Participating Chuches of the Synod

Copyright © 2002   Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (all rights reserved)
Warren Harger   (webweaver) Technology Committee Chairperson

• Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was formally organized as a mission of the Maryland Synod on August 16, 1903, with 48 members. In 1911, the congregation became part of the newly formed synod of West Virginia. The Reverend Harry Baughman served as the pastor at Trinity after his graduation from the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg in 1913. Later in his career he was called as the President of LTSG.
  
  From our earliest days, Trinity has had strong connections to both synods. Now we belong to the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod of the ELCA. Our ministry continues to draw strength from people on both sides of the Potomac River.
  
  As we celebrate 100 years of being a Lutheran witness in Keyser, WV. Please pray for us as we reach out to our community to make Christ known. top

• St. Mark's Lutheran Church was established on April 2, 1905. The first building was in downtown Clarksburg. By the late 1950's they had outgrown the building with no room to expand. In 1966 a new building was constructed just outside of the city where we continue to worship today. In our recent history, Pastor Russell Riethmiller served from 1971-1988, Pastor James L. Caton, II from 1989 to the present. We have 370 Baptized members with an average worship in the 140's. We will celebrate our 100th Anniversary on April 3, 2005. top

• After the Civil War, businesses started to extract coal and salt from the ground along the Ohio River and several villages grew up. In 1870, Lutheran services were first held by Pastor John Miller in what is now New Haven. The St. Paul congregation was organized in 1874 and a building was built which was used until 1967 when it was replaced by a brick structure comprised of an inspiring worship area and small fellowship hall. The parsonage behind the church building was converted for Christian education. A full program of worship, Christian education, and fellowship is vigorously pursued. In the past five years the average attendance has increased from 40 to 63. A new fellowship hall will be dedicated in early 2004. top

• The first Lutheran congregation in Wardensville was formed by The Reverend John Hamilton in April 18, 1840. Early years of the church were difficult during the civil war, when Union Troops marched through town. Rev. Peter Miller and members of the congregation gave themselves as hostages to ensure the good conduct of the town people and prevent the soldiers from burning the town. Services were held in the Old Union Church until 1870. The church collapsed due to deterioration of the hand made brick.
  
  A new brick church was built under the direction of Rev. Peter Miller in 1934. Under the direction of our Pastor then and Rev. L.B. Williamson the new church was built. The church was constructed of native sand stone obtained from the Winfred Tharp property. Cost of the church was $8,000.00, plus building material donations and labor by the members. The stone church is presently in use. St. Peter congregation is part of the Capon-North River Lutheran Parish which also includes Ebenezer (Rio), Hebron (Yellow Springs), and Fairview (Gore, VA).
  
  We ask that you pray for our church and for our congregation. top

• Christ Lutheran Church is located in the community of Mozart and is known to many as the hilltop church. Christ Lutheran has a long and glorious history of being a community church, which has touched the lives of many people through it outreach ministries.
  
  In years past, the congregation has been made up primarily of families who have called Mozart home. But recently, Christ Lutheran has begun to attract people from many different areas of Wheeling. In some ways this has been a challenge for us, but it also is a blessing as we have experienced the joy of ministering to people outside our community with the many wonderful gifts that God has given to us for ministry.
  
  Christ Lutheran invites the prayers of every church in the WV-WM Synod community. Recently, God has called us to a new vision and new direction in ministry. This has been hard for us. Like many church bodies that have been called to change, we are now struggling with how our past might continue to be celebrated and still allow us to see clearly God's vision for the future ministry of Christ Lutheran Church. top

• Christ Lutheran Church is located in the community of Mozart and is known to many as the hilltop church. Christ Lutheran has a long and glorious history of being a community church, which has touched the lives of many people through it outreach ministries.
  
  In years past, the congregation has been made up primarily of families who have called Mozart home. But recently, Christ Lutheran has begun to attract people from many different areas of Wheeling. In some ways this has been a challenge for us, but it also is a blessing as we have experienced the joy of ministering to people outside our community with the many wonderful gifts that God has given to us for ministry.
  
  Christ Lutheran invites the prayers of every church in the WV-WM Synod community. Recently, God has called us to a new vision and new direction in ministry. This has been hard for us. Like many church bodies that have been called to change, we are now struggling with how our past might continue to be celebrated and still allow us to see clearly God's vision for the future ministry of Christ Lutheran Church. top

• After the Revolutionary War, several veterans having learned of land opportunities in the Ohio Valley, moved from the Shenandoah Valley to Mason County. Later, they invited their pastor, Paul Henkle, a missionary supported by the Ministeriam (synod) of Pennsylvania, to come & share the Gospel with them.
• Between 1806 & 1819 Pastor Henkle & his wife Elizabeth made eight extended visits to the Ohio Valley. Pastor Henkle conducted worship services in homes & other buildings on both sides of the Ohio River. He traveled by horse, boat, & foot. When he moved on to establish other congregations in Ohio & Tennessee, he left the ministry in Mason County in the hands of lay pastors.
• The one congregation from Pastor Henkle's ministry in Mason County that has continued for these 181 years is Zion Church. The original Log Church built in 1812 was replaced by the present building in 1897. A replica of the old log church is now in the West Virginia Farm Museum. Zion Church continues to witness to our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ & is part of the Mason-Jackson Ministry & is currently served by Kathy Camp, David Russell, & Interim Pastor George Weirick. top

• St. Paul's Lutheran Church and the community of Aurora, WV were founded by Rev. John Stough in 1787. Rev. Stough first named the area "Salem" meaning "peace" or "peaceful". Subsequently, Salem became known as Mount Carmel, German Settlement, West Union, and finally given its present name of Aurora. Here at St. Paul's we struggle with leadership issues. We have difficulty filling church council positions and finding people to teach Sunday School classes. Many of the current leaders seem burned out by the long length of time that they have already served. Pray that God will raise up leaders in our midst, that God will call on this priesthood of believers to live out their baptismal call to be born anew in Christ Jesus and to shine brightly so that all the world may see the glory of God. Amen. top

• St. John's is concluding its 110th anniversary in 2004. A year that has shown time & again the many blessings that God bestows upon His people. Our congregation continues to grow & thrive, both in numbers & in zeal. January marks the beginning of our building renovation program. The program began two years ago to restore our historic facilities. Please pray that God will continue to shower His blessings upon us & that He grant us vision & wisdom to discern where our ministry should go from here. top

• Mount Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church has been serving the Tri-Towns area of Piedmont, WV; Luke, & Westernport, MD since 1869. The first worship services were held in a building in Piedmont. The present church building was built in 1897. Mount Calvary is a sister congregation to Trinity in Keyser, WV. Mount Calvary will celebrate its 135th anniversary this year (2004). Pray that the church will continue to serve the needs of the communities as a witness to God's saving grace. top

• If you aren't sure whether you're engaged in military chaplaincy, foreign missions, or diplomatic work; then you might be in campus misistry. If you have 100% membership turn-over every 4-years, then you might be in campus ministry. If you notice that the only other people in the room dressed in black have more piercings than Morgantown has couch burnings following a VT game, well then you might be in campus ministry.
  
  The Lutheran Campus Ministry at WVU serves students, faculty, & staff in the midst of an academic community. Each week, we offer four regular liturgies & three educational programs; not to mention special events, spiritual care, & hospitality. We host & support the Lutheran Student Movement which provides fellowship & service opportunities. Our chapel is a refuge for prayer & a place for study & fellowship. top

• In the year 2000, St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Oakland, Maryland celebrated it's 150th anniversary. It was also the year of the sesquicentennial celebration of the founding of the town of Oakland. The congregation & the community have been bound together by their history & heritage. As the surrounding Garrett County community continues to grow because of the increasing importance of tourism around Deep Creek Lake, the congregatrion continues to reach out in a variety of ways.
  
  Through the St. Mark's Lutheran Church Christian Early Learning Center (now in it's 4th year) over twenty children receive a Christian faith-based pre-school education. The Synod & the ELCA at-large have supported this ministry through grants. The congregation, through the active volunteer efforts of several members, supports the work of the Garrett County Cooperative Ministry, Inc & the Christian Crossing Thrift Shop which provides low-cost clothing, home supplies, furniture, & other means of financial support for local families in need.
  
  The congregation helps to support the theological education of its first seminarian, Margie Lauver, who is a second-year student at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg.
  
  In August 2003, the congregation adopted a new mission statement: United in Christ, sharing His Good News, we invite all people to grow in God's love. The people of St. Mark's invite your prayers for continued unity in Christ's spirit of love & grace, so that this congregation can continue to be a strong & vibrant witness to God's saving & redeeming love in the Oakland & Garrett County community & throughout the world. top

• During 2004, St. John celebrated significant growth in support of mission through the Synod & Churchwide. This was also accompanied by growth in support of local outreach programs for those in need of food, clothing & shelter. The congregation supported children & youth to attend Camp Luther & the National Youth Gathering in Atlanta. The people of St. John request your prayers as they call a "new" pastor & grieve the departure of Pastor Cecil & Nancy Bradfield due to Cecil's continuing survivorship with leukemia. We rejoice in God's goodness & grace! top

• Church of the Covenant is celebrating its 32nd year in 2004 as a federated Lutheran-Presbyterian congregation. This year we are spending time strengthening our faith while reaching out to the world around us. In addition to Bible studies & Sunday school, we have recently added a monthly fellowship & study time called Back to the Basics in order to discuss basic tenants of our faith. Last year we had VBS for the first time in a number of years & we are looking forward to continuing this summer. Our choir is exceptional & by having our worship broadcast on the radio, we have been able to reach the lives of many people in Grafton. Please keep us in your prayers as we discern God's will in the life of our congregation. top

• We ask our sisters & brothers in Christ to lift our community of faith up in prayer. The people of St. James' Lutheran Church, Uvilla as part of the Shepherdstown Lutheran Parish, are on a journey to do ministry & mission in their community, the synod & globally. The journey of discipleship is one of hope, joy, dedication & hard work.
  
  We ask for your prayers as we strive to live our vision of: "caring through faith, life & service." We pray to our Lord. top

• The year 2004 is the 75th anniversary of our ministry in the Ohio Valley. We rejoice that in the last year we have grown in many ways as disciples of our Lord. We celebrate the many signs of faithful growth in our stewardship, the renewal we have found in Christian Education, the new opportunities we have welcomed for ministries of hospitality, and the perspective we have gained by expanding participation in worship leadership. As we give thanks to God for the Spirit's work among us, we also see many challenges for our church and our community on the horizon. Please pray that we may have God's Guidance and know God's heart as we experience difficult changes within the Weirton community, as we seek to work with other Lutheran congregations in mission, and as we discern God's will for the future of our congregation.   top

• We have begun a wonderful new outreach ministry here at Christ the King that is still in a very experimental stage and we ask for your prayers on our efforts. During a mission event in Phoenix earlier this year (an event that we would like to thank the West Virginia/ Western Maryland Synod for their sponsorship of our attendance) we were tuned onto opportunities available to faith based organizations that were seeking to do social ministry via grants. Since that time we have been actively seeking opportunities and grants to do some of these wonderful ministries in our community. After much deliberation and prayer we settled on doing after school programs for children from disadvantaged economic backgrounds. In March of 2004 we completed the planning phase of our first program: Academics, Character, and Training for Success, or ACTS.
  
  We have written a $366,000 dollar grant request to the WV Department of Education for a 21st CCLC Grant. We would appreciate your prayer as we seek alternate funding for this program as well as waiting on the outcome of our first grant proposal. We also are looking at various other programs that we might seek grant sources for that might also be of value to our community. Pray for us that we might have good discernment as we look at these other programs. Our thanks and prayers are with you as well. top

• Grace Lutheran Church in Petersburg, WV is located in the beatiful Potomac Highlands. Grace is a small church with a big heart. We are deeply involved with the Ecumenical scene in Petersburg. Grace shares worship services & community projects with eight different denominations. We are a teaching parish & deeply committed to preparing future ministers for the ELCA. We are experimenting with outreach methods & strategies using our teaching strengths. We seek to discover the unique needs of our location in order to focus future ministries. Our ministries include Crossways Bible classes, Parish Nursing, Prayer Shawl ministry, monthly Healing Services & Community Social Service. We ask for prayers of guidance & wisdom in our efforts to be faithful. top

• The people of St. Luke are striving to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through our worship with word & sacrament, through service to our community & through a Lutheran presence.
  
  We have almost completed a new sanctuary which will increase the number of people able to worship with us. This new sanctuary will also give us a fellowship hall & more classroom space. We offer a service of Holy Communion at 8:30 AM & 11:00 AM each Sunday. Out service projects include: monthly celebrations & service to Pinehaven Homeless Shelter, Join Hands Day, One Plus Kits for disaster relief through Community Lutheran Partners, Hospice of Southern West Virginia, & Habitat for Humanity. We participate quarterly in Adopt-A-Highwway, & provide the ministry of HELP, a Hospital Equipment Lending Program. Currently, we are exploring ways to implement a Health Awareness program with the many health professionals in our comgregation, which we hope to eventually become a Parish Nurses Program. Please pray for God's power & strength to bless us that we might faithfully & boldly proclaim the name of Jesus Christ in southern West Virginia. top

• Ground was broken in September of 2002 for the new St. Timothy Lutheran Church Worship Center at 900 Lawndale Lane off Corridor G in Charleston, WV. The new Worship Center will have 26,000 square feet & will be situated on nearly 8-acres. The new facility will have a sanctuary that seats 400, 9-Sunday School classrooms, a gym / fellowship hall, plenty of office space, a chapel, & various other rooms for other ministries.
  
  Even though the new location will give the church a new opportunity for ministry, we will be preaching the same old gospel in a brand new location. While St. Timothy was once a community Church, piople now travel from throughout the valley to attend worship. It's the work of Jesus Christ building up His Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.
  
  St. Timothy will continue to hold the 10:30 AM Sunday Service, a Family Night with a Contemporary Service on Sunday evening, & a midweek service on Wednesday at our current location. Our hopes & prayers are that the new Worship Center will be completed & dedicated in November 2004.
  
  St. Timothy will host the 2005 Synod Assembly with all the meetings, meals, & worship in the new Worship Center. Also, the Women of the ELCA will be planning their 2005 Synodical Convention in the new facility. We would like to invite everyone to our dedication, which will be announced at a later date. And also, everyone is invited to the Synod Assemblies in 2005. top

Copyright © 2002   Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (all rights reserved)
Warren Harger   (webweaver) Technology Committee Chairperson