The Bell Tower Vision is Becoming a Reality.
Watch as the bell's "Forever Home" is built.

The Bell Finds Its Forever Home
God has blessed King of Kings with the donation of a bell from the Engel family; and with donations from our church family to construct a tower to house the bell.

The bell now has it's Forever Home. 

History of the Bell

History
This is no ordinary bell. It has quite a history, dating back to 1959. Gary Engel writes about the history of the bell,

A Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s, asked God for direction and decided to build a new worship facility in Foley, Alabama that was completed in 1959.  During their planning, they decided to incorporate a bell tower and purchase a bell to go into the tower.  The purpose of the bell was to call people to worship, give God Glory, and further enhance worship.  The building planners in Foley also determined they would like to acquire a marble altar for their church.  That marble altar was procured from a little town in North Georgia called Jasper.  The altar is still in place and serving the Lord to this day.

Edward J. and Rose G. Engel, grandparents of Gary Engel, decided to purchase a bell to donate to the Lutheran Church that they thought would go into the new church in Foley.  Little did they know that God had other plans for that bell.  As it turned out, the bell was too large to fit in the tower in Foley.  They were able to ring the bell, and ring it for several minutes, but for just one time.  They then carefully stored it in one of their storage buildings on their home property where it has been for the last 62 years.

​Called into Service
After the Engel family offered to restore and move the bell to King of Kings, a committee from the church was formed. Their responsibility was to design a bell tower and research companies with the special skills necessary for restoring the bell, constructing a tower strong enough to house the massive bell, and installing a bell ringer in the tower. This committee first met on June 15, 2020. After almost two years of research, the committee introduced a fund-raising campaign after church service on November 14, 2021. By February of 2022, funds had been raised for the bell tower. After 62 years the bell was about to be called into service. To God alone be the glory.

​From Foley, Alabama to Talking Rock, Georgia  
Chuck White of White’s Clock and Carillon in Georgia was entrusted to transport the bell. With great care and logistical expertise, White initiated the move from the bell’s storage home on Engel family property in Foley, Alabama to a specialist in Indiana, where it will be refurbished. When the bell has been restored, Chuck will transport it back to King of Kings to be installed in the tower along with electronics for the bell ringer.

The Construction Begins

​During the last week in February Chris Hayes with Jectar, the contractor, and Gary Engel went to see the bell before it left for Indiana.  The bell has now arrived in Indiana where it will be restored.  What appears to be a crack near the top of the bell was inspected in the daylight and is not believed to be severe.  However, the bell will be treated with a chemical and a light will be emitted if the crack goes completely through the bell.  If the crack is not severe it will be welded and the striker will then be installed.  

On Monday, March 14, Jectar will started digging the footings and plans to pour them on Tuesday or Wednesday, weather permitting.  It will then take a week for the concrete to cure, after which time the erection of the steel bell tower will begin.

The Bell gets Cleaned and Painted

As of 3/28/22 the bell striker has been ordered and should be delivered mid-April.  It was good news to learn that after examining the bell it was determined it does not have a crack after all.  The bell has been sandblasted and cleaned, and painted bronze on the outside and black on the inside. ​

tower is constructed and Bell is on it's way home!

​The bell refurbishment was completed on April 30 and is ready to be transported to its forever home at King of Kings.  During the weeks of April 18 and April 25 the bell tower was erected.  The tower will be painted the color of the church trim, and the cross will be painted in a gold leaf tone.

THE BELL Has been hung! 

The bell was hung on June 17, 2022! We still have a few finishing touches to make, such as the round cement pad and adding a plaque.

The Bell Striker is programed

On July 22 the bell striker was programmed to ring for 1 minute at 10:25 to call people in to worship, and set to ring each day at noon for 12 rings.

Lights Have been Installed

On June 24 5 lights were installed for the bell and tower - one light to shine on each tower leg, and two lights suspended over the bell.

The Cross is painted Gold

On August 1 the cross was painted a beautiful gold lame color.

The Final Cement Pad is Poured

On August 4 the cement platform was poured and the dedication plaque was installed.

Dedication August 7, 2022

The dedication of the bell and tower took place before the service on Sunday August 7, 2022. Everyone attending came outside to hear the bell ring, calling  us to worship our Lord, Jesus Christ.

​​Thank you all who work on this project.

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Our Past and Present

Timothy Lutheran in Woodstock recognized a need for a Lutheran Church in the Jasper/Ellijay area and in early 2010 began contacting people in our area. By October 24, 2010 we held our first service and we have been meeting every Sunday since.

On December 4, 2016  King of Kings became a full member of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS), celebrating that event with a Chartering Service. Reverend Greg Walton, President of the FL/GA District of the LCMS, officiated.  Reaching this major milestone in six years since we first met to worship is a testament to the greatness of our God. We have grown steadily from 14 members to over 75 and are excited to be in a larger facility to accommodate our growth.

During the past we have been blessed with and led by a wonderful cadre of retired and interim pastors of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Recently Rev. Ernie Knoche and Rev. David Sieg retired for the second time when we installed our first full time pastor on August 1, 2020.

With the continued help and guidance of the Holy Spirit​, we hope to continue growing in the Spirit and in size in the North Georgia Mountains!

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Pastor Jefrey Jensen

On August 1, The Reverend Jefrey Jensen was formally installed as our new Pastor at King of Kings. He along with his wife Paige and their two sons have officially joined our family.
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Reverend Jensen has been an ordained pastor for about twenty five years. Before he accepted the call to King of Kings, he served various churches in the New England region. 

Pastor Jensen is passionate about seeking both Christians and non-Christians with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that Christians can live out their faith lives more fully, and non-Christians may come to know the love of Christ in His Gospel.

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Vision Statement

Confident of our new identity in Jesus Christ, we are compelled by His love to share the Gospel and serve our community in Jesus’ Name.

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