Historic Middletown church closing

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WTNH)-- Sunday marked the last service for many at the historic St. Paul Lutheran Church in Middletown.

The church is giving up the brick building on High Street, and consolidating with another congregation in town.
  
The church was founded 119 years ago by German immigrants. In 1955,  it was badly damaged by a Christmas Eve fire.

The sermon on the closing day was about how a church is its people and not the building where they pray.

"It's about change and welcoming the change and merging with different churches so it was a very nice message," said Chris Tessman of Middletown.

The building is being sold to the Open Door Missionary Baptist Church.