lynn Carrel announced an upcoming event that invites the public to experience the church’s history as well as witness how the church remains involved in the community today. 

“It has always been Trinity Lutheran tradition to display our historical items on the last Sunday of October, which is Reformation Sunday. And this year, it’s going to be Sunday, October 27th. And for the first time ever, we are opening our house, our doors up to the public. We wish to share our historical collection from 1844 to present day. And we have many exciting things for people to see,” Carrel said.

The open house will not only offer a glimpse into local history but share some of the social dynamics of Lutheran culture. The event will take place between Noon and 2 p.m. Sunday, October 27th, at 128 South Seventh Street in Zanesville.