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"L" is for Lutherans

South Carolina From A to Z
SC Public Radio

"L" is for Lutherans. While Lutherans are the third largest Protestant denomination in the United States, their numbers have never been large in the South. In South Carolina, Lutherans make up less than two percent of the population, with highest concentrations in Newberry and Lexington Counties. Among Protestants, Lutherans typically give greater weight to the historic (“catholic”) tradition going back to the ancient church and conduct a liturgy of worship that stands in continuity with that tradition. South Carolina Lutherans formed their own synod in 1824. Most Lutherans in South Carolina are affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which contains 165 congregations and 62,000 members. Lutheran (ELCA) institutions in South Carolina include Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, Newberry College in Newberry, Lutheran Homes of South Carolina and Lutheran Family Services.

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Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.