In 1878, the first worship services were held every other Sunday afternoon in Hopewell Methodist Church, then located a mile from where St. Peter Lutheran Church is today on Highway 36 in Carroll County, Kentucky. Services continued at Hopewell Church until 1895 when the Methodists relocated their congregation. At that point, the Lutheran mission worshipped in Hopewell School. In 1895, plans were
made to formalize the congregation, and the constitution for the new church, "The Independent German Evangelical Protestant St. Peter's Church of Hunter's Bottom, Kentucky," was adopted on December 1, 1895. In 1896, a decision was made to build a church. A committee consisting of Fred Thieman Sr., Frank Thieman, and John Obertate made plans for the building in March. A contractor was secured, but members also worked faithfully on the construction of the building. The church was dedicated on June 8, 1896. In October, a stone wall was constructed behind the church; parts of it remain to this day. Until 1919, the German language was used in the services. At that point, the congregation decided that English would be used on the first Sunday of each month. In 1928, English was adopted for all services. Peter Lutheran Church, the loud ringing of the church bell heralded the beginning of church or Sunday School and a slow, tolling of the bell announced the death of a member. Neighbors listened and counted the strokes, one for each year of life, and usually knew who had passed away. "Plumbing" consisted of a three-room building: "His," "Hers," and the "Coalshed." Heat was provided by two large stoves, one on each side in the middle of the church. The water supply came from a cistern on the north side of the building. Music was provided by a pipe organ. The interior of the church was lit by hanging brass kerosene lamps. A tall pulpit was directly in front of the stained glass windows, and ministers often preached in brilliantly colored light! Social life revolved around the church. On Sundays, many children saw cousins, aunts, uncles, and both sets of grandparents, worshipping together. Strictest discipline was observed in church, and children were expected to be, and were, quiet. A mere glance from an adult could silence the most restless child. Men sat on one side of the church and women on the other. The eldest sat at the front. Communion was served to the men and then to the women. In preparation for this, many observed a special order of foot washing at home. Also, a rigid dress code was followed. Men wore suits, white shirts, and ties. The women were somberly dressed in black. Many remember the Annual Homecoming picnics which were held on the church grounds the first Wednesday in August. People from the surrounding communities came to enjoy wonderful homemade cakes, pies, ham, fried chicken, and vegetables! The proceeds were used to support the Hunter's Bottom Cemetery Association (a separate organization). In 1937, the Ohio River flooded. The flood waters reached the eaves, and the church was severely damaged. The men of the congregation tried to save the pipe organ by laboriously carrying it up to the church balcony. They placed it on boards on top of the pews, but the record-setting waters reached it, and it was ruined. The congregation went to work to restore the church and soon had services scheduled as usual. After 60 years as an independent church, St. Peter's joined the Kentucky-Tennesse Synod (ULCA) in June 1956. The synod approved the documents which had incorporated the congregation under the name "St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hunter's Bottom" in 1955. Also, in 1955, the congregation built an addition to provide much needed space for education and recreational needs. The original structure was also renovated. The education wing was dedicated on April 15, 1956. Peter Church joined the Indiana-Kentucky Synod (LCA) when it was organized in 1962. In 1976, the church entered into a two-church parish arrangement with Resurrection Lutheran Church in Madison, Indiana which lasted until 1987. In 1988, St. Peter became a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Currently, we are a small congregation that enjoys worshipping God. We have communion every Sunday. We are looking forward to our future and where God is leading us. After much prayer and discernment, the St. Peter Lutheran Church, Milton, had decided to disaffiliate from the ELCA in August 2025. We are sad to leave the ELCA but feel it is the right decision for our congregation. After a lot of prayer and discernment, we applied to the North American Lutheran Church and on December 19, 2025, we were approved to join the NALC. We celebrate God's goodness and blessings on our congregation.
