St. Stephen's Lutheran Church
Image of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church
Image of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church
Location119 N Church St, Lexington, SC 29072
CountryUnited States
DenominationEvangelical Lutheran Church in America
Websitehttps://www.sslc.org
History
Founded1830
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)Jason Antley
Pastor(s)Ralph Hill

St. Stephen's Evangelical Lutheran Church (SSLC) is a historic Lutheran Church at 119 N Church Street in Lexington, South Carolina. The Church is affiliated with the ELCA as a member of the South Carolina Synod. The church holds worship on Sundays at 8:30 AM and 11 AM as well as on Wednesdays at Noon and livestreams each of these services on the church's YouTube Channel.[1] Current pastors are Jason Antley and Ralph Hill.[2] As of the SC Synod's 2020 annual report, St. Stephen's has 1,716 baptized members and 1,100 active participants, which is the most of any ELCA Congregation in South Carolina.[3] The same report also lists the church as having the third highest average online attendance (600) and the fifth highest average in person attendance (209) of churches within the synod, making it one of the largest Lutheran Churches in the state.[3]

Logo of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church
Logo of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church

Church History

St. Stephen's is the oldest church community within the town of Lexington having been founded there in 1830.[4] The congregation's current place of worship is the fourth incarnation of the church, having been reconstructed 3 times throughout the church's history. The church has historical ties to the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary which from 1834 to 1856 was located in Lexington.[5] It is likely that these students attended St. Stephen's during their time of study.[6]

Building History

St. Stephen's Lutheran Church was originally built in 1831 as the first church in the Lexington community. This church was also the first in this community to have a balcony. In 1865, the building was one of many in the state to be burned down by Sherman's Union forces during The Carolinas Campaign of the United States Civil War.[7]

The church was reconstructed 5 years later, having been completed in 1870 with a narthex, belfry, and spire, on the same grounds as the original church. In 1897, this second building too was destroyed by fire along with other surrounding buildings, though the circumstances of the building's destruction are largely unknown.

Construction for the third building begun in 1896, before the second building was burned down, though it wouldn't be completed until 1900. This building was constructed across the street from the original grounds and served the congregation until 1957, when it was demolished to make way for the church's current building to be built on the same grounds.

Construction for the church's current building would begin in 1957 starting with the new Sanctuary and Educational hall, which were both completed the following year in 1958.[8] Since then, an additional wing of the church was built which includes more classrooms, office space, and a multipurpose gymnasium with a stage. A historical marker for St. Stephen's Lutheran Church was erected by the congregation in 1994.[9]

Pipe Organ History

The first pipe organ of St. Stephen's was installed in 1922 having been built by the M.P. Möller Organ Company. It consisted of 11 stops, 7 ranks, 6 pistons, and 8 couplers which controlled 398 pipes in total. After construction was completed, there was a dedication concert performed by organist Mrs. E.B. Roof and a collaboration of local musicians.[8]

When the current sanctuary was rebuilt, a new pipe organ was built for the sanctuary by the PELS Organ Company of The Netherlands. This organ had 2 manuals and a 32 note pedalboard and originally had 15 stops, 17 ranks, and 9 couplers which having a total number of 1,116 pipes.

In 1977, a decision was made to purchase another organ by the M.P Möller Company citing issues of performance with the PELS Organ. The church's current organ, M.P Möller Opus #11336 was completed the following year in 1978.[10] This organ was built with 3 Manuals, 4 ranks, 4 divisions, 25 stops, and 22 registers controlling a grand total of 1,348 pipes. New features and reworks of the organ's digital controls were added to the organ in 2005 and 2011.[8]

Pastors

List of Pastors of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church
Name Title Years
Rev. John C. Hope Pastor 1831-1834
Dr. Ernest Lewis Hazelius Pastor 1834-1837
Rev. George Haltiwanger, Sr. Pastor 1837-1838
Rev. William Berley[11] Pastor 1838-1839
Rev. Dr. Michael Rauch[12] Pastor 1839-1841
Rev. David Bernhardt Pastor 1841-1842
Rev. John F.W. Leppard Pastor 1842-1844
Rev. George Haltiwanger, Sr. Pastor 1844-1847
Rev. John F.W. Leppard Pastor 1847-1852
Rev. William Berley[11] Pastor 1852-1855
Rev. Samuel Bouknight[13] Pastor 1855-1858
Rev. William Berley[11] Pastor 1858-1873
Rev. James H. Bailey[14] Pastor 1873-1881
Rev. Joseph Quincy Wertz[15] Pastor 1881-1882
Rev. Muller Oliver Jamison Kreps Associate Pastor 1883-1885
Rev. Dr. Sheppard Seneca Rahn Pastor 1885-1888
Rev. John George Graichen[16] Pastor 1889-1897
Rev. C.P. Boozer[17] Pastor 1898-1899
Rev. John George Graichen[16] Pastor 1900-1907
Rev. William H. Hiller Pastor 1907-1908
Rev. T.S. Brown Pastor 1908-1913
Dr. L.A. Thomas Pastor 1913-1917
Rev. Wilbur H. Riser[18] Associate Pastor 1917-1920
Dr. Arthur B. Obenschain[19] Pastor 1920-1949
Rev. Vernon F. Frazier Pastor 1949-1955  
Dr. J. Benjamin Bedenbaugh Associate Pastor 1953
Rev. Ralph I. Luman Pastor 1956-1960
Rev. Donald R. Poole, Sr. Pastor 1960-1966
Dr. J. Milton Frick[20] Pastor 1967-1975
Rev. Leroy C. Trexler[21] Pastor 1975-1978
Rev. Thomas W. Corbell[22] Pastor 1979-1990
Rev. Stephen C. Bailey Associate Pastor 1987-1990
Rev. Ruben H. Olawsky[23] Pastor 1990-1994
Rev. Harold F. Jefferies Assistant Pastor 1991-1993
Rev. Dr. Larry S. Long[24] Pastor 1995-1998
Rev. Lori V. Hefner[25] Associate Pastor 1995-1998
Rev. Douglas E. Hefner[26] Associate Pastor 1995-1998
Rev. Dr. Patrick W. Riddle[27] Pastor 1999-2021
Rev. Dr. Mark Stanley Bredholt Associate Pastor 2001-2004
Rev. Dr. Dennis R. Bolton Associate Pastor 2002-2015
Rev. Jason T. Antley[28] Associate Pastor 2015-2021
Rev. Jason T. Antley[28] Senior Pastor 2022-Present
Rev. Ralph G. Hill[29] Pastor 2022-Present

References

  1. ↑ "St. Stephen's Lutheran Church Lexington, SC - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  2. ↑ "Our Staff". St. Stephen's Lutheran Church. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  3. 1 2 "Annual Congregation Report for 2020: Synod 9C – South Carolina" (PDF). Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Historic Dates". Lexington, South Carolina. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  5. ↑ "Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary". SC Picture Project. 2015-10-30. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  6. ↑ "St. Stephen's Lutheran Church". SC Picture Project. 2015-05-29. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  7. ↑ "Lexington, South Carolina". www.carolana.com. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  8. 1 2 3 "Church Organ Carillon History" (PDF).
  9. ↑ "St. Stephen's Church Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  10. ↑ "Pipe Organ Database | M. P. Möller (Opus 11336, 1978) St. Stephen's Lutheran Church". Pipe Organ Database. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  11. 1 2 3 "William Burley, Obituary - Columbia, SC". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  12. ↑ "Bethel Lutheran Church". dutchforkchapter.org. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  13. ↑ "Wittenberg Lutheran Church on Midlands Directory". Midlands Directory. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  14. ↑ "Lutheran Visitor, South Carolina Genealogy Trails". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  15. ↑ "Werts Family, Newberry county, South Carolina". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  16. 1 2 "Historical Newspapers of South Carolina". historicnewspapers.sc.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  17. ↑ "1888-1904 Lutheran Visitor, South Carolina Genealogy Trails". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  18. ↑ "St. Peter's Lutheran Church (Piney Woods)". www.dutchforkchapter.org. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  19. ↑ "Register of Marriages, Lexington County, South Carolina". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  20. ↑ "Our History". HTLC. 2015-05-31. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  21. ↑ "Leroy Trexler Obituary (2012) - Columbia, SC - The State". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  22. ↑ "Pastors | Carolinas Mission District". Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  23. ↑ Staff, Cola Daily. "Rev. Ruben H. (Olie) Olawsky, 83, former USC campus minister who made wine and peanut brittle". Cola Daily. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  24. ↑ "Church History | Good Shepherd Lutheran Church | Columbia SC". www.gslc.com. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  25. ↑ "Lori Hefner Obituary (2020) - Salisbury, NC - Salisbury Post". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  26. ↑ "Online Religion Site". asheboronc.ors.kwnews.com. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  27. ↑ "Leaders". Mt. Horeb Lutheran Church | Chapin, SC. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  28. 1 2 "St. Stephen's Lutheran Church". www.sslc.org. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  29. ↑ "Our Staff | About | St. Stephen's Lutheran Church". www.sslc.org. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
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