History - ST. JOHN'S LUTHERAN CHURCH

BRIEF HISTORY OF ST. JOHN'S

St. John’s Lutheran Church was founded in 1881, even before its own town of Cherryville was formed.

St. John’s has thrived during the years.The church is not defined by buildings.It is the people who gather there in worship and thanksgiving and then go out to serve the Lord.It is the family of God.It is through these Spirit-filled people that St. John’s has made its mark.

Eleven members from our church have chosen full time Christian vocations.The first son of the congregation to enter the ministry, Dr D.P. Rudisill, is credited by our synod with organizing Lutheran Churches in Chapel Hill and Sanford, NC while serving as student pastor at UNCCH from 1942-1946 and working on his Ph.D. at Duke University.Dr Forest Houser then spearheaded a drive at St. John’s to raise money to buy a lot on which the church at Chapel Hill was built.David Crane grew up in St. John’s and, even though he married a Baptist and now serves as a Baptist missionary in Africa, we still claim him.In 1993 Council voted to send him $2,000 in support of his work there.Many lives have been touched, and altered, by the other nine dedicated pastors and parish workers.

A number of our lay people have witnessed in outstanding ways in leadership roles in the N.C. Synod and even on a national level.Perhaps when we have more time we can give credit where credit is due.

In our own midst we have reached out to those who have experienced tragic losses or long-term illnesses.St. John’s led fundraising efforts for cancer victims.As early as the turn of the century the women established a “sinking fund” to help the needy.In 1927 the council voted to pay a needy widow’s rent of $2.00.In 1968 Rev. Jack Smith led the congregation in a community wide effort for a centralized location where those in need of food or clothing could find help.It was known then as the Goodwill Center.Today it is Cherryville Area Ministries.

In 1949-50, when there were so many refugees that had lost everything in WW II, St John’s sponsored the resettlement of three families, 22 people, finding them everything needed to start a new life – jobs, housing, clothing, means of getting an education. Again in 1979, after the Vietnam War another family was resettled here.Five members of that family were baptized into the Christian faith.

Parish education has always been a priority. Those pioneer Christians established a Sunday School in 1889 and hosted a state wide Sunday School convention five years later.Over the years various children’s programs for education have existed – the Children’s Missionary Society, the Light Brigade, Children of the Church, Weekday Church School, Bible School, Confirmation classes, Rainbow Club.The congregation makes scholarships available for high school seniors, as do several individual members.A Loan and Gift Fund makes funds available to young people planning to go into full time ministry.Educational Institutions like Lenoir-Rhyne and Southern Seminary have benefited from substantial gifts like the Carl Augustus Rudisill Library at Lenoir-Rhyne and the Dewey F. Beam Endowed Professorship and dorm at Southern Seminary.

Through all this we see the hand of God at work.

The history of St John’s is really HIS-STORY.

We are only HIS hands and HIS dedicated servants.

MAJOR MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH BUILDING

1881

Mark’s Lutheran Church.

Organized in a granary on corner of Main and Oak Streets with 41 Charter members, under the guidance of Rev. M.L. Little, pastor of St.

1882

Small wooden structure built on large lot given by Henry Summitt on what is now Church Street .

1902

additions were made to this building to meet the needs of a growing congregation.

Wooden building is replaced with brick structure made possible by a bequest of $1500 in the will of S.S. Mauney.