The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-08-08
HISTORICAL FRAGMENTS
OF COLONY CHURCH

Colony church was organized in
the year 1845, which was one year
before the Mexican war, 16 years be-
fore the great Civil war. 50 years
before the Spanish-American war,
and '72 years before America enter
ed the great World war.
From tn standpoint of the Luther
an church it was 21 years after the
organization of the Evangelical Lu-
theran Synod of South Carolina, ,
years after the birth of the Theo-
logical seminary at Pomaria, South
Carolina, II years after the Luther
an Classical institution at Lexington,
and II years before the founding OF
Newberry college, which grew out
of the institution II Lexington. we
find from the minutes Of synod that
Colony and st. DaVid's church near
CASTOR, South Carolina, were organ
lied the same year; hence they may
be termed twin sisters, and their
birth plac is number 27, 26 of the
80 congregations Of the synod being
older, and 62 being younger. In the
Newberry conference, Colony's
place is of the 20 congregations of
the conference, st. Pauls, Bethle-
hem, St. Matthew's, St. Luke's, St.
James and Beth Eden being her Sc
niors. At the date of her birth, there
was no Grace, Prosperity; no Re
deemer, Newbe' ry; no Holy Trinity,
Little Mountain; no Mt. Tabor, no
Mt. Pilgrim, no Mt Olivet, no St.
Phillips, no Bachman's Chapel, 70
Macedonia, no Mayer Memorial, no
Summer Memorial, no PonH&Ela
church, no Silverstreet church. IN
fact SO long since has she been or
ganized that her early history is con-
temporary with the lives of such
great Lutheran stars as Rev. John
Pachman, D. D., Rev. Ernest Louis
Hazelius, D. D., and Rev. Anton R.
Rude, D. o. Perhaps some of her
ccharter and early members saw and
heard these men preach.
Her first pastor w2s Rev. William
Berley, who must have been a very
lerned and consecrated shepard OF
tn living God. The records tell US
he built the first edifice in 1S45 at
the solicitation of few remote
members of St. PauTs and st. Luhe's
living in that vicinity. The church
was dedicated to the service Of the
Triune God the 5th Sunday of Aug
ust. It was then, anr the two pre-
ceding days, the Newberry confer
ence met with the congregation, with
the beIovd pastor and the Rev. John
C.. Hope as the only ministers pres
ent, perhaps the only two ministers
at the conference. And yet three
great days they wehe with the con-
ference in the new church, and which
resulted in the setting apart of that
sacred property to the service Of the
living God, the Rev. J. c. Hope
preaching the dedicatory sermon.
Then we find again the congregation
made application for membership in
the synod, and was received by the
synod which met with the old st.
Matthew's congregation, then in the
Orangeburg district, but now CAL
houn county, the time of meeting
being Friday, March 2, 184S.
Pastor Berley served the work
from 1845-1850, when he resigned to
accept professorship in the Theo-
logical eSminary and Classical insti-
tuition at Lexington. During the
years AS and '46 the records show
that Pastor Berley preached for the
little flock once month, every third
Sunday afternoon, at the same time
shepherding the little flock without
any compensation, other than st.
Paul's great reward, viz, the preach
ing of the Gospel. The last three
years of service, the records show
the people promised him $40 per
year, ''to enable him to better ad-
minister to their spiritual needs.
The history shows that on the
third Sunday of June, 184S, Pastor
Berley organized the Sunday school
in the congregation, with three tea
chers and fifteen scholars, which was
81 years after Robert Raikes organ
lied the first modern Sunday school
at Gloucester, England.
After the resignation of Pastor
Berley, the Rev: john c. Hope was
called to be the second pastor and
served the congregation one year,