AUBURN — The Court Street Baptist Church invites the public to the celebration of its 150th anniversary at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15, at the church, 129 Court St. The program will feature former pastors, visiting dignitaries and music by the choir.

The featured speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Alfred J. Fletcher, the executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Maine, a position he has held since January of 2000. Previous to this, Fletcher served for 10 years as the senior pastor of the West Falmouth Baptist Church, Falmouth, as well as pastor in churches in Massachusetts from 1982 to 1990.

Former clergy and spouses who have indicated they plan to attend are David and Carolyn Dunn, Ann Thompson, Glenn and Dori Prescott, Elizabeth Covell, Charles and Lois Bray, Foster and MaryJane Williams and Allison and David VanderLinden.

The guest list also includes Patricia Stratton, the current president of the American Baptist Churches USA. She has served as president of AB Women’s Ministries in Maine.

The Free Will Baptist Church was organized in 1859 and eventually built a church on the site of the new addition to the Auburn Public Library. The Spring Street Baptist Church was organized in June of 1860, and built the current church on Court Street next to the County Building in 1869 and 1870. The two churches, only two blocks apart and with similar doctrines, merged in 1930.

Douglas I. Hodgkin has written a book-length history of the church, “The Baptists of Court Street, Auburn, Maine.” It is available for purchase in the church office and will be on sale at the celebration.

The church has also planned two additional major events. An open house on Sept. 11 will feature the church sanctuary. Dan Burgess will explain and demonstrate the characteristics of the 1870 Hook organ and there also will be opportunity to observe and learn about the stained glass windows and the Harry Cochrane murals.

The weekend of Sept. 24 to 26 will feature a Festival of Thanksgiving sponsored by the church and the Mark Thallander Foundation. Fred Swann, the festival organist, is the immediate past president of the American Guild of Organists. He will play the Casavant organ at Lewiston’s Basilica of St. Peter and Paul.

On Sept. 26 at Court Street Baptist Church, Mark Thallander, former organist at the Crystal Cathedral, will play the organ and Tom Matrone, director of the National Music Department of the Assemblies of God, will conduct a large choir of voices from churches throughout southern Maine.