The congregation at St. Luke AME Church had an extra reason to rejoice during Sunday services.

Church members learned The Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review had awarded a $20,000 Heritage Trust Fund grant to assist in preservation of the landmark Lawrence church at 900 N.Y.

“This award lets us pursue our dream of preserving this cultural resource for all of Lawrence,” said the Rev. Verdell Taylor, St. Luke’s pastor and president of the Lawrence Preservation Alliance.

The grant goes to the alliance’s Second Century Fund, which was established to finance the preservation effort. It will be used to pay for a study to determine the scope and costs of restoring the nearly 100-year-old church, which has rich historical ties to Lawrence’s black community.

Church members were elated when told about the grant Sunday, member Napoleon Crews said.

The Rev. Verdell Taylor sweeps the sidewalk in front of St. Luke AME Church at 900 N.Y. in this 2004 file photo.

“It kind of picked up the service,” he said. “We could hardly contain Reverend Taylor in the pulpit. He preached a heck of a sermon because of the happiness over this.”

In August, the church hopes to hear whether the building will receive a designation on the National Register of Historic Places, Crews said.

The church was attended by noted author Langston Hughes when he was a boy, and it has numerous historical ties with prominent black families who were involved in the church.

The church needs major renovations if the structure is to be saved.

The Heritage Trust Fund grant will be supplemented by a $5,000 award received in March from the Douglas County Community Foundation.