A Brief History

The South Carolina Lutheran Synod met in 1895 and voted to help the Lutherans in a number of South Carolina communities. This included the town of Florence, South Carolina. The Reverend J. C. Trauger was appointed as the first pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church. St. Luke held its first worship service on March 12, 1896 at the home of Robert Cronenberg. Fourteen Lutherans met on that Thursday evening. One of their first tasks was to baptize little Anna Katy Marie Bissett. Anna was the first Lutheran baptized at St. Luke. In fact, she later became the first organist for the congregation.

St. Luke continued to meet for worship but lacked a permanent location. On March 10, 1908 the first church building was dedicated near the railroad tracks. This building served the congregation for nearly 40 years. By 1950, the building was too cramped and the railroad tracks produced too much noise. Any time a train passed by the church, services had to be paused. It was time for another location.

The next location was on the corner of King Avenue and Winston Street. The new church building was dedicated on March 26, 1950. It served admirably until it became too small. St. Luke moved again to its present location on Cherokee Road, dedicated February 23, 2003. This sanctuary is poised to continue to serve the needs of its congregation and the community.