Mt. Horeb Lutheran Church was established in 1891 – about the time the Town of Chapin was organized. The history of Mt. Horeb Church in many ways parallels that of the town itself. A number of leaders in the town have also been leaders in the church. As the town and the surrounding area has grown, so has the congregation of Mt. Horeb.

The congregation can thank the Rev. W. L. Darr for being shepherding pastor who gathered together the little flock from which Mt. Horeb’s congregation has sprung. The report of the President of the Tennessee Synod to its 1889 convention stated that in the Spring of that year “the pastorate in South Carolina left vacant by the death of Dr. Smeltzer (Bethlehem, St. Thomas, and St. Jacobs) extended a call to Candidate W. L. Darr.”

Brother Darr accepted the call and entered his labors on this field in June 1889. Although he served all three congregations, soon after his arrival in the area he gathered together a fourth which was to become Mt. Horeb. This little congregation first met in Mr. George Lindler’s Funeral Home.

Through the years, the congregation has worshiped in three other buildings since then, including the current sanctuary, which was dedicated in October 1963. In the summer of 1999, the church completed an extensive renovation and addition project to its education building, and the interior of the sanctuary was remodeled in 2013.

The following is a list of the pastors who have served Mt. Horeb Lutheran Church since its origins in 1889:

PastorYears Served
W.L. Darr1889-1895
Jacob Wike1896-1899
J. F. Deal1899-1902
O. B. Shearouse1903-1906
Enoch Hite1906-1909
W. James Roof1911-1914
J. L. Cromer1914-1919
J. M. Senter1919-1926
W. A. Craun1927-1928
H. Smith Petrea1928-1938
Albert Stemmerman1938-1942
Henry B. Watson1942-1945
Luther H. Jeffcoat1949-1951
John H. Kock Jr.1951-1961
Everett A. Dasher1961-1973
Earl H. Loadholdt1973-1981
E. Armand Shealy1981-1990
Richard E. Webber1991-2001
Ralph G. Hill2002-2022
Ken C. Gillikin2006-2010
Ginger Litman-Koon2012-2017
Joanna C. Gragg2018-2022
Ron Philabaum2024-present