The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, August 27, 1970, Image 2
PAGE 2—The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, August 27, 1970
1101 Boyce Street, Newberry, South Carolina 29108
PUBLISHED "EVERY THURSDAY
0. F. Armfield, Jr., Owner
Second-Class Postage Paid at Newberry, South Carolina
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: S3.00 per year in advance;
six months, $2.00.
MACEDONIA LUTHERAN
CHURCH
The first public worship ser
vice of what was to be Macedo
nia Lutheran Church was held in
the school house that stood near
where the present church stands
in the fall of 1847. The Rev.
George Haltiwanger, Sr. con
ducted the service and conti
nued to preach one <. month un
til his d£ath in 1849.
In the fall of 1848 plans were
laid for the construction of the
first house of worship. This
building was completed and de
dicated in September 1849 with
the Rev. William Berley in
charge, having taken over the
work upon the death of the Rev.
Haltiwanger, Sr.
Mr. Michael Sultan gave three
acres of land to the congrega
tion on which the first church
was built. These three acres
were cut off from a tract of
present church stands. This ori
ginal tract is now covered
with the waters of Lake Mur
ray. However, the church was
relocated to its present site be
fore the waters of Lake Murray
were impounded.
It is not definitely known who
the 23 charter members were.
It is known that David Epting
and Hazekiah Dreher approach
ed the Rev. George Haltiwanger
to conduct the first service.
Other names that can be men
tioned with a degree of certain
ty are, Mr. and Mrs William
Epting. Miss Mary Fulmer, Mr.
and Mrs. John Long, Mr. and
Mrs. William Ballentine, Mr.
and Mrs. Fred Derrick, Mr. and
Mrs. Daniel Shealy, Jacob Hil
ler, and the Rev. D. I. Dreher.
Other family names that may
have appeared on the list are,
Todd, Lybrand. Sultan, Fulmer,
Holman, Harman, Hamm and
others.
The first building was a frame
structure. At different times ad
ditions, alterations, and repairs
were made on the original build
ing. This first building made no
provision for a place for negro
slaves owned by members of the
congregation. It is said of them,
■'the early Lutherans treated
their slaves as members of their
own families. They took them to
church and gave them instruc
tion in the Word of God.” Dur
ing the pastorate of the Rev. J.
A Sligh, 1866-1881 and 1889-1890,
it is recorded that the Holy
Communion was administered
regularly to Negro members.
Even after being set free many
of the Negro slaves remained
with their former “masters” un
til natural death removed them
from this life. Even as late as
1900 some of them were living
in houses provided by the fam
ily to which they once belonged.
The Rev. J. J. Long became
pastor of Macedonia in July
1912. Soon after his arrival the
people began seriously to con
sider the condition of their old
church building which had stood
for more than half a century. On
the 13 of April 1913 a vote w'as
taken which resulted in a una
nimous decision for a new
church.
For $65.00 the Council engag
ed Mr. L. F. Frick, an archi
tect of Little Mountain to fur
nish designs to select from, and
to aid in directing the work of
building the new church. By the
first of March 1914 the people
began to place materials on the
ground. A contract w'as made
with Mr. W. T. Livingston of
Newberry for $800.00 to do the
mechanical work, and the
church which is the second one
to be built on the ground was
completed, and ready for the
first service on January 9, 1915.
The first hymn sung in the new
church was, “There Is A Foun
tain Filled With Blood.” Pastor
Long preached on the subject,
“The Rich Fool.” Marion Guy,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Marion W.
Long was made a member of
the church by infant baptism at
the first service.
The following day, Sunday,
January 10, 1915 Harris Clay-
borne Amick, Noah Michael
Shealy. Charles Holmes Epting
and Yance Leroy Amick were
received into the church by con
firmation. From this time to the
day of dedication a number of
gifts and memorials were re
ceived by the congregation.
On Sunday, May 27. 1917, a
congregation of about one thou
sand persons 11.000) assembled
at Macedonia Church to engage
m the Dedicatory Service of the
new church building which is the
second to be built on our church
lot At 11 a.in the Rev J. W
Horine, I) I) . Editor of the Lu
theran Church Visitor, Colum
bia. S C.. preached the dedica
tor) sermon, using as his text.
’But the Son of Man hath nut
where to lay His Head". Alter
the morning service dinner was
served on the church ground. At
2 p m the new church was so
lemnly dedicated to the worship
of God The dedicatory service
was conducted by Dr. Horine.
Following the ceremony the Revy
W. H. Greever. I). D.. Editor of
the American Lutheran Survey.
Columbia. S. C.. made an en
couraging address commending
the congregation for its united
consecration. He stressed the
importance of giving our sons to
the Gospel Ministry. He asked
how many ministers had gone
out from the congregation, and
was informed that two of her
sons were now preaching t h e
Gospel."
Sidney Calhoun Ballentine was
born July 4. 1865, was baptized
and confirmed in Macedonia
Church. He graduated from Roa
noke College with first distinc-
‘ion in 1890. and from Mt Airy
Lutheran Theological Seminary
in 1894, and was ordained on
May 28, 1894 in St. Johannes
German Lutheran Church, Phi
ladelphia, Pa. He served parish
es in South Carolina and Virgi
nia, retiring from active service
in 1938. He passed to his eternal
reward on November 20, 1944.
Arthur Wellington Ballentine
was born March 17, 1885, was
baptized and confirmed in Mace
donia Church. He attended the
local schools; graduated from
Newbrry College in 1907, taught
school the winter of 1907-1908;
and graduated from the Luthe
ran Theological Southern Semi
nary in 1911. He was ordained in
St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Goodman, Mississippi,
on July 2, 1911. He served par
ishes in Mississippi, Georgia,
South Carolina and Virginia. He
is now retired and a guest at the
Lowman Home.
After a long time Macedonia
is happy to have another son en
ter the Gospel Ministry. George
David Swygert was born Octo
ber 5, 1941, was baptized and
confirmed in Macedonia Church.
He attended the Chapin schools
graduating from High School in
1959, Newberry College in 1963,
and the Lutheran Theological
Southern Seminary in 1967. He
was ordained in Incarnation Lu
theran Church, Columbia, May
26, 1967. He served St. James,
Leesville, and is now serving
Grace, Bessemer City, N. C.
In the late 1920’s the securing
and clearing of land for the wat
ers of Lake Murray forced many
families from their homes and
farms, thus reducing the mem
bership by about one third. With
the waters of the lake coming
within only a few hundred yards
of the church, the future did not
look too bright. However, many
faithful people held on, and to
day the future looks promising
for the church.
It was during the pastorate of
the Rev E. Z. Pence that Sun
day School rooms were added to
the rear of the church proper.
The addition is a two story struc
ture.
The congregation was in a
pastoral charge with other con
gregations, or congregation un
til July 9, 1961, when under the
leadership of supply pastor ITS.
Petrea she became self support
ing, and immediately began with
plans to secure a lot and build a
parsonage. The lot was secured,
some money borrowed, the
house erected and dedicated
April 28, 1963, and within 18
months the debt was paid off.
Today Macedonia is a vigorous
congregation with a new deter
mination to serve her commu
nity, and sharing gratefully in
the larger ministry of the South
Carolina Synod, and the Luthe
ran Church In America.
In June of this year she began
holding 8:00 a. m. worship ser
vice on the lake shore just be
yond the church for vacationers,
and summer residents of this
resort area of Newberry County
in addition to her regular sche
dule of services. Also, this spring
some improvements were made
in the nave of the church, and
the entire floor of the nave,
chancel and choir were carpet
ed. With a growing enrollment
in her schools, need for space
for social activities, and admini
strative purposes, the congrega
tion is adding weekly to a build
ing fund.
The story of Macedonia is the
story of her people and pastors
working together for the glory of
God, the spread of the Gospel,
and the deepening of their own
spiritual life. From her begin
ning in 1847, Macedonia has ne
ver been long without the ser
vice of a pastor. Let us just re
cite the names of the pastors
without giving the date of their
service, but in the order which
they served. The Revs. George
Haltiwanger, Sr., William Ber
ley, James H. Baily, Samuel
Bouknight, J. A. Sligh, C. P.
Boozer, J. D. Bowles, A. J. Bow
ers, W. A. Julian, J. H. Wyse,
Jacob Hawkins, J. D. Kinard,
H. P. Counts, S. L. Nease, J.K.
Efird, O. B. Shearouse, J. J.
Long, J. B. Harman, E. Z
P.ence, Albert Stemmermann,
L. H. Jeffcoat, J. H. Koch, Jr.,
H. S. Petrea (supply), W. E.
Jernigan, F. A. Rice, III, and
C. L. Richardson ,the present
pastor.
Today Macedonia is a congre
gation of 267 baptized members,
184 confirmed members, with
active auxiliaries in all phases
of the churches work.
Robert Clinton Shealy, Pros
perity and Janet Elizabeth
Price, Newberry were married
here July 24.
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