St. Paul Lutheran Church in Marshfield will celebrate 150 years of faith, fellowship, and community on Sunday, Sept. 28, with a homecoming service and afternoon activities.
The celebration will begin with a 10 a.m. worship service led by guest pastor Rev. Ron Landauer of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Ozark. Landauer, who previously served as interim pastor at St. Paul, will return to the congregation for the milestone occasion. A guest organist will also provide special music. Following the service, attendees are invited to stay for a fellowship meal, music, family-friendly activities, and time to reconnect with members, past and present.
The church’s roots reach back to the mid-1870s, when the Rev. Andrew Raider, an English-speaking Lutheran minister from Greene County, Tennessee, founded the congregation. At the time, many Lutheran services in the region were held in German, and Raider was sought out by English-speaking settlers in need of a spiritual home.
Raider not only helped establish St. Paul but also traveled by buggy across the Ozarks as a circuit rider, preaching at several “preaching stations” in English. The congregation’s first building, located in the Plank community near present-day Rifle Range Road, was destroyed in the 1880 tornado. Raider then sold land across the Niangua River to the church for $1 so they could rebuild. That property also became the site of one of two cemeteries still maintained by the congregation.
In 1923, the congregation relocated to Marshfield, worshiping in the Universal Theater (now the site of Jackson’s Grill) while constructing a new church building. For many years, services were held in a basement structure until a sanctuary was completed in 1949. As the congregation grew, a move was made in 1967 to its current home at 609 North Locust, across from the elementary schools.
Karen Rudolph, great-granddaughter of Andrew Raider and the church’s historian, said the anniversary is a time to honor both the past and the future.
“My great-grandfather helped start this church, and it’s amazing to see the legacy of faith that has endured for 150 years,” Rudolph said.
Organizers say all are welcome; current members, former members, and friends of the church alike.
“We invite everyone to come celebrate 150 years of God’s blessings with us,” she shared.
For more information about the celebration, contact the church office at office@stpaulslutheranmarshfield.org or visit the church’s Facebook page.
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