Midlands church celebrates 111 years of service

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A church in Columbia is celebrating over a century of worship.

For 111 years, The Ascension Lutheran Church at 827 Wildwood Ave., has opened its doors to community members.

“I’ve served this church, the Ascension Lutheran Church, for the past ten years. And I’m happy to say that Friday, June 23rd, was our 111th anniversary. And so it’s customary that we celebrate the anniversary of the church on the very last Sunday in the month of June,” said Pastor Jackie Utley.

The church kicked off its anniversary celebration Saturday with a tour of the historic building followed by a lunch, crafts, bake sale, cake walk and raffle. Utley welcomed, community members and local organizations to take a look into the church’s Tiffany-stained glass windows designed by artist George Hardy Payne.

“We had a few people from our community come and bring greetings to the people here like Foodshare of Columbia, our Seminary Ridge Neighborhood Association and More Justice,” said Utley, “We had those presentations done yesterday and we had, I would say, a good gathering of maybe 40 to 45 people.

The celebration continued on Sunday, with a special homecoming service, followed by a reception immediately after.

The church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Utley said her current congregation is made out of 20-25 people, but that once, the church had over 300 members.

Many members of the church have been congregants alongside their families for decades.

“Actually I got married in this church in 1974, but I joined the church. My wife attends this church. She’s been attending here all her life. I joined the church ten years ago,” said church member, Billy Browder.

“I was her first adult baptism. My granddaughter was the first baptism. We got baptized at the same time. And it’s been a journey. The Lord sent me here to serve. So that’s what I tried to do, to serve.”

Pastor Utley, joined the church over a decade ago, and became the first Black pastor of the church in 2013 with the mission of diversifying the church.

“I came to this church in 2011 and served here under the current pastor at that time, a pastor, Ron Brown. And then as I began to learn the ways and embrace the ways and teachings of the church, there was a call that God was calling me to perhaps be the next pastor. And I did that willingly. So in 2013, it was a historical event.” said Utley.

Though active for over a century, the church almost closed its doors due to a lack of congregants and funding.

“Because of low attendance as people, as the elderly people died out. And we didn’t get a lot of new membership coming in over the 12 years of my time being here, as the people diminished the funds,” said Utley.

“And so we just had to face reality, which a lot of other churches are doing in this time, that if you don’t have enough membership to bring in financial funds to keep the church afloat, then you just have to face closing.”

Within the past year, the church was able to add new members and raise funds to keep its doors open. Utley said this was made possible by the connections of a congregant and the welcoming environment of the church.

“We’ve more than doubled in our attendance since December. And then our funds, the money has been coming in. And so we even have an anonymous donor who has said that whatever money, new money we get for the saving of the church, that they would match up to $50,000. That’s a blessing. And so this is how we are on the road to reviving the church. So we’re being sustained, finances have increased and our attendance has increased. So we’re not closing at this point,” said Utley.

Utley said her goal is to grow the congregation to keep the church’s doors open.

Many of the church’s members told WIS they have been doing their part by spreading the word.

“I’m part of Lutheran Men in Mission, and we visit other churches. And now I invite folks at all the churches. They don’t have to join. Just come visit. You know, I’ve had a former [South Carolina] senator, Kay Patterson, come speak at the church. He did an outstanding job,” said Browder.

”I’m promoting the church wherever I go, whenever I go.”

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