St. Martin's Lutheran Church stands on St. Martin Road in the rural western part of Stanly County, close to Albemarle, North Carolina, where a congregation organized in 1820 has kept a 200-year promise to worship, teach, and serve its neighbors. The church is known for two very different Sunday mornings in the same building, an upbeat contemporary service at 8:30 a.m. and a traditional liturgical service at 10:00 a.m. with choir and pipe organ. It is also known for feeding people, from the Community Table lunch line in Albemarle to a Second Harvest mobile pantry that can serve up to 200 families, and for a children's red wagon that rolls down the aisle on the third Sunday of every month to gather food for families who need it.
Two Ways to Worship on Sunday Morning
The 8:30 service is called Rise & Shine, and it is informal from the first note. It uses upbeat Christian music alongside what the church calls the fundamentals of the Lutheran Church. Sermons are based on the Holy Scriptures and are meant to address practical concerns in a Christian's life. Holy Communion is celebrated by intinction every Sunday, with communicants receiving bread and wine at the base of the steps. The church asks people to dress casually for this service and describes it as come-as-you-are and non-traditional. It says its worship has achieved a balance that appeals to young and old and everyone in between.
At 10:00 a.m. the tone changes. This service follows the liturgy so familiar to Lutherans everywhere and is accompanied by the choir and the pipe organ. The congregation sings hymns that have been sung in Lutheran churches for generations, and the choir adds an anthem to the worship hour. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first and third Sundays of each month and on festival Sundays. The church calls these beloved customs and treats them as part of the life of the congregation.
Members can sign up for a full year to provide altar flowers, one on each side of the altar, for one Sunday or more. The flowers are often given in honor or memory of someone.
Both Sunday services are streamed live through YouTube and Facebook, so people who cannot travel can watch the services live.
Jacob Efird's Home and the Founding of the Congregation
The first recorded Lutheran service in this corner of Stanly County was conducted in 1814 in the home of Jacob (Ifert) Efird, a Lutheran of Swiss ancestry who opened his house near Little Bear Creek and invited anyone interested to listen. The minister was a traveling ordained Lutheran named David Henkel. Henkel's records indicate that on May 17, 1817 he conducted a service at the Efird home, at which about 30 people communed and 18 were confirmed.
For years the group was known as the "Congregation at Long Creek." It began to organize in April 1820, and June 7, 1820 is the recognized date of the official organization of the Lutheran congregation that had been meeting in Efird's house. Meetings continued there until 1830, when a log church was built on 20 acres donated by Jacob Efird. Paintings of that log church, which served the congregation for 30 years, hang today in the educational wing hall and in the church office.
In 1829 the congregation chose the name Saint Martin's and was recognized by the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod. Early on it relied on supply pastors and pastors in training called licensed deacons. The first of its own was Adam Efird, a son of the congregation, who served in that capacity from 1848 to 1850. His desk still sits in the Efird Library/Parlor, with a page of history inside the top. St. Martin's finally received its own assigned minister, Reverend Timothy Moser, in 1865. He served it as part of a parish that included five other Cabarrus County churches, all under his care until 1888.
In 1902 the congregation petitioned the Tennessee Synod, of which it had been a member since 1820, to be released so it could join the North Carolina Synod. The petition was approved, and St. Martin's became a member of the North Carolina Synod in 1903, the regional body it belongs to now. In 1949 the church became self-supporting and no longer needed to share a minister with other congregations, and the first minister to serve it in that independent capacity was Reverend J. S. Wessenger.
Only three "sons of the church" have entered the Lutheran ministry from St. Martin's: Adam Efird, his brother Daniel, who began in 1850, and Harold McSwain, who began in 1964 after a gap of 114 years. In all, 35 pastors have served St. Martin's.
Four Sanctuaries and the Artifacts They Left Behind
St. Martin's worship has moved through four buildings. The 1830 log church gave way in 1860 to a frame church built on the same site, which reportedly had the largest seating area of any church in Stanly County at the time. It had two front doors with aisles running to the front and pews on the left, middle, and right. Custom separated the entrances: women, infants, and small children came through the right door and sat on the right side, while men and grown children entered on the left and sat on the left. The frame structure served for 48 years.
On October 1, 1909, the cornerstone was laid for a third sanctuary, a brick church with a slate roof, a bell tower, and tall cathedral-shaped stained glass windows. The bricks were made from clay dug near Little Bear Creek on the farm of Ireneus P. Efird, and lumber for construction was cut from church property and nearby farms. The church bell, purchased by John S. Efird, was hauled to the job by horse and wagon from the railroad depot in Albemarle, and it is still used in the current building.
On January 19, 1969, the congregation held a final worship service and a "Leave Taking" procession, carrying hymnals, lectern Bibles, and furnishings to the former educational building, which had been converted into a chapel. That chapel served until the new church was completed in June 1970, and during the week after the procession the stained glass windows, church organ, pulpit, and remaining altar furnishings were moved there. When the interim building came down, the furnishings, pulpit, and stained glass windows were moved again, this time to the narthex and entrance of the current sanctuary.
The present building's first service was held on June 14, 1970. Afterward, a cornerstone laying service was conducted with North Carolina Synod President Reverend George Whittecar and Pastor Karl Park presiding, and a sealed copper box holding many historical church items and records was placed inside the cornerstone.
Much of what the earlier buildings held is still on display. The pulpit stands in the narthex, the lectern sits near the front of the nave, and the altar and pastor's chairs, along with old Bibles and other artifacts, are in the Efird Library/Parlor. Three stained glass windows were reframed, specially housed, and backlit, with two flanking the main entrance in the narthex and a third above the doorway leading from the nave into the narthex. Two cemeteries tell the rest of the story. The first, on Booger Holler Road within the church grounds, holds the unmarked graves of the Jacob Efird family, and the cemetery adjacent to the church holds marked and unmarked graves of additional Efird family members and early congregants whose names are not known.
Sunday School from Birth Through Age 25
Sunday school runs from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m. and fills the classroom wing. The youngest class, Frolic, is for birth through age 3. Spark serves pre-kindergarten through second grade, and F.B.I., the Faithful Bible Investigators, meets with third through fifth graders. A middle school class taught by Pastor Phil covers Bible and Luther's Small Catechism for grades 6 through 8, and Team 3:16 gathers tenth graders through adults in their twenties. An adult class meets at the same time in the fellowship hall.
A Praise Team, a Choir, and a Pipe Organ
The music ministry has two ensembles. A praise team leads the 8:30 service with contemporary Christian songs, while the choir leads the congregation in singing hymns at 10:00 and then adds an anthem to the worship hour. Anyone who would like to sing is welcome to join the praise team or the choir, and voices are always welcomed.
Scouts, Vacation Bible School, and a Fall Festival
The youth ministry team works to provide a safe, nurturing environment where children can learn and share during the Sunday school hour, Vacation Bible School, and age-appropriate special events. Boy Scout Troop 210 is based at St. Martin's. Cub Scouts in kindergarten through fifth grade meet on the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall, and Boy Scouts ages 11 to 18 meet on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the same hall.
Vacation Bible School is sponsored by the Christian education leaders each year for children from age 3 through fifth grade, usually over three or four evenings in June or July. A meal comes first, followed by class study, music, art, and recreation, and the final night closes with a church ice cream social where the children share what they have learned and celebrate their accomplishments. An adult class is sometimes offered alongside. The W.A.G.S. youth group, whose name stands for "we are God's servants," hosts an annual fall festival around Halloween with costumes, a casual dinner, a hay ride, games, and trunk or treat. Each year the children and youth also present a Christmas program centered on keeping Christ in Christmas, followed by a meal in the fellowship hall.
For retreats and programs, families use Lutheridge Camp and Conference Center, located just south of Asheville on 160 acres, which offers year-round programs for children, youth, adults, and families and also hosts groups that come to plan their own meetings and retreats. The grounds include a small lake, hiking trails, a group interaction course, a swimming pool, and a challenge tower. Red Cross blood drives are not a regular fixture at St. Martin's, though the equipment has been set up in the fellowship hall in the past, usually at the initiative of a Sunday school class, a youth group, or an Eagle Scout project.
Meals, Pantries, and Backpacks for Local Children
The church states its conviction plainly: "We believe in loving and caring for our neighbors," and that the best days are those spent in service to others. Several programs carry that conviction into the week.
- Community Table. The local soup kitchen in Albemarle relies on volunteers to provide a lunchtime meal for people in need. The congregation prepares and serves meals there several times a year, and volunteers are needed to plan and prepare the meal, serve it, and clean up afterward. The outreach committee also serves lunch at Stanly Community Christian Ministries.
- Little Red Wagon. Each month on the third Sunday, the church's children pull a little red wagon down the aisle to collect the items that the SCCM food pantry has requested for that month. Money donations are accepted at the same time, and the children take part in gathering what families need.
- Backpack Program. The church packs food into backpacks that are distributed on Fridays to children in the community who live in poverty. Those children have meals at school during the week, but food may not be readily available on weekends.
- Second Harvest mobile food pantry. Sponsoring the truck that brings groceries to the Ag Center in Albemarle is one of the church's most significant outreach opportunities, serving upward of 200 families. The church often works with Pine Grove Methodist Church to sponsor or assist with food distribution, and volunteers arrive early to set up tables, unload the truck, separate groceries, distribute food, and clean up.
- Souper Bowl of Caring. Donations are collected in soup pots on Super Bowl Sunday, and a lunch of soup is served for donations, giving the youth a way to raise money against hunger and poverty in the community.
- Boxtops for Education. The congregation collects boxtops to support schools.
- Angel Tree. The W.A.G.S. youth group puts up an angel tree in early December. The angels are hand crocheted and were made by a late member of the church many years ago. Members take a slip with a Christmas gift wish, leave the angel as decoration, and bring the wrapped gift back to be placed under the tree, and the youth deliver the gifts just before Christmas. The church sponsors at least one family in need each year.
- Trinity Place birthday party. Once a year the church hosts a birthday party for residents of Trinity Place whose birthdays fall in the month the church hosts. Cupcakes and refreshments are shared, a useful gift is given to those celebrating, and the church organist plays favorite hymns for a singalong.
Beyond food, the church keeps a rhythm of service to families: Thanksgiving food baskets, the Angel Tree at Christmas, and a monthly Joy Group lunch on the second Wednesday of each month at 11:00 a.m. in Albemarle that anyone is invited to join. The congregation has also gathered for a men's breakfast with food and fellowship. Lutheran Disaster Response is one of the ministries supported through giving, and gifts can be made online.
Joining the Congregation and Learning the Catechism
St. Martin's always welcomes new members. Anyone who has not been baptized is welcome to learn about the faith and consider baptism, and those already baptized in any Christian setting may join by Affirmation of Faith.
Confirmation ministry is described as "a pastoral and educational ministry of the church that helps the baptized through Word and Sacrament to identify more deeply with the Christian community and participate more fully in its mission." Classes begin as early as sixth grade and are often attended by adults who want to affirm their baptism. The classes are often held with other Lutheran churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the middle school class that studies Luther's Small Catechism with the pastor is one place that learning begins.
Nearly 100 Acres and a Vision for What Comes Next
St. Martin's holds nearly 100 acres of land in Stanly County, entrusted by members who came before. The church's Vision 20/20 is to put that inheritance to work for the congregation and for the wider community. One idea is to collaborate with the North Carolina Synod, and perhaps other churches in the area, to create an assisted living community. Another is to create walking trails and perhaps a rustic retreat site. Set in the rolling countryside of western Stanly County, the church pairs more than two centuries of tradition with a decidedly forward-looking point of view. Its ministries deepen faith, its fellowship builds a joyful community, and its worship keeps Christ at the center of life. The congregation describes itself as family in the way churches used to be family, alive in the ways new generations hunger for today.
Serving in the Sanctuary and Around the Church
Volunteers serve the Sunday services in defined roles, each traditionally one month long. Acolytes light and extinguish the altar candles and carry the offering plates to and from the ushers. A video and sound team monitors microphones and sound at both the 8:30 and 10:00 services and keeps the computer and video running for the 8:30 service. Head ushers and greeters welcome members and visitors, hand out bulletins, and direct the congregation to the altar or the base of the steps for intinction.
Offering counters count the offerings from both services and keep the financial information confidential. The Altar Guild prepares Holy Communion, and two forms are possible: by intinction, using two chalices, one for wine and one for grape juice, or at the altar, with wine or grape juice poured into small cups and wafers on a plate. Communion assistants help the pastor distribute the sacrament, install and remove the railings at the front and back of the altar when communion is served there, and provide communion to the pastor. Readers read the scriptures before the pastor reads the gospel. A nursery volunteer cares for children during the later worship service, beginning after the children's sermon, and tidies the room afterward.
Beyond the sanctuary, the church names teams for youth ministry, greeting, music and worship, and fellowship and recreation, along with committees for worship, education and youth, witness and outreach, property, personnel, and the church cemetery. It is a long list of small jobs, and the church describes its own life simply: "St. Martin's is a place where people work together to create community, where we can live in a relationship to God and each other."
The People Behind the Ministry
Pastor Phil Thorsen leads the congregation and also teaches the middle school Sunday school class. Fran Hinson serves as organist. Rick McLester and Sara Cox carry responsibility for music and worship and for witness and outreach, and Erica Lee and Mandy Morgan share the Christian education and youth responsibilities. Donna Hinson is the contact for Boy Scout Troop 210. The pastor's office is open Monday through Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. by appointment, Thursday is set aside for sermon preparation, and Friday is a day off. The church office handles questions at 704-982-7644 and at SMLC16592@gmail.com.
Two Hundred Years and Counting
Two hundred years after Jacob Efird opened his house near Little Bear Creek, St. Martin's Lutheran Church keeps a Sunday rhythm that starts at 8:30 with upbeat songs and continues at 10:00 with the liturgy, the hymns, and the pipe organ it has carried since the days of the log church. Around that rhythm sits a Sunday school for every age, a music ministry that welcomes new voices, a roster of volunteers who do the work of the church week by week, and an outreach program built around hot meals, full pantries, and children who should not go to bed hungry. It is a congregation that describes its future as plainly as its history: preparing the way, much as generations before it prepared the way for today.