St. John's Lutheran Church (Conover, North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
St. John's Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
located in Conover, North Carolina
, and a member of the LCMS' Southeastern District
. Officially formed in 1798, the church has a rich German
history.
. The early records of the church have been lost partly as the result of two fires—the first in 1950, the second in 2001. However, in both fires, the church's bell tower
, which boasts a distinct blue neon sign
in the shape of a cross
, has remained intact. The church buildings have, at different times, been used by the Reformed Church in America
and various Lutheran
synods. The members of St. John's were instrumental in the founding of two Lutheran colleges—the early but now non-existent Concordia College of Conover and Lenoir-Rhyne College (now Lenoir-Rhyne University).
was dedicated in 2003. It houses a pipe organ
constructed by Casavant Frères
of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
.
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
located in Conover, North Carolina
Conover, North Carolina
Conover is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,180 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and a member of the LCMS' Southeastern District
Southeastern District (LCMS)
The Southeastern District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod . It encompasses Washington, D.C. and the states of Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, as well as York and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania, and Maryland with the exception of Garrett...
. Officially formed in 1798, the church has a rich German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
history.
History
The first evidence of a congregation on the current site is 1765, but the official land grant was bestowed upon the congregation in 1798. The founders of the church were largely Pennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
. The early records of the church have been lost partly as the result of two fires—the first in 1950, the second in 2001. However, in both fires, the church's bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, which boasts a distinct blue neon sign
Neon sign
Neon signs are made using electrified, luminous tube lights that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in December, 1910 by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show. While they are used worldwide, neon signs...
in the shape of a cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
, has remained intact. The church buildings have, at different times, been used by the Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
and various Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
synods. The members of St. John's were instrumental in the founding of two Lutheran colleges—the early but now non-existent Concordia College of Conover and Lenoir-Rhyne College (now Lenoir-Rhyne University).
Building
The current sanctuarySanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
was dedicated in 2003. It houses a pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
constructed by Casavant Frères
Casavant Frères
Casavant Frères is a prominent Canadian company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building fine pipe organs since 1879. As of 2008, they have produced over 3800 organs.- Company history :...
of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 55,823. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River which flows...
.