A History of St. James Lutheran Rockwell On April 8, 1907, 2 weeks before the official organization, a group, led by the Rev. J. A. Linn, purchased a lot for a church on the main highway in the southern part of town, near the bend of the road. At 11:00 a.m. April 21, 1907 a meeting was held in the old Junior Order Building to organize a Lutheran Church in Rockwell, NC. The number present was 47. The name selected by this organizational group was St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church. The record states that by Charter Sunday there were 56 individuals who desired to be charter members of this newly organized church. On July 14, 1907 the Rev. J. A. Linn was elected by a unanimous vote to the congregation to become the first pastor. Through the combined efforts of the members and the building committee a neat frame church was erected and dedicated on March 29, 1908. In 1909 St. James entered with Christiana Lutheran Church and Wittenburg Lutheran Church of Granite Quarry to form a parish. This parish was dissolved in 1919, and in that same year St. James and Emanuel (now Immanuel) Lutheran Church formed a parish known as the Rockwell Lutheran Parish. In 1919 they built a parsonage together. It was located on the east corner of Main Street at the Emanuel Church road. Soon after the Rev. C.P. Fisher, Sr., D.D., became pastor, January 1, 1926, a lot for a new church was purchased on the corner of Main St. and Highway 152. The first brick was laid for the new church plant of St. James on July 6, 1926, and by March 6, 1927 the congregation was ready to enter into the basement of the new church to begin services. At a special service on the afternoon of May 20, 1928 at 4:00, the cornerstone was laid. Just a year later on May 19, 1929 the first service was held in the nave of the new church. The total cost of the new St. James was $40,000. This new church edifice was dedicated to the glory of God on May 5, 1935. On April 27, 1947, under the leadership of their pastor, the Rev. E.L. Misenheimer, and the Brotherhood, a new brick parsonage was begun on a lot by the south side of the church. On January 22, 1948 the parsonage was completed at a total cost of $14,000. That same year on April 4, 1948, under Pastor Misenheimer’s leadership, the congregation voted to become self-supporting as of January 1, 1949 and Misenheimer to become the full time pastor. The new parsonage was dedicated on July 17, 1949 under the leadership of the congregation’s second full time pastor, the Rev. C.P. Fisher, II. On the 13th of March in 1954 the congregation broke ground for a new Parish Educational Building, an in just a little over a year it was completed. A Service of Blessing was led by Pastor Fisher on April 1, 1956, and all the Church School entered their new building for the first time. The new parish building was dedicated in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the church on April 21, 1957. Having been called as pastor effective March 1, 1949 and resigning effective January 28, 1962, Rev. C.P. Fisher, II served as pastor one month shy of thirteen years. On June 1, 1962, the Rev. Charles R. McManus became the eleventh pastor of St. James. He served as pastor until the end of June 1974, three weeks over twelve years. The pastorates of Rev. Fisher, II and Rev. McManus are by far, the two longest pastorates that St. James has experienced. During the twenty-five years of these two pastorates, St. James experienced much growth and strength and stability in its facilities, membership, and programs. The Rev. Woodrow F. Frick became the 14th pastor of St. James on July 8, 1981. During Pastor Frick’s pastorate the educational building has received new sloping flat roof and a new gas heating system, with air condition in the fellowship hall and kitchen. The stained-glass windows in the sanctuary have been covered with protective storm windows of lexan material. In the music program, two children’s choirs and a girl’s chorus was begun, and with a memorial gift of a three octave handbell set two handbell groups have been ringing. In the Sunday Church School Department, a Nursery class for Sunday School and the Worship Service, as well as a two & three year old class for 455 Sunday School was started. These new classes have greatly enhanced the educational program of St. James. An interesting fact is that Pastor Frick is married to a granddaughter and daughter of former pastors of St. James, Rev. C.P. Fisher, Sr., and Rev. C.P. Fisher, II. Thus, with the children of Pastor Frick the fourth generation of the Fisher Family is members of the parsonage family and church. St. James has a very distinguished history, and as the years come and go, St. James will continue to be engaged in the “great unfinished task of her Savior.” With profound gratitude in our hearts we come to our 80th anniversary this year, 1987. With pride St. James claims six ministers of the Gospel Ministry as her sons: The Rev. C.A. Linn, Ph.D (deceased); The Rev. John K. Linn (deceased); The Rev. Arthur Linn (deceased); The Rev. Glenn A. Miller (deceased); The Rev. Roy Fisher (deceased); The Rev. Carl M. Fisher, D.D.,S.T.M.,M.E., Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, Matthews, NC. Pastors 1907-1911 1911-1913 1914-1918 1919-1922 1922-1925 1926-1930 1930-1935 1935-1942 1943-1949 1949-1962 1962-1974 1974-1979 1979-1980 1981.1995 1996-2022 J.A. Linn R.R. Sowers N.D. Bodie C.R. Pless E.F.K. Roof C.P. Fisher, Sr. J.D. Sheppard J.E. Walker E.L. Misenheimer C.P. Fisher, II C.R. McManus D.P. Nelson B.G. Baker W.F. Frick Craig E Sigmon, Jason Huebner, Oscar Shepherd
0 Comments
|
|