When Ernie Culpepper relocated and restored this historic church from Sumter County to Webster County in 2010, he saved more than just a building. The very existence of a Lutheran congregation in this part of Georgia was unusual. Most Georgians, being of English and Scots Irish descent, were Methodists and Baptists. According to our friends at Historic Rural Churches of Georgia (HRCGA), “St. Marks Lutheran was organized in the late 1860s by German immigrants who moved in from South Carolina...[they] were all from the Dutchforks area of South Carolina, located around what is now Newberry and Lexington counties.
The church was established in the late 1860s in the Bot(t)sford community, southwest of Plains in Sumter County.
First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s ancestors were members of St. Mark’s and the Carter family maintained a connection with the church for many years. Jimmy Carter even visited the church with Walter Mondale after securing the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 1976.
Photos of the church made by our friend Steve Robinson before it was moved and restored show sheet rock walls of a lime green color and floors and trim in a very worn condition (posted on HRCGA) .
The sanctuary is a beauty to behold today and the work and commitment to its restoration by Ernie Culpepper is nothing short of a wonder. It really proves that, where preservation is concerned, that when there’s a will, there is always a way.
Salzburgers have a very strong presence in Effingham County and its county seat, Springfield. Also in Liberty County, where the historic Midway church is located and still used for annual gatherings, I believe.
Lutherans of course also have a significant presence in Savannah, where the Lutheran Church of the Ascension on Wright Square, downtown, and nearby St. Paul’s, south of Forsyth Park, in what used to be considered Midtown, still have substantial and historic congregations.
This is indeed a beautiful building! So glad it has been saved.
Besides the Dutch Fork Lutherans that you mention, there were a good number of Lutherans who emigrated to and settled in southeast Georgia. They began in an area northwest of Savannah which they called New Ebenezer. They were known as the Salzburgers.
The New Georgia Encyclopedia has an excellent article here: https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/lutheran-church/
Beautiful church reminds me of the Baptist church I grew in, and my family helped found in the Lake Park area of Lowndes County.