Foreword
The dedication of our new facilities marks another milestone in the life of St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. In planning, supervising, and implementing the construction of this new space, the congregation has affirmed the sacred function of the space and the mission of the church.
It is appropriate to tell the history of this faithful congregation, the true spiritual community that gathers here, and has been and is continually renewed by word and sacrament where grace and thanksgiving intersect in worship and in sharing the Lord’s Supper. This brief sketch attempts to record the highlights of the life of the congregation during the period of its existence.
There is much that can be added, but it is believed that all the major events have been included. It is hoped that a much expanded history with photographs will be prepared for the 150th anniversary of the congregation in the year 2009. Parts of our history have been compiled in the past, and we acknowledge with deep gratitude those faithful members who have recorded our history and passed it down to us.
The first history of the congregation was prepared in 1909 upon the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the congregation. A brief sketch was prepared in conjunction with the Centennial Anniversary of the congregation in 1959 and other material compiled upon the consecration of the new church on September 11, 1960. In 1980, a hard bound pictorial directory of the congregation was prepared with a short history edited by Judy McGee.
This short sketch draws from historical documents of the church as well as Pastor G.D. Bernheim’s History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Ministerium of North Carolina, 1902 and some early material from Beside the Still Waters, The Story of the German Settlements and The Lutheran Church in Wythe County, Virginia, 1998 by Roger S. Klutz. Some biographical material is included from Life Sketches of Lutheran Ministers, 1966 by the North Carolina Synod.
This sketch is part of the story, and the story continues as faithful Christians gather in this place to be fed and renewed in word and sacrament to go out and renew the world.
The invaluable assistance of the members of the Cornerstone Committee, Sarah Dagenhart, Chairperson, Margaret Chisholm, and Margaret Woods is gratefully acknowledged in the planning and editing of this brief history.
- Phillip E. Gerdes, Compiler and Editor, September 10, 2000
Key Dates & Events in St. Mark’s History
- January 31, 1859 – Organization of St. Mark’s by the Rev. G. D. Bernheim, D.D. – Pastor from 1861- 1865 with sixteen members
- July, 1870 – Cornerstone laying of 2nd church – 510 North Tryon Street
- July, 1872 – Dedication of 2nd Church
- January, 1885 – Organization of Women’s Missionary Society
- October 31, 1885 – Cornerstone laying of 3rd church – 416 N. Tryon Street
- October 31, 1890 – Dedication of 3rd church
- 1890 – Organization of Ladies Aid Society
- October 31, 1909 – Golden Jubilee Celebration of Organization of St. Mark’s – 50th Anniversary celebration
- 1909 – Organization of Brotherhood of St. Mark’s
- April 28, 1915 – Organization of Luther League
- 1917 – Celebration of 400th Anniversary of Protestant Reformation
- November 15, 1919 – Work begun on Education Building on 3rd church
- January, 1920 – Graded lessons introduced in Primary Department
- March 7, 1920 – Cornerstone laying of Education Building
- November 1, 1920 – First service in Educational Building
- October 1, 1922 – Reopening of redecorated church
- January 21, 1923 – New Constitution adopted by the congregation providing rotation in office of councilmen
- January 24, 1924 – Organization of Business Women’s Group of W.M.S.
- January, 1924 – Graded lessons introduced in Junior and Intermediate Departments
- January, 1925 – Sunday School introduced full graded course
- October 9, 1935 – Golden Jubilee Convention – Supper given by W.M.S.
- October 27 – 31, 1935 – 50th Anniversary of cornerstone laying of 3rd church
- 1935 – 76th Anniversary of organization of St. Mark’s
- 1935 – 418th celebration of Protestant Reformation
- 1955 – Purchase of parsonage – 226 Huntley Place
- 1956 – Purchase of new church site: Queens and Edgehill Roads
- 1957 – Campaign for $300,000 for new church
- 1958 – Addition of Associate Pastor to church staff
- January 28 – February 1, 1959 – Celebration of St. Mark’s Centennial
- September 11, 1960 – Congregation moved into new and present home – 1001 Queens Road
- January 29, 1984 – Combination of month long celebration of 125th Anniversary of St. Mark’s with worship service similar to 1859 liturgy and music
- 1990 – Dedication of prayer garden an columbarium on Edgehill Road
- 1993 – Partnership with Ascension Lutheran Church/Missouri Synod for Charlotte Lutheran School
- 1995 – Improvements to organ and installation of second organ and trumpet-enchamade
- 1999 – Ground breaking for new facilities
- September 10, 2000 – Dedication of the new church facilities
- January 25, 2009 – Kickoff for year long activities in celebration of St. Mark’s 150th Anniversary
Other Historical Events in 1859
- James Buchanan is President – elected in 1856
- February 14, 1859 – Oregon in admitted as the 33rd U.S. State
- April 20, 1859 – A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is published
- April 25, 1859 – Ground is broken for Suez Canal
- June 30, 1859 – Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope for the first time
- July 1, 1859 – Pike’s Peak Gold Rush begins in the Colorado Territory
- September 7, 1859 – Big Ben becomes operational in London
- October 16, 1859 – John Brown raids the Harpers Ferry Armory in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, in an unsuccessful bid to spark a general slave rebellion
- October 26, 1859 – The steamship, Royal Charter, is wrecked on the cost of Anglesey, Wales with 454 dead
- November 1, 1859 – The current Cape Lookout, lighthouse is lit for the first time
- December 2, 1859 – Militant leader John Brown is hanged for his October 16 raid on Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia
