{"id":3781,"date":"2019-02-28T20:59:46","date_gmt":"2019-03-01T01:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/?p=3781"},"modified":"2024-02-07T14:33:53","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T14:33:53","slug":"latest-news-52","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/?p=3781","title":{"rendered":"Latest News"},"content":{"rendered":"

St. Peter Lutheran Church celebrates 150th Anniversary<\/strong><\/p>\n

St. Peter Lutheran Church is celebrating its 150th anniversary throughout 2019 with special services that will take members and guests back in time in keeping with the theme, “Built on the Rock – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”<\/p>\n

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\nSt. Peter looking from east to west on Church Road. Note the horses and buggies along both sides of the road and the narrowness of the road. Taken some time after the church was built in 1888.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you’re familiar with the location of St. Peter Lutheran Church-Riley, you may wonder why the congregation’s forefathers and mothers chose a spot on Church Road near Dexter Trail – that’s not exactly on the beaten path. Why did German Lutheran immigrants set down roots in Clinton County’s Riley, Bengal and Dallas Townships in the early 1850s? Why didn’t they choose a location closer to established villages like DeWitt and Westphalia?<\/p>\n

Part of the answer is simple. It actually was close to “a beaten path,” just a stone’s throw from Dexter Trail. Native American guides had used the trail for years, helping immigrants on their journey northwest from Detroit to their future homes in settlements like Westphalia, Muir, Ionia and far-away Grand Rapids. In 1833, Judge Samuel Dexter and his family were among those traveling on what became known as Dexter Trail. His son, Riley Dexter, died in 1834 after contracting scarlet fever, and was buried beside the trail about a mile north of St. Peter’s present day location. He was the first Caucasian child buried in Clinton County.<\/p>\n

Similar tidbits of St. Peter’s history are part of a slide presentation that begins prior to the formal establishment in 1869 of St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Congregation, Unaltered Augsburg Confession and concludes in 2019. Portions of the entire slide presentation will be shown at selected worship services throughout the year, and at four special Sunday services. Dates include:<\/p>\n

\u2022 March 17: Guest speaker is Michigan District President Rev. David Meier. Worship begins at 10 a.m., followed by a potluck lunch at St. Peter Fellowship Center that includes tasting – and voting – on chili and cornbread at the annual St. Peter Chili Cook-off.
\n\u2022 April 28, “Heritage Sunday.” Pastor David Speerbrecker will lead the worship service. As a former St. Peter member whose family roots run deep, he is uniquely qualified to speak about the wonderful heritage St. Peter is blessed with today.
\n\u2022 June 23: Another former St. Peter member, Pastor Mark Werner, is looking forward to leading us at an outdoor service (weather permitting). This special Sunday is also the date of St. Peter’s annual Hog Roast. Lots of good eats will be available after the service, and plenty of activities are planned for children and adults.
\n\u2022 Oct. 13: Special Sunday services conclude when another familiar face leads St. Peter in worship. Pastor Jeffrey Heimsoth served St. Peter for 25 years, helping lead the church during a time of change and growth including the construction of the current Fellowship Hall and relocation of St. Peter School to an addition of the building. A catered meal will be served in the Fellowship Hall following the service<\/p>\n