A Brief History of Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church – Member PCUSA

(7 ACRES OUTSIDE OF LEXINGTON)
In 1975, the Congaree Presbytery, now Trinity Presbytery, purchased 7 acres of land “outside” of Lexington County. (This area has grown so much!) The land was bought with the hope that one day, it would be the site of a new sanctuary, and that a new church family would begin to grow here in Lexington.  The next year, an additional four acres were added for a total of 11 acres, at the purchase price of $75,000.00.
(YES, LEXINGTON DOES WANT A PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH)
Eventually, in 1980, a community-wide survey was taken to see if there was sufficient need in the area for a Presbyterian church.  At the time, it was decided that there was not presently a need. Just a year later, in 1981, there seemed to be a change in the Presbyterian population, and a faction of “concerned” Presbyterians began asking the Presbytery to start a church in Lexington.  Apparently their requests were taken to heart, and later that year, the Presbytery agreed to begin ground breaking.
(BABY STEPS)
Until the family of believers was able to worship in their new Sanctuary, they would gather on the West side of Lexington at the Ted O. McGee Recreational building.  This building only held approximately 50 people for worship, with 3 Sunday school classrooms and an office.  The first worship service was held on February 14, 1982; with only 14 people present…The church began to grow, and had to move to the present location in December of 1984.  With membership already at 175, they moved to the first building and bell tower, now known as The Fellowship Hall.  This building served as the primary worship location until the late 1980’s, when the numbers outgrew the pews, and it was time to build a larger place of worship.
(AND THEY GREW…)
Construction on the present sanctuary was started in 1989, and the first service was on Palm Sunday in 1991.  The membership had grown from 14 in 1982 to 550 in 1992, when the rooms beneath the Sanctuary were completed, at a cost of $1.9 Million for the first two phases.
(AND GREW…)
As God continued to bless their church, and more people joined, more classrooms as well as a recreation and kitchen space were needed… In 1994, Saxe Gotha’s leadership and members began the second phase of the building initiative. The Total Life Center, complete with classrooms, a GYM, a computer room and a kitchen and serving area, was completed in 1995 at a cost exceeding $2.7 Million.
(SOMETHING’S MISSING)
There was still something missing that the leadership of Saxe Gotha felt was essential to future growth for any dynamic body of believers. The church needed a youth facility!  With everyone in agreement, ground was broken on October 12, 2003, for the Light House, the free standing building behind the main campus.
The Light House was completed in the fall of 2004, and has since been the gathering place for the children and youth on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, as well as the place of Saxe Gotha’s contemporary worship service, the A.W.E., or Alternative Worship Experience, which began in September of 2008.  Other members of the Lexington Community, often hold meetings in the Light House and its auditorium is often a place for spiritual growth speaking events and seminars….And where there is fellowship, there is usually food…So in 2009, the Light House Café opened as part of Saxe Gotha’s Next Generation Ministry, to support youth and other events taking place there.
(OTHER RECENT CHANGES AT SAXE GOTHA & WISH LIST ITEMS)
The place for the Saxe Gotha Welcome Center was designated and that space renovated in 2009. A memorial garden was also landscaped near the Bell Tower, just outside the Welcome Center. The beautiful bronze benches and sculpted bronze cross in the center, make it a nice gathering place for guests on Sunday mornings. Welcome Stations at key entry points on campus, with signage and brochures, have been added in support of the Hospitality Ministry…There are also additional cosmetic upgrades underway.  One is to eventually implement new directional signs through-out the Saxe Gotha campus.  There are also technological upgrades and equipment needs on the radar for Saxe Gotha.  As the leadership, officers, members and staff at Saxe Gotha work together to adapt as a church of the 21^st Century, the landscape seems ever-dynamic. The quest as Christians, however; remains the same.
(THEN, NOW AND SOON)
After decades of building on 11 acres and a prayer, as well as an established and adopted mission as believers, the Saxe Gotha family still strives – maybe more now than ever - to develop fully devoted servants of Jesus Christ, both in this place and well beyond. The strength of the current pastoral staff, with Dr. Jim Glatz (Pastor Jim,) serving as the Senior Pastor since September of 2007, and Rev. Helen Harrison Coker and Dr. Bill Johnston serving as his associates, has been a true blessing.  Please continue to pray for Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church that its members will listen daily for God’s Word in their lives, come and worship together on Sunday mornings, grow in Christ through the study of His word, and serve beside each other to His glory and honor.