Union Lutheran Church is beginning a year-long celebration leading up the 250^th anniversary of the congregation in 2024. Originally called Pine Meeting House, the church has existed in the eastern Rowan County area since the mid-1700s. Part of this celebration will be having former pastors and sons and daughters of the congregation coming to lead worship with us about every other month.

To lead off the celebration, the Rev. Dr. Judson Merrell will be the first guest pastor on Sunday, Sept. 24. Merrell is a Rowan County native and his seventh great-grandfather, Henriks Aegener (Henry Agner), was one of the founders of the congregation. A graduate of East Rowan High School, Merrell earned a bachelor of science from UNC-Charlotte, a master of divinity from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, S.C., and a doctor of ministry from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte.

He was ordained by the South Carolina Synod (ELCA) at Union Lutheran in 2005. After ordination, he served parishes in Boiling Springs and Gilbert, S.C. He is currently senior pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (NALC) in Lexington, S.C. He is a member of the Society of the Holy Trinity, a pan-Lutheran ministerium (order) of pastors who have been ordained in Lutheran churches throughout North America.

He is married to Carrie Merrell (nee Compton) of Lexington, S.C., and has two daughters, Addison and Camryn.

Union Lutheran Church is located at 4770 Bringle Ferry Road. Worship services are at 10:30 a.m. preceded by Sunday school for all ages at 9:30 a.m.