Lima's First Church, Still on Market Street
On a Saturday in August 1833, fourteen adults walked into the log cabin county courthouse on the village square of Lima and organized what would become the first church in town. Almost two centuries later, Market Street Presbyterian Church still gathers for worship on West Market Street, the same name but a different building, the same Lord but generations of new faces. The congregation's slogan, "Building Community," and its three-part mission - Experience God, Celebrate Life in Christ, Reach People - shape everything from the Sunday liturgy to the missions committee's giving.
Founded in the Last Frontier of Ohio
The story of Market Street begins with the survey of Lima itself. In 1831 the new town was plotted: North Street to the north, West Street to the west, Tanner Street (now Central Avenue) to the east, and the Ottawa River to the south. By 1832 the last of the Shawnee had been relocated to Kansas, town lots were selling for twenty-five dollars, and the streets were muddy pits interrupted by tree stumps. Fewer than one hundred adult males were tallied in the 1830 Allen County federal census, and the total population of the county was just 578.
Two missionaries were key to the founding. Reverend Thomas Baker Clark traveled from his home in Belle Center in Logan County. The other was Reverend James Cunningham, whose great-great-great granddaughter, Anna Selfridge, is still a member of the congregation. On August 24, 1833, Reverend Clark preached and organized the church. John Jameson was installed as a ruling elder, and Alexander Beaty was ordained and installed as a ruling elder. Twelve more adults were received into fellowship: Jameson and his wife Sally Ann from Marion County, Beaty and his wife Mahala from Champaign County, William Cunningham (the first doctor in Lima, and Reverend Cunningham's son) and his wife Anna from Ashland County, Sarah Hover and Sarah Hover Jr., Caroline and Eliza Hover, William and Elizabeth McComb, and John Ward. The next morning, Reverend Cunningham arrived from Knox County, communion was celebrated, and seven children were baptized. The mark "EST. 1833" still anchors the church's identity.
Sundays at 10:30
Worship gathers at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings in the sanctuary on West Market Street. The pattern is consistent: a sermon rooted in Scripture, congregational singing, prayers, and - every few weeks - the celebration of Holy Communion. Communion services appear roughly every third Sunday in the rotation. Parking is in the rear lot of the building. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.; the office is closed on Fridays and Saturdays.
Pastor Reverend Dottie Kaiser has been associated with Market Street Presbyterian in different capacities since 2011. She brings more than twenty years of experience as a hospital chaplain and has also served as an associate and youth pastor in Toledo, Ohio. Her passion is to help people see how God's teaching applies to daily life and how the congregation can live out its faith.
A Chancel Full of Music
Music is central to worship at Market Street. Pianist and organist Troy Reineke, a graduate of Ohio Northern University with a Bachelor of Music Performance degree and a professional career that began at age nine, leads the music each Sunday. Music Coordinator John Hutchinson, a member of the church for twenty-eight years and a ruling elder, has served in the role for eleven years and also handles all of the liturgical seasonal decorating of the sanctuary. The chancel is regularly graced by the Jubilate Deo Singers, a choral ensemble that sings several Sundays each year, including a Music Appreciation Sunday every June. Once each summer the congregation gathers for a Singspiration Worship Service, a Sunday dedicated to congregational singing and special music.
A Weekly Rhythm of Prayer and Work
Beyond Sunday morning, the church keeps a regular midweek rhythm. Prayer Time meets on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. in the Williamsburg Room for half an hour of shared prayer. Several working committees keep the ministry running on Tuesdays: the Building and Grounds Committee meets the first Tuesday of each month at 1:00 p.m.; the Mission Committee and the Deacons meet on the second Tuesday, at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively; and the Session, the church's governing body of elders, meets the third Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Brown Bag Lunch gatherings and PB&J sandwich making in late spring and summer are recurring acts of hospitality that send food out into the Lima community.
Missions Across Allen County
The Mission Committee is described by the church itself as extremely active. Each year Market Street gives to twelve local nonprofit organizations serving those affected by homelessness, abuse, veterans, youth, and food insecurity. Two members established endowments in past years specifically to fund mission projects in the community. Through these Wagnor and Jacob's mission funds, the church has directed more than fifty thousand dollars in recent years to permanent improvements at seven partner agencies:
- $12,500 to Our Daily Bread for renovation of their kitchen
- $15,000 to Lima Rescue Mission for a new exterior stairwell and electrical rewiring
- $7,000 to Samaritan House for two new boiler systems
- $579 to Crossroads for lawn care equipment
- $2,350 to Mizpah Mission for a damaged roof and water drainage
- $12,000 to Habitat for Humanity to replace roofs on aging homes, resulting in three homes receiving new roofs through matching grants
- $2,000 to Wheelhouse Bicycle Consortium for bicycle locks
The Brown Bag Lunch and PB&J sandwich projects round out a local mission strategy that mixes one-time capital gifts to partners with steady, hands-on service.
Weddings at MSPC
Market Street hosts weddings for both members and non-members, with different rates for each. Every prospective bride and groom meets with the officiating minister for premarital conferences; no two follow the same pattern, but all begin with this conversation. The sanctuary has clear rules for photographers: flash pictures of the wedding party may be taken only as they enter and leave, time exposures may be taken from the balcony, and any video camera must stay in the balcony or on a fixed tripod in the Chancel. Receptions can also be held in the building, though the church does not prepare or serve food. A complete wedding policy document is available, and tours can be arranged by calling the church office.
Staff and Congregation
Reverend Dottie Kaiser leads the congregation as pastor. John Hutchinson serves as Music Coordinator and a ruling elder, and Troy Reineke plays piano and organ for the services. Aneita Harriman, the church's bookkeeper for twenty-nine years, and Cheryl Theis, secretary, round out the small administrative team. Together they keep the office running from 9:00 to 5:00 on weekdays and welcome visitors before and after Sunday worship.
Sermons are shared on the church's YouTube channel, and the calendar of events can be exported to Google Calendar or Outlook. Visitors looking for a glimpse of Sunday morning can find recent recordings there. Whether someone arrives for the 10:30 worship on a Communion Sunday, the Wednesday Prayer Time in the Williamsburg Room, or a Singspiration in August, the doorway is the same: 1100 West Market Street, with parking in the rear lot, and a congregation that has been meeting on the same street since the village of Lima had only six hundred residents.