Hisotry of St. John's Lutheran Church, Oglethorpe, GA

A History of St. John’s Lutheran Church Oglethorpe, Macon County, GA

The First Families Project Macon County, Georgia http://www.researchonline.net/first/ga/macon/index.htm

St. John’s Lutheran Church is no longer in existence. It is identified in the narrative as being in Oglethorpe, Macon County, GA. From the historical note given in “Reminiscences of St. Mark”, it was a predecessor of Mt. Zion-St. Luke Lutheran Church. Most of the charter members were from the Dutchforks area of South Carolina (Newberry and Lexington Counties).

Excerpt from the publication, "REMEMBERENCES of St. Mark Lutheran Church."

St Mark Lutheran Church, Saluda County, SC 1827-2002 History of St. Mark Lutheran Church In Its Early Days "There are three churches which have been built up by members of this church and have been given the name of St. Mark. The first was in Georgia, near or at what is now called Plains, Georgia. The most of the members that organized this church were children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of John Wise and all were members of St. Mark Church. All of this was arranged around their camp fires, that is, the building of the church, and the name it should have, while they were trailing on in their covered wagons to their new home in Georgia. The Rev. Margart, their first pastor, in writing about the first years of this church, which he did very often to the Lutheran paper, always referred to it as 'the little church around the corner of Georgia'."

Compiled by Rubye E. Riser from the memory and actual experience of her father, J. Elbert Riser.

The members of St. Mark's in SC transferred their letters of membership to the new church in Georgia, when it was built in 1870. The following members were listed as being members of the SC church before 1870 but have transferred written next to their names. Many of these people are buried in the St. Mark Cemetery, located 4 miles south of Plains, Sumter County, GA on Hwy 45.

There are two other related church histories which are related. Macon County: St. John's is the oldest, next is Mt. Zion. Their successor is Mt. Zion - St. Luke's in the town of Oglethorpe.

Information is taken from a 1933 talk by Mrs. Mary Bell Elmore Powers. She was the daughter of Pastor Elmore who was an early Pastor for the two Lutheran churches in Sumter and Macon counties. She writes about Pastor Jacob Kleckley, the first pastor. A third document includes notes from the research of Pastor

Lloyd Seiler who was Pastor of these churches for about 20 years in the first half of the 20th century. Pastor Seiler was attempting to establish that 1838 was the date the Lutheran Church was established in this area. In his research are notes from the Lutheran synod of Georgia. You will note there are other early Lutheran churches in Georgia. I suspect, but have never know, that some of the other early Lutheran Churches are immigrants from the Dutchforks.

For Macon County Mrs. Powers gave a list of immigrant families. For Sumter there is a 1870 document signed by 80 members age 6 to 68. Let me explain the 1870 document. It was likely typed from three original sources. One, a portion of February 1870 document found in Pastor Margot's diary. Second is a June 26, 1870 charter signed by 39 women and 41 men. Third is a list of church pastors in the 1930s. Thus I surmise this is a history typed from original documents, now lost. Last is my list identifying St Mark's charter members grouped into families.

I used personal knowledge, cemetery tombstones, and family genealogies from the web to identify over 70 of the signers. The Sumter census was lost. That census asks for the state of birth. Many people say South Carolina.

Pastor John Margot was the first pastor for St. Marks. He moved to Eufaula Alabama during the war where his wife had inherited a farm. He took the train, riding free as was the custom of the time. There were other preaching points and societies in these counties. Pastor Margot kept a diary all his life from his youth. It is now in the Lutheran archives in Columbia at LTSS Seminary library, 4201 N Main St. Columbia.

The following transcription of the names was submitted by Belva Gurr, gr'gr'granddaughter of Lott & Mary Matthews Dozier Jennings

Members who transferred their membership to St. Mark Lutheran In Georgia John McNeiry Joel Wise David Wise Lott Jennings Samuel B. Holly D.P. Holly Pertiller Dozier, step-son to Lott Jennings George H. Wise

Anderson Derrick G.C. Wise Joseph P. Wise Samuel P. Wise Philip Jennings J.B. Fellers L.C. McNeiry George W. Jennings William Jennings George W. McNeiry George Addy Levi Addy J.C. Kinard William Kinard A.M. Wise M.P. Black W.M. Wise Bud C. Etheredge Lourah J. Wise Mary B.U. Wise Martha A. Wise Mary P. Wise Mary M. Jennings, w/o Lott Jennings, m/o P. Dozier Rosa Wise Francis S. M. Wise Caroline D. Holly Christina L. Wise Nancy McNeiry Martha M. Wise Jincy Wise Mary Jane Bedenbaugh Elizabeth McNeiry Mary Jennings M. Elizabeth Wise Fannie Addy sis/o Lott Jennings Elizabeth Addy A**lla Etheredge Sources:

Documents and history provided by Roy Wise <roytwise@comcast.net> http://www.sumtercountyhistory.com/church/StMarksLutheran.htm