MASSENA — Emmanuel Congregational United Church of Christ will celebrate its 175th anniversary today in the congregation's original building, built in 1844.

The congregation's current church burned down in May 2007 and has yet to be rebuilt. Members will celebrate the anniversary milestone across the street at Adath Israel Synagogue, Church Street, where they have been holding services since the fire.

The church was organized in 1833 as the Second Methodist Church. The synagogue building was the church's home before it moved to West Orvis Street in the 1920s.

"It feels right" to be celebrating there, the Rev. Judith A. VanKennen said. "That was the first church to be built in Massena."

"We're celebrating 175 years of God's faithfulness to us," she said.

The event will begin with a potluck lunch for church members and then open to the public for a service at 2 p.m., followed by a reception and a party in the church parking lot, complete with light food and dancing.

Construction on the church has not moved forward since the new roof was completed a few months ago. Contractors are developing the plans and work will begin again in October. When rebuilt, the church will have an elevator, bathrooms on each floor and a top-of-the-line electric organ.

The church is much bigger than the synagogue the members have been worshipping in since last year, but members say they have enjoyed the close setting.

"We really like that sense of intimacy that we've had at the synagogue," the Rev. Ms. VanKennen said. "We've kept that in mind as we planned the new building."

To that end, the new church will have a more open chancel space — the area surrounding the altar — and a side room that was enclosed by a wooden wall instead will have a glass one.

Very little of the church remains, other than the outer brick walls. Most of the stained-glass windows were saved. Those that were lost were broken by the Fire Department to quench the fire, according to the Rev. Ms. VanKennen.

The windows all had been restored 10 days before the fire. Since the fire, they all had been covered until 10 days ago. Uncovered, they bring light and color into the empty structure. Two of the windows come from the 1844 church.

The church was organized because the First Methodist Church in Massena Center had expanded beyond its capacity. The first church no longer exists.

In the beginning of the 20th century, the Second Methodist Church had grown to the point where it needed a new building. Its membership then was at 148. Construction on the new building began in 1920 and was completed in 1926. Services were held in the basement beginning in 1922 until the congregation could move upstairs to worship. Today, the church has 149 members, a poignant fact not lost on the Rev. Ms. VanKennen.

"I'm hoping history will repeat itself that when we move over there, we'll see the synagogue a little bit cramped," she said. "I think it's very significant that they were at 148 when they built the new church and we're at 149 now."

Though the membership numbers are almost the same, the current church does not have as many people coming to services every Sunday. Ms. VanKennen, who has been with the church for three years, estimates that attendance numbers hover between 45 and 60.

The church's congregation is not bursting the seams of the small synagogue — which is no longer used for Jewish services because there is not enough of a Jewish population in Massena to sustain it — but it is looking forward to getting back to its home.

"We're anticipating a really special time when we get back there," the pastor said. "It's been a good time for us (at Adath Israel), but ultimately we want to get back in our own space."

After the church burned down, the Jewish community came forward to offer its temple space to the congregation, which found itself homeless. The congregation anticipates moving back across the street in midwinter.

"I keep telling folks it took them six years to build it. If it takes us a year or two, we're doing OK," the Rev. Ms. VanKennen said.