Star Gospel Mission
Shining brightly for over 100 years.
The Star Gospel Mission began in 1904 and consequently predates all other Christian welfare organizations in the Port
City. For a century it has been a landmark beacon of light for the weary of body, mind and spirit.
The story of how the Mission got its name is one that gives it a strong identity with Charleston. It was established
in the old Star Vaudeville Theater which was closed by the city fathers because of the undesireable element
associated with it.
Obadiah Dugan founded the Mission after petitioning the mayor to let him use the old Star Theater as a shelter for
homeless people. Following a dramatic religious conversion, Dugan determined the he would devote the rest of his life
to serving people who needed spiritual, psychological and physical help. He made arrangements to use the theater for
revival meetings, and on Sunday April 24, 1904, more than 500 attended the first worship service there.
Dugan's heart went out to the poor, homeless and disenfranchised men and boys of the city. He invited them to sleep in
the old theater because they had no other place to stay. After continuing his mission work at the Star Theater for 16
years, Dugan acquired the abandoned Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church building at 474 Meeting Street, which is where
the Star Gospel Mission has been located ever since.
Following Obadiah's death in 1936, his son. The Rev. Ernest Dugan, a Methodist minister, continued operating the Mission.
When Ernest retired in 1973, a third generation Dugan, Ernest Jr. also a Methodist minister, became superintendent.
Ernest Jr. retired in 1986, bringing the legacy of the Dugan familys 86 years of leadership to a close. Under the direction
of a board of directors, and with the leadership of Doug Donehue, the work of the mission continued.
Hurricane Hugo dealt the Mission a near fatal blow in 1989, destroying the Meeting Street facility, along with the beach
cottage and summer camp on Sullivan's Island. A ground swell of support came from a variety of sources in Charleston and
beyond. A new building at the same location now houses the Mission. Future plans call for the expansion of this facility
with the addition of a seperate chapel, dining hall, another dormitory, lavatory and storage space.
The Star Gospel Mission intends to keep its doors open to all persons in crisis and need, providing food, clothing, shelter
and spiritual guidance so long as it continues to receive generous and necessary financial support from the good people in
the Charleston area and throughout the country. The Board of Directors is keeping faith with the founder of the Mission by
providing help to the needy and sharing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all those who come through its doors.
There's nothing we can do to make God love us any more than He already does and absolutely nothing we can do to make Him love us any less!
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