Ancient History

1984-1985

“Looking for Lutherans” were the words published in the Forsyth County News in the October 19 and 26 , 1983 edition. Fourteen people responded to that ad, and thus our church began. Respondents that are still with us as members of Christ the King are Dick and Sandy Kornewald, Barbara and Jack Ayres, Donnie and Dottie Culver, Paul and Sonnie Kopp, and Rufus and Jean Cuthbertson.

Those first two years were busy ones filled with anticipation. Services were held in the local funeral home chapel while intergenerational Sunday School was held at the Homemakers’ building. We were a strange sight walking each Sunday morning from the funeral home through town to Sunday School. We brought our donated red hymnals, our “altar” (an extra door from the Kornewald’s home), our wine chalice from another home, our sign to put in front of the funeral home announcing service times, our offering baskets, and our wildflowers picked on the way to church to adorn the altar. We had a small, but powerful choir to lead us, an organist, a preacher, and a congregation. What more could we ask for?

Important happenings took place during this part of our history. Highlights include:

• Our name was chosen - Lanierland Lutheran Mission.
• Rev. Rufus Cuthbertson, retired, came out of retirement to preach for us.
• Council meetings were held monthly.
• Communion training classes were held for children fifth grade and higher.
• WELCA made Easter banners, altar cloths, and Advent wreaths.
• Luther’s Catechism was studied by adults and children.
• The first Christmas ornament exchange took place.
• An anniversary service was held (1 year).
• The first confirmation class had six graduates on October 27, 1985.

The first church social was held at the Cuthbertson’s home in Dahlonega where we enjoyed a covered dish and an Easter egg hunt. The first two years of our history were filled with many more fun times - picnics at the lake, progressive dinners, parties, and a “Fall Fling.” These two years were filled with Services, Activities, hard work, visits, friendships, and a feeling of accomplishment. Our ultimate goal was to become an “official” Lutheran church. We had a long way to go.

1986-1987

Our small, but faithful group continued to meet each week and conduct Lutheran services at Ingram’s chapel (the local funeral home). The Ingrams continued their support by donating their facility and by contributing to our weekly offerings on the way to their local Baptist service. They were our true friends!

We added other faithful friends to the fold during these years. Jean Cook and her two boys faithfully attended where Jean was recruited for her accounting talents. She became our treasurer. Jean remains a member today. We welcomed two new couples and their four children. Our youth count was up to almost a dozen! We felt blessed! We continued to hold Sunday school classes, but now had adult and youth classes. Our little group was beginning to mature, although we were still an oddity in town - “Lutheran? What’s a Lutheran?”

We continued to appeal to the synod office for help and recognition as an official congregation. It was not to be at this time. Demographic studies had to be done, a needs analysis completed, numbers increased, etc., etc. So, we looked faithfully to the future and began setting goals that would lead us to an official status.

Pastor Cuthbertson continued as our leader, while leading a small Lutheran group in Dahlonega as well. We finally gave up the old red hymnals and purchased the new green books that were being used by other congregations around the country. We began using the pre-printed bulletins that other churches were using. We formed a committee that penned our own constitution. An organ was purchased for $1200, (a significant amount for us, but an investment in our future.) The organ was stored at the Culver’s home to await a more permanent one in the future. On July 14, 1987, the congregation voted to change it’s name to Faith Lutheran Church as a statement of our determination to keep the faith and someday be affiliated with the ELCA .

These two years were not all about business. We became even closer through outreach projects to the community, celebrations for our second and third year anniversaries, social gatherings at Lake Lanier, in friends’ homes, at Unicoi State Park, a joint Luau with the Dahlonega Lutheran group, and a celebration of our first wedding ceremony.

WE were still alone with no official status, but services, outreach to the community, and fellowship continued. The faithful remained so.

1988-1989

Nineteen hundred and eighty eight continued with a small group of dedicated Lutherans worshipping weekly at Ingram’s Funeral Home chapel, planning and executing community outreach projects, enjoying social events, celebrating their 4th anniversary as a worshipping community, saving for future building, and anticipating good news from the ELCA synod office.

An important letter to our newly elected Bishop, written by our own Jack Ayres, (thank-you, Jack) set the wheels in motion for an exciting year and future for our church. In his letter, Jack outlined the hopes, dreams, and accomplishments of the past four years of this unofficial congregation. He asked that we be considered when new missions were being discussed and he offered our full support to the mission of the ELCA. Within weeks, Jack received a response stating surprise at the accomplishments of this group and the length of time involved.

The Bishop stated that he would consider the possibility of “moving ahead” in the Cumming area. OK, it wasn’t a resounding YES, but we took the response as such and looked forward with much excitement! Little did we know that Jack’s passion for detail and history would lead to a comprehensive archive of the prehistory of Christ the King. Much of the information that you have been reading about this summer in the newsletter has been taken from those archival records. What a Blessing! Look for these and other artifacts from those early years at the October 11 celebration at Christ the King of the 25th year of the first meeting of Lutherans in Cumming.

May, 1988………………finally! Pastor Richard Gantt, (yes, our Dick Gantt), head of mission development for the SE synod, met with the congregation after services to discuss the process of working with a Pastor/developer that the ELCA would hire for five months to “knock on doors” (about 4,000) to solicit new members. Pastor Cuthbertson continued preaching for us while the legwork was done by Rev. Michael McCormack, the Pastor/ developer.

Pastor McCormack suggested that we change our name to a name pointing directly to Christ-so, now we have our third name - Lanierland Lutheran , Faith Lutheran, and now, Christ the King! He searched the Cumming area for a new place to meet and settled on 110 Dahlonega Street - “The Storefront” - as it was lovingly known. The space had been formerly rented as a dance studio, warehouse and furniture store. Now to make it a place of worship took much renovation! For months we painted, scraped, wired, carpeted, tore down walls, plumbed, gathered donated items as well as purchased ones. The Forsyth County News staff took many pictures of the renovation by these “Lutherans” and we were featured in The Lutheran magazine. On February 12, 1989, we worshipped in our new home for the first time and Rev. McCormack preached his first sermon as our called Pastor. Now, we were responsible for his salary! We had finally reached our goal. This Sunday was also the beginning of Christ The King as an official ELCA mission church!! Praise the Lord!!.

Not only did we have a new place to worship, the ELCA had purchased land on Highway 20 that would be sold to us when we were ready to build. (Highway 20? More about that later…)Pastor Cuthbertson was honored during the March 12, 1989 service for his five years of dedication and leadership to this group. Now he could get on with his retirement! (At least for a short while! - look for items at the October 11 service that he built for the church.)

July, 1989, a charter committee came together to pen a statement about our reason for being. Still with us are Paul Schneider, Jack Ayres, Paul Kopp and Ella Mendoza, who were on this important committee. The charter would be signed by all who wanted to be members when organized. Charter Sunday was October 10, 1989. Seventy two people signed on that day. Two additional Sundays were set aside for charter signing also. The children signed a “Children’s charter” at the same time. What an exhilarating day that was! The charter now hangs in the narthex. Check it out when you exit on Sunday to see the names of those who were important to the early beginnings. Many remain faithful today!

1990-1993

Pre-organizational meetings, pledges, picnics, parties, programs, Pentecost, poodle skirts, property purchase, plays, purpose, participation, partners in Mission, preparation, parade, public notice zoning appeal, Pastor Emeritus, and prayer. The next 3 years were productive ones!

On March 11, 1990, exactly 5 years after the first meeting of Lutherans in the county, more history was made when the first pre-organizational meeting was held and the first “official” council was elected. They included Rich Grimshaw, Paul Kopp, Sandy Kornewald, Donnie Culver, Jean Cuthbertson,and Jack Ayres.

Organization Sunday was on March 18, 1990. We were finally recognized as an ELCA congregation! Thirty-eight families pledged a total of $56,000 and we were off and running!

A contest was held to choose a theme for the church and the winning entry was, “Where everybody is somebody, and Christ is King!” ( Please let me know who the author is , if you know.) This statement was on all communications and ads, so the community knew us by these words. Not a bad idea!

1990 was the first year that a Habitat for Humanity fundraiser (steak dinner) was held. The brainchild of Paul and Sonnie Kopp was a huge success in the community and continued for several years. Paul hopes to revive it again soon! Yum!

Look in the front of your hymnal on Sunday. You will find a song called Christ the King - words were written by Jean Cuthbertson in honor of our new congregation in 1990. We will sing it on October 11 as a remembrance.

1991 began in the storefront. We were really becoming quite fond of our renovated space. We continued to reach out to the community by monetary contributions and moral support. Our second annual Habitat dinner allowed us to give a nice check to this worthy organization.

An August sock hop was held and prizes given - See if you can guess who won the twist contest and which couple was voted “best dressed?” Both couples are still members!

On March 3, 1991, Pastor Cuthbertson was surprised at a luncheon given in his honor to bestow on him the title of “Pastor Emeritus” of Christ the King.

1992 - Highway 20? Remember the land purchase on Highway 20? Well, we had other ideas about where we wanted our church to be. We wanted to be a part of the community - right in the middle of the city. A search began for other options and in March of 1991 the property on Highway 20 was released. At a special congregational meeting in April, the congregation approved the contract to purchase the parcel of land at the corner of Tribble Gap and Highway 306.

December 13, 1992 - The congregation voted to use the Mission Builders to help us build our church on our newly acquired property. This proved to be one of the best decisions made in the early history of Christ the King.

July, 1993 - Groundbreaking for our dream! A processional through the streets of Cumming from the Storefront to Tribble Gap! We were quite the site, but a happier group you could not find on this day!