The Mataura Presbyterian Church is set to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
A two-day celebration will be held to honour the occasion on July 27 and 28.
Registrar Sarah Currie said she was excited about the anniversary.
"There are many people around who have been involved."
Registrations had opened and people had already started to register their interest, she said.
She encouraged anyone with interest to register by Monday by contacting her.
Celebrations will begin with a dinner on the Saturday night followed by photographs and a Sunday service the next day, she said.
Local historian Henry McFadzien said the first settlers of the area met at Tuturau Primary School from 1861.
"They had an itinerant minister who came in about once a month for a service."
In 1874 a call was put out for a minister and that call was answered by the Rev James Henry, he said.
"He was their minister for about the next 10 years."
Initially his parishioners went to Clinton, Waikaia and to the mouth of the Mataura River in Fortrose.
"He estimated he rode 2000 miles on his horses during his time as the minister of Mataura."
The first services in Mataura were then held by Mr Henry at Tuturau Primary School in that year.
In 1876, Mataura got its first Presbyterian church, which was used until 1934.
The church was made of wood at the front and brick at the back.
One day the wooden part was set on fire and it became unusable, he said.
"So, the church decided to keep the brick up and extend the new church at the end of it."
The original Mataura School, which was built in 1874, now served as the church.
"The original church extended to make the church they’ve got now."
Mr McFadzien had been involved with the church for over 60 years.
Other members had been involved through six generations of their family.
The Dickies family were one of those, he said.
