Christ Church is an Episcopal church at 28 Bull Street, Johnson Square, in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

. Founded in 1733, it was the first church established in the

Province of Georgia The Province of Georgia (also Georgia Colony) was one of the Southern Colonies in colonial-era British America. In 1775 it was the last of the Thirteen Colonies to support the American Revolution. The original land grant of the Province of G ...

and one of the first

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

within the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, earning it the nickname "the

Mother Church Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral church, or ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

". The present church building was constructed in 1838 and is located in the Savannah Historic District.

History

On February 12, 1733, colonists from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

established the city of

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

as the first city in the newly chartered

. Henry Herbert, a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

, was with them, establishing a mission in the city under the auspices of the

Bishop of London The bishop of London is the Ordinary (church officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. By custom the Bishop is also Dean of the Chapel Royal since 1723. The diocese covers of 17 boroughs o ...

. While a lot for a church building had been plotted by

James Oglethorpe Lieutenant-General James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British Army officer, Tory politician and colonial administrator best known for founding the Province of Georgia in British North America. As a social refo ...

, the first services for the parish were

open air Open air, open-air or openair may refer to: *''Open Air'', a BBC television program *Open-air cinema or outdoor cinema *Open-air concert, a concert taking place outside *Open-air museum, a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of- ...

and, after its construction in 1736, held in the city's

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

. Following Herbert's departure from Georgia in late 1733, several

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...

would serve in the new colony, most notably

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

, who served in the city from February 1736 to December of the following year. While there, Wesley founded one of the first

Sunday schools ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are used to provide ...

in the United States and held services at his house (which he would later cite as being an important moment in the creation of the

Methodist movement Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christian tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother Charles Wesley were also significa ...

), but difficulties in evangelizing the Native Americans in the region and friction between Wesley and residents of the city led to his departure less than two years later. Following Wesley,

George Whitefield George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican minister and preacher who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke Coll ...

would become the

parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

starting on December 1738. During his time in the colony, he founded the Bethesda Orphanage near Savannah in 1740. Shortly after Whitefield's tenure, in 1744, the

cornerstone A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry Foundation (engineering), foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entir ...

for the first permanent building for Christ Church was laid. The building was completed in 1750 and dedicated on July 7 of that year. In 1760, it received what was possibly the first

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

in the province. The building was later expanded in 1765. This original church building burned down in 1796, with construction on a new building, designed by Adrian Boucher, starting in 1801 and ending in 1806. This rebuilt building was

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Theodore Dehon of South Carolina on April 26, 1815, in what was the first visit of a bishop to Georgia. On February 24, 1823, Christ Church became one of the three original parishes of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, along with Christ Church on St. Simon's Island and Saint Paul's Church in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

. On February 26, 1838, construction began on a new building at the same location, which stands today as the current church building. This building, located on Johnson Square in the Savannah Historic District, was designed by James Hamilton Couper, a noted planter from the state, with Amos Scudder being responsible for the brickwork and Gilbert Butler for the woodwork. It was consecrated in 1840. During the mid-1800s, the rector was Stephen Elliott, the first bishop of the Diocese of Georgia and the only presiding bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America. On January 8, 1854, Thomas Fielding Scott was consecrated bishop at Christ Church. In 2006, the church underwent a

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

regarding the Episcopal Church's stance on

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...

. In March 2006, a majority of the congregation of Christ Church voted to break ties with the Episcopal Church. Following a September 2007 vote to leave the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, this breakaway group continued to hold services at the historic church building while parishioners who wished to remain with the Episcopal Church met at another nearby Episcopal church. The breakaway group vacated the historic building in December 2011 and began holding services at Independent Presbyterian Church. This was after the Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that the historic building was the property of Christ Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. The case also ruled that the church held the rights to "Christ Church, Savannah" and "the

of Georgia", with the breakaway group taking the name " Christ Church Anglican" to differentiate from the Episcopal congregation (sometimes referred to as "Christ Church Episcopal"). Both churches maintain the same history from 1733 to the split. In 2010, Christ Church Episcopal unveiled a new

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

Timeline of notable events

* 1733 - On February 12, the Colony of Georgia and Christ Church, a mission of the Church of England under the ecclesiastical authority of the Bishop of London, are founded. * 1736 - The Rev.

becomes the minister. While here, he starts America's first Sunday school and publishes th
first English hymnal
for use in America. * 1738 - The Rev.

becomes the minister. * 1740 - Mr. Whitefield lays the cornerstone for Bethesda Orphanage. * 1744 - Cornerstone of the first Christ Church building is laid by Mr
Bosomworth
* 1750 - The first church building is dedicated. * 1750 - On July 7, a black woman is baptized at Christ Church. It is believed to be the first baptism of a black person in Savannah. * 1758 - The cemetery, now known as Colonial Park, is vested in Christ Church. * 1796 - The church building is burned in the great fire which destroys most of the city. * 1803 - The second church building is begun. * 1804 - A great hurricane destroys the unfinished second building. * 1815 - The second church building is consecrated. * 1823 - The Diocese of Georgia is formed and Christ Church is one of the three founding parishes. * 1837 - The second church building is pulled down. * 1840 - The third and present church building is consecrated. * 1841 - The first Bishop of Georgia, the Rt. Rev. Stephen Elliott, is consecrated in Christ Church. * 1841 - The parish is divided. All families south of Oglethorpe Avenue will be in a new parish to be known as " St. John's." * 1908 - Frederick F. Reese is consecrated the fourth Bishop of Georgia in Christ Church. * 1927 - Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the

Girl Scouts of the USA Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, a year after she ...

, dies and is buried from Christ Church, her home parish. * 1964 - Henry I. Louttit, Jr. ninth Bishop of Georgia, is ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests at Christ Church by The Rt. Rev. Albert Rhett Stuart. * 1968 - City-wide memorial service held in memory of the Rev.

Martin Luther King, Jr Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his ...

at Christ Church. * 1969 - G. Paul Reeves is consecrated Bishop Coadjutor of Georgia in Christ Church. * 1973 - The funeral of Albert Rhett Stuart, sixth Bishop of Georgia, is held on Holy Saturday at Christ Church. * 1973 - The Bishop of London attends the Sesquicentennial of the Diocese of Georgia and dedicates the new organ at Christ Church. * 1976 -

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...

, American songwriter and winner of four Academy Awards, dies and is buried from Christ Church. * 1980 - The Rev. Charles L. Hoskins, then Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Savannah, and author of ''Black Episcopalians in Georgia: Strife, Struggle, and Salvation'', baptizes ten children at Christ Church on July 7 using the same rite of baptism from 1750. * 1984 - Harry W. Shipps is consecrated Bishop Coadjutor of Georgia on the Feast of the Epiphany in Christ Church. * 1984 - Francis Bland Tucker, our thirty-seventh Rector, dies and is buried from Christ Church. * 1985 - Susan W. Harrison is ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons, the first woman to hold this position in the Diocese of Georgia, by the Rt. Rev. Harry W. Shipps. * 1998 - Roger K. Warlick, author of As Grain Once Scattered: The History of Christ Church, Savannah, Georgia, 1733-1983, dies and is buried in Christ Church. * 2001 - Malcolm R. Maclean, Mayor of Savannah from 1960-66 and former Diocesan Chancellor, dies and is buried in Christ Church. * 2007 - On September 30, the rector, vestry, and several members of Christ Church vote to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church and align with the Church of Uganda, but they refuse to relinquish the real and personal property of Christ Church. The Rt. Rev. Henry I. Louttit defrocks the rector and appoints The Rev. Canon H. Neal Phelps as the priest in charge for the remaining Episcopalians who must now worship at St. Michael and All Angel's Episcopal Church on Washington Avenue. * 2007 - The Diocese of Georgia, the Episcopal Church, and Christ Church Episcopal file a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Chatham County to regain control of the Christ Church property. * 2008 - On July 1, Michael S. White becomes Christ Church Episcopal's forty-first Rector. The Rev. Stuart Kenworthy, rector of Christ Church, Georgetown, Washington, D.C., is the preacher. * 2008 - Katherine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church, preaches and celebrates at Christ Church Episcopal (worshiping at St. Michael and All Angel's Episcopal Church) on September 14, Holy Cross Day. * 2011 - On November 21, the Georgia Supreme Court rules 6-1 that all real and personal property of Christ Church is held in trust for the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Georgia as provided for in the Constitution and Canons of the Church and the Diocese. On December 18, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Episcopalians hold their first service in Christ Church since being forced to leave on September 30, 2007. * 2012 - On February 18, The Rev. Julia Sierra Reyes is ordained to the priesthood at Christ Church by The Rt. Rev. Scott Anson Benhase, the tenth Bishop of Georgia. The Rev. Reyes becomes the first woman and the first African-American priest in the history of the parish. * 2012 - On May 29, the President of the United States,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

, posthumously awards the presidential Medal of Freedom to Juliette Gordon Low to honor her founding the Girl Scouts in 1912. Dick Platt, “Daisy” Low’s great nephew and member of the parish, accepts the award on her behalf. * 2020 - On May 30, The Rt. Rev. Frank Logue was ordained and consecrated as the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Georgia at Christ Church. The Rt. Rev. Scott Benhase, 10th bishop of Georgia served as the chief consecrator. The Rev. Julia Sierra Reyes is the preacher.

Rectors

* Henry Herbert (1733) * Samuel Quincy (1733-35) *

(1736-37) *

(1738, 1739-40) * William Norris (1738-39) * William Metcalf (1740, appointed but died before he could depart England for Georgia) * Christopher Orton (1741-42) * Thomas Bosomworth (1744-45) * Bartholomew Zouberbuhler (1745-66) * Samuel Frink (1767-71) * Timothy Lowten (1771-73) * Haddon Smith (1773-75) * John Rennie (1776) * Edward Jenkins (1779-80) * James Brown (1780-81) * John Stewart (1781-82) * John Holmes (1783?-84) * William Nixon (1786-87) * Benjamin Lindsay (1787-92?) * Edward Ellington (1793-95) * William Best (1804-07) * John Bartow (1810-14) * Walter Cranston (1815-22) * Abiel Carter (1822-27) * Edward Neufville (1827-51) * Abram Beech Carter (1851-52) * Stephen Elliott (1852-59, 1861-66) * L.P. Balch (1860) * Charles H. Coley (1867-68, having served also as Bishop Elliott's assistant since 1861) * John M. Mitchell (1868-72) * John W. Beckwith (1873-74) * George D.E. Mortimer (1874-77) * Thomas Boone (1877-88) * Robb White (1889-1905) * Francis Brown (1906-14) * John Durham Wing (1915-23) * David Cady Wright (1924-44) * Francis Bland Tucker (1945-67) * Warren E. Haynes (1967-73) * George M. Maxwell (1973-90) * Marcus B. Robertson (1992-2006) * Michael S. White (2008-2024)

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *

External links