CANFIELD — Former ministers of Paradise Church in Canfield joined current Pastor Brian Regal and congregation members recently to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the church on New Buffalo Road.

Former ministers attending were Steve Geitgey, David Parry and Jim Haun.

The second “Pack the Pavilion” event is set at 10 a.m. Sunday. Special speaker Maxwell Thompson, who is the church’s missionary to Liberia, will be under the pavilion.

According to an online history of the church, it began in 1849 when a meeting was held between the Lutherans and the Reformed to erect a meeting house.

On April 14, 1849, the building of the meeting house was given to Michael Vonogle for the sum of $426. On Aug. 28, 1849, the cornerstone was laid and on May 9, 1850, the consecration of the meeting house took place.

The meeting house was located directly across the street from the present building in the northwest corner of the present cemetery. The Reformed congregation held services one Sunday while the Lutherans held services the next.

According to strict custom, the men sat on the right side of the church while the women sat on the left side, according to the online history.

In 1880, as members of the Reformed congregation were on their way to worship, the members saw the meeting house in flames. After saving what they could and watching the building burn to the ground, they went to a nearby schoolhouse to hold their services.

Plans were made to build a new church on land directly across the road from the cemetery.

The Lutherans decided to build their church on Western Reserve Road and it later became known as Paradise Lutheran Church.

On Christmas Day 1881, the church was dedicated. It cost $3,000.

The church’s last remodeling took place in 1967 and 1968 when the steps leading to the basement were repaired, the balcony was extended, and a nursery and Sunday school room were added.

The latest addition started about 1985 when a new kitchen, a new social hall, two storage rooms in the basement, two restrooms, an elevator shaft and steps to exit the west end were built. Also, a pavilion was built in 1994.

The present United Church of Christ was formed on June 25, 1967, by the union of the Evangelical Reformed Church and the General Council of the Congregational Christian Church of the United States.

Many of the present-day members have descended from the early founders of our church.

The church is planning its community church festival set 4 to 7 p.m. July 20. The Mustang Club will be bringing their mustang vehicles to show along with others who would like to enter the car show. Anyone interested in showing their car can call Paradise Church at 234-575-3288.