Middletown Church commemorates 60th anniversary with a special ceremony

Feb 20

Church members and friends of the Middletown, Ky, Church gathered on Saturday, February 18, to celebrate the church’s 60th anniversary. More than 180 people attended this special event which was a reminder of the church’s history and continuous growth.

The Middletown Church began as a mission plant of the Pewee Valley Church in 1957. It was originally called St. Matthews Church. On December 3, 1961, church members had a ground-breaking ceremony for their soon-to-be new church home. That same afternoon, the building’s footing was dug by hands and concrete was poured the following day. In less than a month, the church building was completed.

Then, on December 22, 1962, the St. Matthews Church facility was officially dedicated. Sixty years later, Pastor Marius Serban wanted to commemorate the occasion.

“I was visiting one of the very first [St. Matthew’s] church member and laid on her table was the original bulletin of the St. Matthew’s church dedication,” Serban said. The St. Matthews Church changed its name to Middletown Church in 1988 after having moved to a new building. “I got excited and while we were not able to celebrate the anniversary on the exact date, we knew we wanted to do something special.”

Sandy Hall, with the help of the anniversary committee members, prepared the special program for February 18, 2023. The celebration kicked off at 11:00 A.M. and included some special music, a sermon by former St. Matthews Church Pastor Denver Canvins, and interviews with former and current members who shared their memories of the church’s past. After the service, everyone enjoyed the fellowship potluck.

“We wanted to remember all of those memories that meant so much to people,” Hall said. “We were also just excited to have as much fellowship with the former members and current members of our church.”

The Middletown Church currently has 259 members. Their goal is to be known in the Louisville area as a “church that transforms people and communities through the genuine love of Jesus.” They have more than 20 ongoing ministrie and are currently focusing their efforts to reach the Berrytown community in Kentucky.

“We are a very friendly church family,” Hall said. “We genuinely care about each other and our community. God has blessed our church richly throughout many years, and our goal is to continue growing and sharing His love.”