Our History

The Star Gospel Mission was established in 1904 in the old Star Vaudeville Theater. The theater was closed by the city fathers in 1902 because of the undesirable element associated with it. Following a dramatic conversion experience, Obadiah Dugan, a successful furniture dealer, determined to devote the rest of his life to serving people who needed spiritual, psychological and physical help. He founded the Mission after petitioning the mayor to let him use the theater as a shelter for homeless persons. On April 24, 1904, more than 500 people came to the Mission for its first worship service.

Dugan’s heart went out to the poor, the homeless, and disenfranchised men and boys of the City of Charleston. He invited them to sleep in the old theater because they had no other place to stay.

After continuing his mission work among the homeless at the Star Theater for 16 years, Dugan acquired the abandoned Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church at 474 Meeting Street, which is where the 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 its director. Ernest Jr. retired in 1986, bringing the Dugan family’s 86 years of leadership to a close. Under the direction of a Board of Director’s and the leadership of J. Douglas Donehue, the work of the Mission continued until his death in 2006. In 1989, Doug was instrumental in assuring the Mission’s survival and reconstruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo. Upon Doug’s death, The Rev. William Christian became the Executive Director. Under his leadership, the Mission expanded its influence in the community with the acquisition and development of additional transitional housing.

Following Rev. Christian’s retirement in 2021, Reverend Dr. Marion Platt was hired as the Mission’s sixth Executive Director. As such, Dr. Platt hopes to expand the Mission’s role in providing emergency and affordable housing to families and refine its programmatic offerings to Mission guests and Charleston neighbors.