To all we extend an enthusiastic welcome to Saint Andrew Lutheran Church, this beloved community, where in Christ, we Worship, Love, Grow, Serve, and Send.
Our Vision –
"We Believe it is the purpose of the Lutheran Church of St. Andrew to engage as many persons as will share its confession of faith in a fellowship of worship, learning, witness, and service, so that the Word of God in Jesus Christ may become effective in their lives, together and individually, at home and around the world. In order to develop and nurture our ministry we must remain flexible and open to meet the changing needs of the Church, the community and the world."
A congregation of over 500, Saint Andrew is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.3 million members in more than 8,900 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region.
Since we were organized as a congregation on September 21, 1975, Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Franklin, TN has been deeply involved in our local community and our Southeastern Synod (denominatoinal region), as well as national (ELCA) and global (LWF) ministry expressions.
When you enter St. Andrew Lutheran Church through the Bell Tower doors, you will be warmly welcomed by our volunteer greeters.
We offer two services each Sunday, 8:30 am and 11:00 am. Our Holy Communion services are filled with beautiful music and an inviting and welcoming liturgy. The 8:30 am service is available on our YouTube channel saintandrewchurch.tv or watch it live by clicking the live-stream banner on this website!
We offer Holy Communion every Sunday. Here at Saint Andrew, everyone is welcome and may receive communion.
Our music ministry includes an adult choir, a handbell choir, and a soon-to-be-revived children's choir.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
In 1974, the Lutheran Church in America called the Rev. Eric C. Pearson (see below) to develop a Lutheran witness in the growing suburbs south of Nashville. The new mission held its first worship service in November. Less than a year later, the Lutheran Church of Saint Andrew was officially organized on Sept. 21, 1975 and Pastor Pearson accepted the call to be the new congregation’s first pastor.
St. Andrew made use of rental space during its early years, relocating several times to accommodate its growing attendance and ministry, before settling at its present location in 1982. Subsequent building programs saw additions to the original building in 1992 and 1999. The worship room itself was enlarged in 1999 and 2006.
While worship has always been central at St. Andrew, the congregation also has a rich tradition of outreach and children’s ministries. St. Andrew was instrumental in beginning GraceWorks Ministries, to provide immediate and long-term resources to neighbors in need. In 1996, the congregation hired a director for youth and children’s ministries, a director of music, and an associate pastor.
In 2002, Pastor Pearson retired and St. Andrew entered into a three-year transition under the guidance of the Rev. Howard Mettee. The Rev. H. Julian Gordy became the congregation’s second called pastor in 2005. Under his leadership, St. Andrew continued to grow as a lively community of faith with a vibrant worship life and a commitment to outreach and service. In 2007, Pastor Gordy was elected to become the next bishop of the ELCA-Southeastern Synod. Pastor Pearson led the congregation through a short transition, and in 2008, the Rev. Dr. Michael A. Lippard became the third called pastor of St. Andrew.
A third building expansion which included a new nave (worship room), narthex (gathering area), and columbarium was completed in 2010. In 2011, the Rev. J. Erik Allen was called to be St. Andrew’s part-time associate pastor. Pr. Erik took a call to be senior pastor in Georgia in the summer of 2014. Vicar Katherine Museus interned at St. Andrew following Pastor Erik's departure. On November 29, 2015, the Reverend Katherine Museus was ordained and installed as St. Andrew's first full-time associate pastor.
In early 2020 Pastor Michael Lippard retired and later that same year Pastor Museus received a call to serve as campus pastor at Valparaiso University. Entering only the third interim period in St. Andrew's history, and this time during a global pandemic, Pastor Julian Gordy returned as interim pastor and was joined later by Pastor Michelle Kuhlman. Finally after a rigorous call process and the vetting of multiple candidates, the congregation discerned God's call of Pastor Pauline Farrington and Pastor Eric Murray, a clergy couple, as Co-Lead Pastors with St. Andrew, beginning in July 2021.
Pastor Pearson’s first call was to Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in North Syracuse, New York. From there he went on to be a Pastor Developer with a call that brought him to Williamson County to plant a Lutheran church in the growing suburbs south of Nashville. A result of that ministry was the congregation that came to be called St. Andrew. Pastor Pearson remained as its pastor for 28 years before being awarded the title of Pastor Emeritus upon retiring from active ministry in 2002. After retirement, he was asked by the ELCA to assist with the redevelopment of Peace Lutheran Church in Columbia/Spring Hill, TN. He remained there for three years and left that post in 2006. At that time he was asked to rejoin the staff at St. Andrew as a part-time pastoral assistant for new member development.
After a distinguished career and faithful service as pastor and desiring to spend more focused time with family, Pr. Pearson re-entered retirement at the end of 2021.
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Saint Andrew Lutheran Church