The Polytechnic United Methodist Church was filled with people from front to back on Sunday.

The church celebrated its 125^th anniversary in combination with Texas Wesleyan Sunday with a successful turnout.

“It was awesome,” said Kathy Peacock, a 60-year member of the church and a member of the 125^th Anniversary Celebration Sunday Committee. “I had lots of help but it was a lot of preparation. A lot of sleepless nights.”

The Texas Wesleyan Singers and the Texas Wesleyan Brass Quintet joined with the Polytechnic Choir during the program, which included songs, prayers and Scripture readings. Bishop J. Michael Lowry, bishop of the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church and a member of the Texas Wesleyan Board of Trustees, gave a sermon.

“They had such beautiful voices,” Peacock said of the Wesleyan performers. “Dr. (Jerome) Bierschenk does such a wonderful job with his students.”

Sophomore music major Joanna Sermeno was proud that the choir’s performance was so well received.

“It makes me feel proud because I know we worked really hard on this to make everything sound perfect with everybody ending on the same pitch and everybody on the same tone,” Sermeno said. “It feels great to hear that because we worked really hard.”

Sermeno said the choir put in many practice hours in and out of school.

The choir also managed to draw new faces to the church.

“I came to this service because my friends are singing,” sophomore business management major Nikita Dhoubhadel said. “This is my first time and I’m excited for it.”

It wasn’t just first-timers coming to the service. Junior criminal justice major Katheryn Matthews goes to the church every Sunday and has been a member for a year.

Matthews is glad to see the church celebrating 125 years.

“To know this church is 125 years old is cool because I love old architect and just old buildings,” Matthews said. “It’s really good to know a church can last this long in today’s world.”