‘Space for everybody’: Grace Lutheran Church in Rock Hill celebrates milestone year

Bob Schavey was three years old when he moved with his parents to Rock Hill in 1963.

He has been a member of Grace Lutheran Church ever since, and the church has played a key role in his life.

“I have seen Grace transform from being that strange church that no one knew much about -- I can remember being in public school and being asked if we believed in Jesus -- to an active part of the Rock Hill community,” Schavey said recently.

“Most of my life has been centered around Grace. I grew up here, I was married here, my children were baptized here, my mother’s and father’s funerals were here. When I attend service, I am reminded of this history when I see the eternal flame (the candle) and the stained glass windows that were placed in memory of my mother.”

As Schavey, now 63, celebrates his 60th anniversary as a member of Grace, the church itself is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The congregation is observing this milestone over the course of this year by looking back at the church’s legacy in the community. For more details go to gracerockhill.com

“We are going about a decade at a time to look back on what the history of Grace has been here in Rock Hill, said Senior Pastor Gregg Hoffman. “Some of that is the historical look back, some of that includes a meal and some concerts that are coming up in the fall.

“We’re bringing back former pastors as their schedules allow, and it’s been wonderful to see people connect with someone that used to be their pastor in a very direct way and celebrate their legacy.”

Hoffman said looking back at a century of Grace’s history is fostering hope for the church’s future.

“My wife and I have been pastors here for almost five years, so we are newbies compared to the ninety-five years that have preceded us, but it has already been such a special part of our service as pastors to spend time here at Grace,” he said. “We hope to be here for a long time and hope to continue to be a part of the larger story that God is writing here with these people.

“It helps us see how everyone has grown and changed and how God has been with us through so many seasons of life, it helps us to celebrate this one, and frankly, it makes us excited about the next one.”

Schavey said the church has grown from 14 members in 1923 to 500 today, but there are some things that haven’t changed.

“To me, some things have always stayed the same. It’s the same kind of people, it’s always been a very friendly congregation, even back when I was really little, and that goes on today,” he said.

Grace’s congregation still meets in the original building, erected in 1925. Additional buildings have been added.

Grace has always opened its doors to worshippers from all walks of life. In the 1960s, among the congregation was Winthrop’s first African-American student, Cynthia Plair Roddey.

Roddey said she first came to Grace in 1953 during her school breaks and continued attending throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Roddey has been a Friend of Grace for 70 years.

“I have made so many wonderful friends. Over the years, Grace has made a conscious effort to love thy neighbor. It has sought solutions for racism, homelessness, religious intolerance, sexual discrimination, and political injustice. My home church is Prince of Peace in Charlotte, NC, but Grace has become a place where I can worship in peace,” Roddey said recently.

Schavey said he takes pride in the amount of community outreach Grace initiates.

“Fellow Rock Hill citizens certainly see our works in the community. They will remember us from speaking at the Way of the Cross procession downtown during Good Friday, or they may remember the hot chocolate and popcorn during the Rock Hill (Christmas) parade,” Schavey said.

“Even today, I think everybody is welcome here, no matter who they are. Whether it’s because of race or because of their orientation or anything like that, everyone is always welcome at Grace,” Schavey said.

Hoffman points to how the church has grown over the years.

“The most interesting thing is how it has grown from being fourteen people meeting in a room at Winthrop when the school was the women’s college to this congregation that is so integrated with the community now,” Hoffman said.

“We’re a resource to people who don’t even necessarily come for worship. Maybe they vote here, or maybe their quilting group meets here, or they welcome newcomers to York County here, or they’re here for a recovery program.

“We are not exclusively a resource for faith. We are a way that faith is tangible for people who don’t even have it. We can show people what it is to be a disciple of Jesus who makes space for everybody. Whatever they’re looking for, they can find it.”

There are two services for Sunday morning worship at Grace, one at 8:30 a.m. and another at 11 a.m. However, Grace’s summer worship schedule with one Sunday service at 10 a.m. extends through Sept. 3.