D. X. La Far was ordained in 1863 and the sources consulted made no mention of his having been previously licensed, but he was likely licensed given the thirteen years of intermittent pulpit supply before he was ordained. His first ordained ministry was supplying the First Presbyterian Church in Anderson, 1863-1864, then he served the Varennes Church, 1864-1866, and by about 1871 he was supplying the Laurel Street Chapel which appears to have been a Black congregation.

The Huguenot Church at the corner of Queen and Church Streets in Charleston provides a place of worship for the only extant Huguenot congregation in the United States. Its continued presence is a reminder of the importance of French Reformed Protestantism for the history of Charleston and the state of South Carolina. Huguenots began leaving France in 1685 due to revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. The edict had granted a degree of religious liberty for Protestants when it was enacted in 1598. Roughly four-hundred-thousand Huguenots emigrated to England, Holland, and Ireland, as well as to South Carolina, Florida, and New York in the United States. Some historians believe these emigrees were some of France’s most gifted minds and talented entrepreneurs. Charleston’s French influences are seen throughout the city with street names such as Gillon, Beaufain, Gendron, Vendue Range, Cordes, Legare, Laurens, and Huger as well as in historical tourist attractions such as the home of the plantation owner Joseph Manigault. As the years passed some Huguenots with their Reformed doctrine departed the Charleston port of entry and moved to other areas of South Carolina where they worked hard and enjoyed successful business enterprises including those in later years associated with the textile industry.

One person of Huguenot descent was David Xavier La Far who was born in Charleston November 2, 1826. He remained in his hometown for education attending the College of Charleston and graduating head of his class of seven students in 1846. Another South Carolinian of Huguenot ancestry was John L. Girardeau who graduated the College of Charleston in 1844 and went on to be a minister and seminary professor. La Far studied law with the intention of establishing his own practice but came to realize he was instead called to the ministry, so he laid aside reading law for Scripture and theology books. It is not clear how he obtained a ministerial education but it may be that the pastor of the Huguenot Church at the time, Charles Wallace Howard, tutored him in the subjects required. Howard was a Presbyterian minister from Georgia who served the Huguenot Church beginning in 1845. During Howard’s ministry the current church building was opened for regular services Sunday, May 11, 1845, with the sermon text Psalm 124:8,

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

But in 1849 due to health concerns and a need for convalescence, Howard rested from ministry by taking an extended trip to Europe. When he returned to Charleston he tried to resume pastoral work but could not take on all the responsibilities required by his call. Thus, young La Far assisted Howard. In February 1850 while Pastor Howard continued to convalesce, the congregation asked La Far to supply the pulpit for a period of one year.

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