Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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2 5? ►*! ** »** » !H 7* b* » -*? MV St. John’s Lutheran Church One Of County’s Oldest .1 Grace Baptist Church Had 24 Charter Members The Grace Baptist Church was organized August 21, 1966 under the direction of Rev. Ho ward Fisher and Rev. Joe Dean. There were 24 charter members, all being former members of Friendship Baptist Church of Whitmire, S. C. The charter members were Rev. Howard Fisher, Lois Fisher, Harold Brock, Curtis Hamilton, Lucy Hamilton, Walter Graham, Bessie Graham, Cecil Lang ford, Myrtle Langford, Janice Langford, Helen Cody, Mar garet Brotherton, Florence ^rotherton, Estell Tyler, Cleo England, R. V. Rhodes, Maggie Rhodes, Donald Rhodes, Judy Rhodes, Melvin Latham, Joan Latham, Dale Latham and Joan Wessinger. The officers were as follows: Rev. Howard Fisher, pastor; Lucy Hamilton, Clerk; R. V. Rhodes, treasurer; Harold Brock, devotional leader. The Trustees were Curtis Hamilton, R. V. Rhodes, Harold Brock, Walter Graham, Cecil Langford and Donald Rhodes. The music directors were Cecil Langford, director; and Maggie and Donald Rhodes, assistant directors. The worship services were first held in a small house be longing toMrs. Mamie Jamesof Route #1. The church site is located on Route #1 just off Joanna High way, and was donated by Ron ald and Cleo England. The first building material was purchased September 21, 1966. The block was laid and top put on by contractor Ordie Campbell. In order for the labor to be done, besides donations from church members and friends, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Graham furnished a small loan which was the only indebtedness throughout construction. The stained glass windows were donated by members of the church. After the sub floor was put down, chairs were fur nished from several homes. The first services were held De- ’cember 18, 1966 in the church. A special dedication service was held by Rev. Howard F ish- er to thank God for his blessings thus far. The paneling for the interior was purchased by special Christmas offerings. The in terior of the church was done by the talented members of the church and Ronald England. By March 1967 the interior was completed. The pews for the church were bought by the mem bers. The rostrum and screens for the pulpit area were built by Curtis Hamilton and Ronald England. The LadiesCircle, which was organized, furnished the church with the celotex, light fixtures, wall to wall carpeting and a piano. The church was dedicated October 1, 1967. The church covenant was read to all mem bers present and accepted. This service was conducted by the Rev. Howard Fisher. The Dedication sermon was brought by the Rev. Jack Crisp, The Rich Heritage Of Whitmire And Newberry County Have Contributed Much To The Growth And Progress Of SOUTH CAROLINA We Have Been A Part Of This Growth In Newberry County Since 1922 1670 1970 ‘ ESTABLISHED 1922 SOUTH CAROLINA TNICiNTENNIAL *3=2 accompanied by Rev. Joe Dean and Rev. Marvin Cause. The first revival was con ducted the following week by the Rev. Marvin Cause of New port, Tenn. ' In the spring of 1968 the brick veneering was added. Again the money was donated by special offerings of members, the church and Sunday School, friends and Ronald England. The construction was done by Leroy James. In December 1968 the pastor, Rev. Howard Fisher, was stricken with a severe heart at tack. During his recuperation, the Lord so wonderfully sup plied our needs by sending us Rev. Jack Crisp from Central Ave. BaptistChurch,Whitmire, S. C. Rev. Jack Crisp later be came a member of the Grace Baptist Church. In July 1969 the church a- greed to apply for membership in' Central District Associa tion. The membership was ac cepted by the association. The association headquarters are located at Jasper, Va. On September 14, 1969 three deacons were re- instated. They were R. V. Rhodes, Harold Brock and Olin Stapleton. Rev. Jack Crisp and Rev. Ronnie King of Friendship Baptist were presented with ministers cer tificates from the Central Asso ciation. Friendship Baptist Church is a sister church in the Central Association. The Presbytery for the services was from Friendship Baptist All records seem to Indicate that “St. John’s" is one of the oldest, if not the oldest church in what is now Newberry County. It was established by German speaking Swiss from the Oberland, the upper country in Switzerland, and Germans from the Odenwald who came to America and settled in the fork between the Esvapadeema (Broad) and the Salutah(Saluda) Rivers on Crims Creek. The leader of the group sett ling in the Fork was Johannes Adam Summer. Soon after set tling, Summer visited the Ger man speaking colony at Saxe- Gotha township which was in present Lexington County. There he met the German Re formed pastor, the Reverend Whitmire, S. C. Church where Rev. David Bro therton was pastor, and new Hope Baptist Church in Buffalo, S. C., where Rev. Joe Dean was pastor. In December of 1969 the La dies Circle purchased an addi tional lot joining the Grace Baptist Church. This lot is to be used as a parking lot and hopefulls for a parsonage in the future. January 1970 two additional men were put on the building committee: Olin Stapleton and Marvin Prince. February 1970 the church felt the need for additional Sunday School rooms and began the construction. April 5th, 1970, Rev. and Mrs. David Brotherton joined Grace Baptist Church. David is a young ordained minister of the gospel and, has been with us in special services since we have been organized. The present state and stand ing is Rev. Howard Fisher, pastor; Lucy Hamilton, Clerk; Joan Latham, Asst. Clerk; R. V. Rhodes, treasure; Harold Brock, devotional leader; Mag gie Rhodes, pianist; Olin Sta pleton, choir director. We have a wonderful choir and the Lord has so wonderfully blessed us with several special singing groups. Our present membership is 42. Three of our much loved and devoted members, Walter Graham, Dora Stapleton, and John Wessinger, have gone to be with the Lord. Our Faith Circle consist of 22 members, the present officers are Lucy Hamilton, president; Maggie Rhodes, secretary; Bessie Graham, treasurer; He len Burton, assistant treasurer; Florence Brotherton, chaplain; and Cleo England, food commit tee. Our Sunday School officers are Olin Stapleton, superintend ent, and treasurer, Marvin Prince, assistant superintend ent and treasurer; Rev. Howard Fisher, Rev. Jack Crisp, Cur tis Hamilton, Maggie Rhodes, Lois Fisher, Judy Rhodes and .Joan Latham, teachers. Our average attendance is 53 and record attendance is 72. The chufch membership wished to take this opportunity to express our thanks to every one that has had a part; for the many people whose names have not been mentioned, we are most grateful for your love of ferings and prayers. The church membership wished to express our praise to God for prompting this small body of people in unity. Only by the blessings of God could these accomplishments have been re alized by so few members in such a short length of time. We desire the prayers of all Christians for the continued blessings from the masters table, and to extend a cordial invitation to everyone to come worship with us. Little Mtn. Founded 1890 Jalapa is located about seven miles north west of the main highway from Greenville to Col umbia. The name “Jalapa” was given to the town on account of the fact that many of the young men of that section volunteer ed for service in the Mexican War of 1847; all were killed or died in Mexico at the battle of Jalapa. While there have been many good churches in the com munity, most of the history cen ters around the old Tranquil Church; this church being or ganized in about 1799. Jalapa Named For Battle Little Mountain was founded around 1890 about the time the Columbia, Newberry and Lau rens , (known as the CNL) Railroad was built It is about seventeen miles south of the Newberry Court House, but was not incorporated until 1930. The town is located within the ra dius of the old quartz zone which stretches between Saluda and Broad River. Early Settlers in the commu nity were the families, of Hou- seal, Ruff, Epting, Sease, She- ely, Wheeler and Feagel. The background of the community began when the Dutch Fork began to be settled in 1752. The Ruff family owned the mou ntain from which the town re ceived its name. It was then called "Ruffs Mountain”, which was the scene of many early socials. Dances were often held at the foot of the Mountain. In more recent years picnics, barbecues and Campaign meet ings have been held there. Christian Theus. Summer in vited Pastor Theus to visit his family in the Fork and preach to the new settlers. So the first spiritual ministrations to the German- speaking colonists in the Fork evidently were made by Pastor Theus. Duncan Wal lace in History of South Caro lina says,“ Christian Theus shed his influence as a minis ter over Saxe- Gotha and the Fork for over 50 years, from 1739 to 1789." So it might porperly be said that St. John’s congregation evidently had its origin in these group meetings under the leadership of Pastor Theus, several years before the first mention of a church or ganization is made in the Co lonial Council Minutes. We might consider these group meetings, recorded as early as 1745, the beginning of St. John’s congregation. In the Colonial Council Minu tes of February 5, 1754, we read, “The compactness of the German settlement in the forks of the Broad and Saluda Rivers made possible a church organi zation and it was for the ser vice of these settlers that the Rev. John Gasser, Reformed Minister, left Switzerland in 1752. This was the founding of St. John's. In 1754, a rude little log cabin was erected to serve as a church. Evidently these set tlers had a lively interest in education , for the log cab in they built was specified for a school as well as a church. Before 1763 the second church was built of logs, hewn 6x10 inches, the corners dovetailed in the old German style. It occupied land which today is a part of St. John’s Ceme tery and a granite marker de signates the spot where this second church stood. After nine years, the young congregation was sufficiently established to apply to the Col onial Government for a grant of land. On October 5,1763, a royal grant of 100 acres on Grames (Crims) Creek between the Broad and Saluda Rivers was issued under the seal of King George 111 by Thomas Boone, Governor in Council, to John Adam Epting and Peter Dickert, elders of the congre gation and their successors, for a glebe and a church building. It is interesting to note of the two assignees, John Adam Ep ting was German Lutheran and Peter Dickert was Swiss Re formed. The third church, generally known as the Whit Church, was built in 1809 under the leader ship of St. John’seighthpastor, the famous Rev. Frederick Jo seph Wallern. This church ser ved as a house of worship for 141 years and probably is the oldest frame Lutheran Church building inSouthCarolina. A re cent historian thinks it is “ more than likely the only structure of its type of architecture in ex istence." The lines are simple and architecturally pleasing. During St. John's 216 years of existence, she has changed her synodical affiliations five times. Most of the pre-revolut ionary German Colonists in South Carolina, like the SL John’s settlers, had been members of the German Re formed Church in Switzerland, or the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany. Living to gether as neighbors amidst the hardships of frontier life,they wisely decided to practice ecu menicity. So, in 1787, seven Re formed and Lutheran pastors with their lay delegates met and formed a church body Cor pus Evangelicum. St. John’s then known as the German Cal- vinistic Church of St. John’s in the Fork, was affiliated with this body. Later we are told that the Reformed members of St. John’s decreased in number while the Lutheran’s increased. In 1803, the German colonists in North Carolina formed the North Carolina Synod. The Rev. Godfrey Dreher was ordained by the new synod , and bacame the pastor of several Lutheran Churches in the Lexington Dis trict, St John’s among them. In 1824, the South Carolina Lu therans met and founded the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of South Carolina and Adjacent States. The Rev. Godfrey Dre her was the first President St John’s was one of the founding churches, being listed as the Protestant Lutheran St John’s Church. About this time there developed among the Lutherans In North Carolina and Virginia disagreements over theology and church practices. Some of the more conservative Lutheran Churches held a conference in Tennessee in 1820 and formed the Tennessee Synod. We read in St. John’s Church’s minutes of April 1852 with the Rev. Daniel Eflrd pastor, that the congregation voted 81 to 3 to unite with the Tennessee Sy nod. Other churches in New berry County remained in the South Carolina Synod, and there were hard feelings among pas tors and congregations of the two synods. Families in St. John’s became divided. In time the South Carolina Synod brought a law suit against the Tennessee Synod for ownership of St. John’s Church. Finally in 1922, St. John’s, with other ch urches who had left the South Carolina Synod, asked to be tak en back into the fold and were joyously received. St. John’s has remained a member of this synod. Today, St. John's is a pro gressive rural congregation. On June 11,1950, the cornerstone for the fourth church building was laid. This building, stand ing across the road from the White Church, is a modern, comfortable, air- conditioned brick church in a modified Go thic Style. The current full time pas tor, the Rev. Austin Robert son, lives in an attractive brick parsonage built on land donated by Mr. L.A. Mayer. Most of St John’s members are descendants of the founding fathers who signed the petit ion for incorporation in 1794. Though many members live miles away, they are drawn to the old church by ties of fil ial loyalty. Truly the faith of our fathers is living still!! ♦ * * We Are Proud To Be A Part Of Progressive Newberry Ck 1670 1970 Jffi MM VCJ Mv mm* mm mm > • * * •' Site Congratulations — To South Carolina On Her 300th Birthday West Electrical Service By-Pass 76 Newberry, S. C.