OUR HISTORY

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St. Timothy Lutheran Church is the consummation of an idea and a conviction originally entertained by one man -- the late Henry F. Nunnenkamp Sr., a member of the vestry of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Charleston, WV.  After a canvass was made in South Charleston in the summer of 1941, a second canvass was conducted in October of the same year, and thirty people indicated an interest in the mission project.

 

Under the inspired leadership of the Rev. Herman Mees Meyer, then pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, an immediate search was made for a place of worship in the Spring Hill area of South Charleston.  An abandoned Methodist Church on Chestnut Street was leased on January 1, 1942.  Pastor Meyer conducted the worship each Sunday at an early service, and then returned to St. Paul in Charleston to conduct worship there.  He continued to supply the pulpit until March 1946.

 

The work progressed and the opportunities multiplied to such an extent that the services of a Parish Worker were needed.  On October 3, 1942, Miss Martha Walck of Columbus, Ohio, accepted the call and began her duties on January 1, 1943.  For three years and three months, Miss Walck (later Mrs. Walter Winnes) ministered faithfully to the needs of the mission.   Her vitality and initiative were invaluable assets in the work of extending the Church in this vicinity.

 

The most significant date in the church’s early history is December 1945 because that is when St. Paul Lutheran Chapel applied for membership in the Eastern District of the American Lutheran Church (ALC), and at the same time, the mission organized as an autonomous congregation.  Recognizing that the Chapel was a spiritual child of St. Paul Lutheran Church, the congregation adopted the name of Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church, just as Timothy was the spiritual child of St. Paul, the apostle.  

 

In January 1946, a call was extended to the Rev. C. G. H. Mengering of Hudson, New York.  Pastor Mengering accepted the call and was installed as the first pastor on March 24, 1946.  Forty-eight members of St. Paul, Charleston, transferred their membership to Timothy Church and became Charter Members on April 1, 1946. 

 

With membership and activities continuing to increase, a more adequate place of worship was needed.  A site adjacent to Thomas Memorial Hospital, South Charleston, was chosen and purchased in the spring of 1946. 

 

The present name of St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church was adopted in March 1948, the same day that ground was broken for the new church building on Ohio Street.  The lower part of the church was ready for occupancy on December 12, 1948, and on that day, the congregation conducted Sunday School and divine services in the new building for the first time.  On December 31, 1948, the communicant membership of St. Timothy congregation consisted of one hundred souls.  After several delays, the joyful Dedication Service was held on March 6, 1949. 

 

Six months later, Rev. Mengering completed his ministry here, and over the next several years, the following Pastors ministered to the flock at St. Timothy:  Bob Gibson (2 years), Warren Bieber (8½ years), Ernest Dietz (2½ years), and Doug Diehl (3 years).

 

Beginning in 1968, there was a four-year pastoral vacancy, and church membership declined to the point of possible closure by the ALC.  The church struggled as membership shrank from 250 to 120, and substitute pastors were filling the pulpit.  During this time, there was also a joint agreement with Redeemer Lutheran Church in South Charleston (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) to share a pastor, but the day finally came when St. Timothy expressed a desire to have its own pastor again. 

 

After the Bishop of the Eastern District had discussions with the vestry, he was impressed with the new attitude and the new spirit among the congregation.  The church was debt free, and they believed they still had a ministry in the area.  According to the Bishop’s statistical report at the end of 1970, the church had 248 baptized members and 174 confirmed members.   The church and lot were valued at $200,000. and the parsonage was valued at $20,000. 

 

On February 1, 1972, the congregation took a step of faith to rebuild the ministry of St. Timothy, and issued a call to the Rev. Richard Mahan, a Charleston native, who was serving a church in Jersey City, New Jersey, at the time.  After much prayer, Pastor Mahan accepted the call the following month, and moved into the parsonage in May 1972 with his wife, Donna Jean, and two children, Kristi and Brent. 

 

Bishop Huffman had issued a challenge to Pastor Mahan that if the congregation was not revived within two years, then it would be closed.  With the help of God and through the solid preaching of the Gospel and the administering of sacraments, the church was revived and attendance began to increase.

 

Over the next several years, the congregation began a slow but steady growth to the point that they undertook several renovations and expansion projects to allow for additional sanctuary seating and for an educational wing.   Also in 1978, the men of the congregation built a 24-hour Prayer Chapel that was open to the public at all hours.

 

Around 2000, the church was ready to undertake another major expansion by building a new Sanctuary on its existing property in South Charleston.  Next-door neighbor, Thomas Hospital, also wanted to expand and had expressed a desire to purchase the church property several times over the years without ever making a decent offer.  When they heard about the potential new Sanctuary proposal, they finally became serious, and after much prayer and negotiation, the congregation finally sold the Ohio Street church and property for $3.5 million dollars on April 11, 2002.  The hospital allowed the congregation to remain there for three years while a new church was being planned and built.  

 

St. Timothy’s search for a new location began and property was found on top of a hill along Route 119, one of the busiest highways in the state.  On Sunday, September 29, 2002, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new church to be constructed at 900 Lawndale Lane off of Corridor G.  The vision of a new St. Timothy Lutheran Church was becoming a reality, and the door was opened to meet the expanding needs of the growing church community.  

 

The lead architect and CEO of Silling, Jody Driggs, a member of the congregation, began designing the new church.  Early in 2003 construction drawings and specifications were completed for the new facility, and bids were received on May 15.  A local contractor, Plott and Holbrook, Inc., was chosen, and the year-long contract officially began August 11, 2003 with initial site preparation.  Kathy Haddad Hudnall, congregational President, worked diligently planning for the move.  Jim Hansen, congregational Treasurer, managed the $6 million dollar project with persevering attention, 

 

The facility on Ohio St. had over 16,000 square feet.  The new facility on Lawndale has 26,000 square feet, situated on nearly 8 acres.  The new facility has a gym/fellowship hall, nine Sunday School rooms and a chapel.  The sanctuary seats over 400 people, with space for an overflow of another 200 people, and includes much new modern technology.   In association with the construction of the new church, a house, situated adjacent to the new property, was purchased but later sold after its use was no longer needed. 

 

The main sanctuary includes a large stone pillar with windows in the shape of a cross looking across the hills.  Its main focus includes the stained glass Rose Window depicting the Lamb of God from the old church.  Also read the additional history about the Rose Window. The Stained Glass Art, hanging in the Narthex and by the Fellowship Hall doors, were the actual windows from the previous church.  They were crafted by local artist, Nancy Williams, in 1983 and removed in 2004 so they could be installed as works of art in the new church.

 

On October 31, 2004, the St. Timothy location on Ohio St. was deconsecrated in a very sad but meaningful church service.  The Rev. Dr. Ralph Dunkin, Bishop of the West Virginia – Western Maryland Synod of the ELCA, officiated at the deconsecration service as well as the new church dedication service three weeks later.   The first Worship Service in the new facility at 900 Lawndale Lane took place Sunday morning, November 21, 2004.  Later that day, with almost 600 people in attendance and with many visiting clergy participating in the service, the new church was dedicated to the glory of God and the salvation of man. 

 

During a week-long ordeal, from August 16 through August 23, 2005, Thomas Hospital demolished the deconsecrated church property in order to prepare for a future hospital expansion.  It was heart wrenching for those who watched, remembering that God had blessed us with the service of the building since 1948. 

 

Due to our new church’s increased visibility in the community and the solid preaching and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, membership and activities continued to increase.  Church leadership kept finding new ways to engage members, promote community, and foster spiritual growth through various Ministry Committees.  Support for local needs like food distribution, clothing drives, and homeless shelters is still crucial for our evangelism outreach that addresses immediate community needs.  

 

After much prayer and consideration, St. Timothy voted in March and July of 2010, with over 90% approval each time, to terminate its relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  In August 2010, the congregation voted to unite with a more theologically conservative Lutheran denomination.

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St. Timothy can be justly proud to have 7 Sons of the Congregation who have entered Seminary and into the full-time ministry of the Lutheran Church.  Other members have also been inspired and influenced to enter the full-time ministry of other denominations.  

 

During the 40 years of Pastor Mahan’s ministry at St. Timothy, the church continued to grow due to careful attention to pastoral duties and spiritual leadership.  After his retirement in 2012, he was granted the title of Pastor Emeritus by the Congregation.

 

The December 2011 membership report of St. Timothy included 657 baptized and 627 confirmed members.

 

Subsequent Pastors include Rafe Allison (2 years), Jerome Klotz (1 year), and Jamie Strickler (7 years).

 

While everyone has worked together to successfully build a building, the greater goal is to build His church.

 

It is our fervent hope and prayer that this church will stand as a witness for mission, not only for today, but for generations still to come. May our merciful God bless this House, built to His glory, so that long after we are gone, our children’s children may here encounter the Lord who graciously comes to His people in Word and Sacrament, for the forgiveness of our sins and strengthening of our faith.

 

In the life of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, one thing remains certain:   God is faithful and he blesses those who truly love Him and strive to do His will.  We do not know what the future holds for St. Timothy, but we do know Who holds the future, and we trust our Lord Jesus Christ and eagerly look for His return.

 

“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it.  For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3:10-11