A 100-year run for any organization is impressive, but Lexington County’s very own Pilgrim Lutheran Church is celebrating 125 years. Attendees say there are few houses of worship more welcoming than Pilgrim, located on North Lake Drive.

This is a church that lives by the “judge not, lest ye be judged” credo. Jeans are more than welcome at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, but so are suits, ties and Sunday dresses. As long as you’re comfortable, it’s fine either way.

While some people do bring their own Bibles, Pilgrim points out on their website that they have plenty of Bibles in the pews, that they do take Communion, but it’s optional for worshippers, children are welcome in their services and you can even watch along on Facebook if you can’t attend services in person.

And when it comes to taking up an offering, the church posted this verse on their site: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart, not reluctantly or under pressure, for God loves a cheerful giver”- 2 Corinthians 9:7

These are the tenets that have allowed Pilgrim Lutheran Church to thrive for 125 years, and they’ll be celebrating that anniversary this Friday and Saturday at the church with A Festival of Music and History for the Lexington Community.

The festival is certainly about saluting the church for over a century of worship, but it’s also meant to be fun and informative. To that end, there are several different events taking place at the festival to bring both joy and knowledge to those who attend.

Pilgrim will welcome the Lexington Community Choral Society under the direction of Hal McIntosh as they present several anthems, accompanied by various Pilgrim members and guest instrumentalists.

But there will also be three presentations on the people and the land of Lexington County by historian Michael Burgess, AP history teacher at River Bluff High School. In 2023, Burgess was named the S.C. History Teacher of the Year, and he’s also a teacher for the school’s Center for Law and Global Policy.

Burgess has also worked as a public school teacher in S.C. for nearly 30 years, which gives him more than enough experience to speak about three key topics: Lexington’s Immigrant Ancestors and the Land, Reshaping the Land and the People: The Creation of Lake Murray, and COVID-19: Reshaping Church, Culture, and Everything.

The Festival of Music and History for the Lexington Community also serves as an opportunity to spotlight Mission Lexington, a service agency of our community that Pilgrim was instrumental in founding. A new video will be shown highlighting the work that Mission Lexington has done.

Visit wearepilgrim.net to purchase tickets.