St. Jacob’s 250th Anniversary Year-long Celebration

Our 250th anniversary celebration continues throughout the year with special events and guest preachers. Last month, it was a joy to welcome Pastor Henry Pawluk as our special guest preacher. For April, we have a special event. April 19th will be Decades Day. It will be a day to honor the historic Liturgy and worship of past generations from the foundations of St. Jacob’s to the recent decades gone by. Congregation members are encouraged to wear old fashioned clothing, and we will observe the traditions of St. Jacob’s earliest days with women sitting on the left (choir side) and men on the right (pulpit side) sides of the aisle. Small children may sit with either fathers or mothers as practical.

During worship, we will use a historic liturgy written by The Reverend Henry Melcior Muhelberg in the mid 1700’s. This would be the liturgy used at the founding of our congregation. While Muhlenberg himself was not responsible for the planting of our congregation, he was the German missionary and pastor who brought the Lutheran tradition to the Carolinas.

Muhlenberg was integral to the founding of the first Lutheran church denomination in North America and is considered the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in the United States. He first landed in Charleston, SC in 1742, where he was principal in establishing St. John’s Lutheran Church. He then traveled to Savannah, GA before making his way north to Philadelphia, PA. From there the Lutheran Church spread through the newly established American colonies and territories.

Decades Day will be another event making up our year-long celebration as we give thanks to God for our congregation’s long history in the service of the Gospel. Please make sure to attend each of these and invite your friends and neighbors to join us. Below is a list of our remaining planned events.

• April 19th – Decades Day; worshipers dress from past eras and use a historic liturgy.
• May 17th – Guest preacher Rev. Marty Ramey (former interim pastor); congregational dinner following worship.
• June 7th – Luther League, LCY, Youth celebration; members of past groups will be invited to attend church service; hamburger meal will be provided after service.
• July 19th – Guest preacher Rev. Randy Drafts (former seminarian and field worker); congregational dinner following worship.
• August 16th – Guest preacher Rev. David Tholstrup (former SCMD Dean), congregational dinner following worship.
• September 20th – Congregational Outreach Event; blankets for residents at Generations.
• October 25th – Homecoming and Anniversary Sunday, guest preacher NALC Presiding Bishop Dan Selbo; special catered congregational dinner following worship.
• November TBD – Golden Agers Recognition and Celebration.

We give thanks to God for the long history of our congregation, and especially for the life and witness of so many who have been a part of our proclamation and now take their rest in Christ. Thanks be to God for the life we share together.