St. John’s Lutheran Church, Palmerton, celebrated its 225th anniversary on Sunday with a service of Holy Communion.

More than 100 people celebrated the occasion, said the Rev. Kenneth T. Melber Jr., Pastor, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Palmerton (Towamensing).

Melber said that before the beginning of worship, state Rep. Doyle Heffley presented a citation to the congregation, providing a brief history of the church and providing congratulations on behalf of the State House of Representatives, which was then presented to Mary Fronheiser, the council president at St. John’s.

He said it was noted that St. John’s as a congregation is the second oldest congregation in Carbon County, and the oldest congregation still active.

Melber said the choir led the anthem “Love Grows Here” and the bell choir played “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing!”

“The congregation was blessed to have two distinguished guests lead the worship service for the afternoon,” Melber said. “Bishop Christopher deForest of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America preached the sermon for the day, reminding the congregation of the riches of God’s grace as the heart of the Lutheran witness. The Rev. Carl Shankweiler, Associate of the Bishop presided over the remainder of the liturgy.”

Melber added that communion vessels and other items used in worship over the years were displayed on the windowsills of the sanctuary, allowing those present an image of the past.

He said hymns sung were “A Mighty Fortress,” “Almighty God, Your Word is Cast,” and “Thy Strong Word.” The Rev. Kenneth Melber, Jr., who has served the congregation since Jan. 1, 2022, also wrote the final hymn for the service, entitled, “O God of All the Ages Bright.”

“In late 2021, the congregation of St. John’s entered into a parish agreement with the congregation of Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church of Trachsville, which celebrated its 175th anniversary on the same day,” Melber said. “This new parish agreement, formally the St. John’s-Jerusalem Lutheran Parish, presents a commitment to work together and to share the services of a single pastor.”

Melber said that the worship service was followed by a dinner and presentations by Fronheiser and The Rev. Carl Shankweiler. More items from various points in the church’s ministry were displayed, including photos from various anniversaries back into the late 1800s and a quilt that was made for a former pastor over 100 years ago, he said.

“While I am only a small blip in this congregation’s 225 year history, I am blessed by the level of excitement this place has for God and for our neighboring community,” Melber said. “We have been blessed to help many in our area through the food pantry and other outreach ministries over the years, and we look forward to continuing to witness to the love of God.

“We invite anyone interested in being a part of this amazing family of faith to join us for worship each Sunday at 10:30 a.m., and we are always available to answer questions about our church and our faith.”