Jubilee committee chairwoman Kay Masters said it was exciting to be marking the "significant milestone" with a series of events on Friday evening and Saturday.
The celebration dates aligned with the first service held in the Anglican St Matthew’s church in 1874, the year after laying the foundation stone, she said.
Located at the corner of Hope and Stafford Sts, the church is a category 1 Heritage NZ building, designed by Mason and Wales, with an adapted Gothic design using bluestone and Port Chalmers breccia facings.
The celebrations will begin on Friday evening with registration followed by a recital on the church’s historic organ by Sherry Shelton, of Invercargill.
Installed in October 1880, the organ is a 3-manual Bevington organ, which is registered as an instrument of importance.
"Members of the Otago and Southland Organ Association use our church organ regularly for practise, so it is lovely to have a recital as part of our celebrations," Mrs Masters said.
She hoped the sun would be shining on Friday, so those attending could enjoy the beauty of the church’s historic stained glass windows.
Saturday’s celebration events will begin with a Service of Thanksgiving at 11am, led by the Rt Rev Dr Peter Carrell, Anglican Bishop of Christchurch.
Dr Carrell’s father, the Rt Rev Brian Carrell, was a vicar at St Matthew's from 1965 to 1971. He later became Assistant Bishop of Wellington.
The service will be followed by lunch, cake cutting, time to share memories and official photographs.
Mrs Masters said many people of interest had attended St Matthew’s church over its long history, including Brigadier-general Harry Townsend Fulton CMG DSO and painter Colin McCahon, who was married at the church.
Between World War 1 and 2, a charitable Dorcas Society was formed at St Matthew's, which raised funds to support Dunedin people facing hardship.
From the 1980s until the 2000s, St Matthew's had a very active ministry to the students in the city, she said.
In more recent years, the congregation had diminished, but its members remained active and engaged.
St Matthew’s church hosts Holy Communion services on the first and third Sundays of the month, and morning worship on alternate Sundays.
