Celebration Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with a story rooted in faith, community, and humble beginnings.
In December 1980, Pastor J. Howard Mettee arrived in Mount Juliet to begin developing a new Lutheran congregation. After serving as Associate Pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Warren, Michigan, Pastor Mettee began gathering people interested in building a church centered on worship, fellowship, and service.
Celebration’s first worship service was held on February 1, 1981, in the Mettee family home with just ten people in attendance, five of whom were members of the Mettee family. Within weeks, the growing congregation moved into a rented storefront that had once been a shoe store, earning the affectionate nickname “The Shoe Store Ministry.”
On November 22, 1981, Celebration Lutheran Church was officially organized with forty baptized members. The congregation was named after a radio program Pastor Mettee hosted in Michigan and was only the second church in the United States to carry the name “Celebration.”
As the congregation grew, Celebration completed its first building program in 1986 and moved to its current location on Mount Juliet Road. A second expansion in 1990 added fellowship, education, and office space as the church continued to grow in ministry and membership.
Over the years, Celebration has been blessed by faithful pastoral leadership, including Pastor Joyce Arnold, Pastor Doug Hill, Pastor Larry May, Pastor Kevin Martin, Pastor Erik Fieg, and Pastor Howard Mettee serving again as interim pastor.
On June 30, 2019, Rev. Ed Myers was installed as pastor of Celebration Lutheran Church.
From a small gathering in a living room to a longstanding church home in the Mount Juliet community, Celebration continues to live into its name by celebrating God’s grace, growing in faith, and welcoming all people.