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CANFIELD — The Canfield United Methodist Church, located at the city Center Green, is one of the community’s historic buildings.

The church was established in 1820 and while plans were to mark 200 years last year, the event had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The church will mark the 200-year milestone 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The service will be held in person at the church and also online on the church’s Facebook page.

The Rev. Ivy Smith, who became the church’s minister last July, said the event will include guest speaker, the Rev. Don Christiensen, a former minister at the church who will return to share his memories of serving there.

“I love being able to be here with the church congregation for this special event, to be able to celebrate with them this special milestone. This church has always had a strong presence and influence in the community and a part of the foundation in Canfield,” Smith said.

Smith said the church has a remarkable history of many achievements over the years.

The church’s location on the Canfield Center Green allows it to grab the attention of motorists who travel through the busy center. Smith said since last October, the congregation in small ways has been celebrating the 200th anniversary.

Betty Frazzini, the church historian for 45 years, remembers when the church celebrated its 175th anniversary.

“She told me it is time for the church to mark 200. We are having to stretch it out for awhile until we can hold the main event this Sunday,” Smith said.

A large banner placed outside the church will remain for the rest of the year.

During recent services, there has been sharing of memories by members of the church.

Judy Sees of Canfield, lay leader at the church, said “It’s exciting to be part of this milestone. We are all looking forward to the celebration and to what the next 200 years hold.”

Frazzini said the church congregation has impacted thousands of lives.

“I was baptized and reared within these walls. My children were baptized and confirmed here. Memories were made for us as a family in this church. I still love and cherish the friends I made all these years ago,” Frazzini said.

She said if the church walls could talk, they would have millions of stories to share.

Shirley Freed-Matula said the coronavirus pandemic reminded people “the church is not a building, but rather lives committed to loving and serving God.

“Two hundred years is a milestone for the church and its servanthood to God and being disciples of faith through two centuries. Two hundred years of God’s work at Canfield UMC has changed lives. I know it has changed mine,” she said.

Wendy Hull Lynn, a lifelong member, said she has many memories of the church, including attending the turkey dinner for which the turkey was captured on her family’s farm and was brought in to be cooked. She said back then, the dinner was held upstairs where some of the current Sunday school rooms are located.

She said she remembers the annual corn roast that also took place on her family’s farm.

“I am pleased to say that my family still carries on the corn roast tradition and that my husband, children and I still attend this church,” Lynn said.

The church has been remodeled, including in late 1988 when the congregation voted to start a $1.2 million building campaign to remodel and build an addition. The church also was made handicapped accessible.

The 15,000-square-foot addition was consecrated in May 1992.