ELCA NEWS SERVICE
January 10, 2013
ELCA church in Pomaria, S.C., burns
13-02-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pomaria, S.C., was
destroyed by fire Jan. 10. St. Paul is a congregation of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
While an investigation is now underway, there is no inclination
among church members that it is arson, said Andrew Boozer, a member of
St. Paul.
Boozer lives about a mile from the church and watched it burn, along
with other St. Paul members who live close by. "It's been a hard
morning," Boozer said. "As the steeple fell, the church bell was ringing
on its way down."
"The sanctuary that was burned down today was built in 1937. The
education building, located behind the sanctuary, is a total loss. Built
in the 1950s, the granite walls of the education wing fell down -- all
three stories are at a complete loss," said Boozer, adding that the stone
walls of the sanctuary are still standing, as well as the base of the
steeple. "There is some attempt to try and save those," he said.
One of the oldest Lutheran-established congregations in South
Carolina, the 250-member St. Paul recently celebrated its 252nd
anniversary.
"The deed for the St. Paul property came from the king of England,"
said Boozer. "The first sanctuary that was used was a log cabin, which
was also lost to fire," he said.
"The congregation is so thankful for the prayers and love from the
community and from the emergency personal and volunteers who doused the
fire," said Boozer.
"We're blessed to be part of a strong community, and we're thankful
for that. We will be leaning on the community for support in the next
couple of months," said Boozer, director for enrollment and
communications at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, an ELCA
seminary in Columbia, S.C.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA):
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United
States, with more than 4 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations
across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church
of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God
through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the
world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church
reformer, Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Melissa Ramirez Cooper
773-380-2956 or Melissa.RamirezCooper@ELCA.org
http://www.ELCA.org/news
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lutherans
Living Lutheran: http://www.livinglutheran.com
Blessings in Christ, Pr. Linda
Rev. Linda Anderson-Little
St. Mark's Lutheran Church6325 Clayton Road
St. Louis, MO 63117
314.721.6974 (w)
314.581.6365 (cell)
www.stmarkselca.com
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