About Us



Sunday School  10am
Worship Service  11am



The first Lutheran worship service in Clinton, SC, was held on July 21, 1912 at the Methodist Church. On July 11, 1920, St. John’s Lutheran Church was organized. In the fall of 1920, St. John’s was received into the SC Synod of the United Lutheran Church in America as a part of a parish with Immanuel, Greenwood. Services were held in parishioner’s homes in addition to the community assembly room and later years at the Masonic Hall and Copeland’s Hall. Their first building was constructed in 1926 on Hampton Avenue. The parish alignment with Immanuel ended on December 31, 1938. In the early 60′s there was a growing interest in improving the church’s facilities and additional property on Hampton Avenue was purchased. However, no construction took place at this time. In July, 1964 as a memorial to their son, church members gave four acres of land on Broad Street for a new church site and a building committee was formed. A new building was constructed and the first service at 1009 Broad Street was held on October 13, 1968. On January 1, 1988, the Lutheran Church in American joined with two other Lutheran churches to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The people of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church have continued to serve faithfully in God’s mission for eighty eight years in the Clinton community


Pastors

1912-1918The Rev. James D. Kinard, pastor of Immanuel Greenwood, led the first Lutheran service in Clinton and conducted services from time to time.
1918-1923The Rev. Dr. A. J. Bowers, Pastor of Immanuel Greenwood continued to lead services.
1924-1938The Rev. Muller R. Wingard, Pastor of Immanuel, Greenwood continued to lead services
1939-1943The Rev. J. LeGrande Mayer, first full time Pastor of St. John’s
1944-1946The Rev. J. Shelton Moose
1946-1952The Rev. James C. Dickert
1953-1955The Rev. J. Marion Rhoden
1956-1959The Rev. L. Allen Wertz, Jr.
1960-1964The Rev. J. Gordon Peery
1964-1969The Rev. Dr. E. Bryan Keisler, Interim Pastor
1969-1971The Rev. John L. Setzler
1971-1987The Rev. Marion W. Clark
1988-1992The Rev. Lewis A. Groce
1992The Rev. Hugh E. Baumgartner, Interim Pastor
1992-1998The Rev. James Addy
1999-2003The Rev. Deborah Wood
2004-The Rev. Denise Seymour


This history was condensed from a longer history presented at the 75th Anniversary Celebration of St. John’s on July 26, 1995 by Carl Wessinger, Dottie Brandt, and Elaine League.