Macedonia Evangelical Lutheran Church
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Although the exact date is unknown, it is safe to assume that the Macedonia congregation was organized in 1847 with 23 charter members, most of whom came from nearby St. Peter's Lutheran Church. For two years, services were held in a school house with Reverend George Haltiwanger Sr. as pastor. A house of worship was built and was dedicated in September of 1849 by Reverend William Berley. In November of 1849 the congregation was received into the Synod.
The first building was a plain frame structure with no provision for heating, and for thirty-five years there was not even a woodstove in the church. For over half a century the congregation continued to worship in the original building, but in 1914 erected a churchly edifice at a cash cost of $4,000. On January 9, 1915, the first service was held in the new church and the hymn "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood" was the first hymn sung.
Additional Sunday School rooms were added to the church building at a cost of approximately $3,000 during the pastoral services of the Reverend Edgar Z. Pence who served from 1928-1942.
Ideally situated, the present building stands only a few hundred yards from the edge of Lake Murray whose waters surround three sides of the church. Its location and grounds make Macedonia one of the most picturesque of any rural church in the Synod.
When the waters of Lake Murray began to rise in 1928, they covered all the roads but one leading to the church and forced many members to leave the area and settle elsewhere. The membership was reduced to about one-third of its highest enrollment. But, the faithful few held on and their numbers gradually grew.
For many years it had supply services twice a month by nearby pastors. In 1961 it took steps to have its own pastor and asked Pastor H. S. Petrea, then retired and residing in Prosperity, to serve. Preaching was begun every Sunday, the Service Book and Hymnal was introduced, and a parsonage valued at $16,000 was built and paid for within two years.
Work on a parish building began in 1972 and the building was first used Palm Sunday, April 15, 1973. As the needs of Macedonia continue to evolve, plans are underway to build a Family Life Center.
Biographical information from the 1971 edition of A History of the Lutheran Church in SC and History of Macedonia Evangelical Lutheran Church 1847-2003.
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