ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH
Our History
Explore the history of St. John’s in Charleston, from its early Lutheran roots to the present day.
Early Beginnings & Colonial Era (1671–1766)
1671
A colony of oppressed Lutherans from Nova Belgia is granted land on James Island, establishing the earliest roots of a Lutheran tradition in the area.
May 24, 1734
The first recorded Lutheran Communion Service for Charles Towne Lutherans is conducted by Rev. John Martin Bolzius.
1742
Dr. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the “Father of American Lutheranism,” arrives in Charleston to minister, catechize children, and lay the nucleus of the congregation.
August 7, 1753
Trustees sign a land petition to the Royal Governor, marking the formal, legal organization of the church body.
1755
Rev. John George Friederichs arrives as the first official pastor and formally organizes the congregation, marking the structural beginning of Lutheranism in South Carolina.
1759
Pastor Friederichs lays the cornerstone for the first church building before departing.
June 24, 1764
The newly completed church building is dedicated on St. John the Baptist Day, and the congregation officially adopts the name St. John’s.
1766
Members of the congregation form the German Friendly Society to assist new immigrants, widows, and orphans.
Revolution & Institutional Transition (1767–1814)
1774
Pastor John Nicholas Martin returns for a second term and works with Muhlenberg to successfully unite divided factions within the church.
1778
The British banish Pastor Martin from the city because he refuses to pray for the King of England during services.
1778–1780
Rev. Christian Streit serves as pastor, becoming America’s first denominationally commissioned military chaplain. He introduces the first English sermons to the congregation before being arrested by the British in 1780.
1787–1800
Rev. John Christian Faber serves the church, followed by a period where Episcopal clergy temporarily lead the leaderless flock (1800–1805).
1807–1836
Jacob Sass serves a transformative 29-year tenure as congregational president, spearheading major property improvements and structural stabilization.
The “Golden Era” & the Civil War (1815–1875)
1815
Rev. Dr. John Bachman begins a historic, nearly 60-year pastorate (1815–1874) that profoundly shapes the church and the wider denomination.
1818
The present historic sanctuary building is completed and dedicated under Bachman’s leadership.
1824–1830
Dr. Bachman leads the founding of the Lutheran Synod of South Carolina (1824) and the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (1830).
1825
The Ladies Sewing Society is formed to provide enduring financial support for theological students.
1845
Boston Drayton, an African American man tutored by Bachman, becomes the first Lutheran missionary to Liberia, later serving as its Supreme Court Chief Justice.
1861–1865
The Civil War ravages the church. The historic bell is melted down for Confederate gun metal, the parish building burns down, and the sanctuary sustains severe cannon fire damage.
Post-1865
St. John’s becomes the first church in Charleston to reopen after the war. Dr. Bachman returns to lead the restoration and is later buried under the church altar upon his death in 1874.
Reconstruction & Expansion (1876–1988)
1876–1897
Dr. Edward Traill Horn serves as pastor, guiding the church through difficult Reconstruction years and redesigning the chancel with the Good Shepherd stained glass window.
April 1, 1883
A sermon by Dr. Horn inspires the successful planting of St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in northern Charleston.
November 22, 1891
Rev. James A.B. Scherer is ordained at the St. John’s altar, becoming the first Lutheran missionary sent to Japan.
1913–1941
Dr. George J. Gongaware leads the congregation through World War I and the Great Depression.
1965
A new 26-rank Schantz pipe organ is installed behind the historic 1823 Thomas Hall casing.
Modern Era: Devastation & Restoration (1989–Present)
September 1989
Hurricane Hugo severely damages the sanctuary nave.
May 1991
A massive $1,000,000 historic restoration of the hurricane-damaged nave is successfully completed.
1992
St. John’s celebrates its 250th Anniversary and installs the 18-bell Haymaker-Vogelsang Carillon in the steeple to replace the bell lost in the Civil War.
2011
An extensive $800,000 modernization project updates the exterior, roof, windows, lighting, and electrical infrastructure.
2024
Dr. Robert Harrell is called to serve as the current pastor, leading a vibrant congregation into its next era of ministry.