Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-14
OUR CHURCHES.
no. vi.
christ Chnfah.

Christ CEsnrels
For inanH wears after the settlement of
Tennessee there was no Episcopal Church
in the State, and the few Episcopalians that
were in the State were scattered here and
there; and attended public worship with |
other denominations. The Rev. James Ii.
Otev. then in Deacon's orders, had settled |
in Franklin, Tenn, about the year 1925, |
and having established a church, had col |
lected a small congregation. The EpiSco |
palians residing in Nashville being DESTROYS |
to worship God in accordance with the mode |
in which they had been brought up called |
upon him to officiate as their minister every |
other Sunday. For several years Mr.. Otey |
rode from. Franklin to Nashville without |
regard to the weather and rs we had then |
neither railroads nor turEpikes, he had to !
come over roads that were scarcely passable, !
often through storms of rain and snow, Sc
riously endangering his health. The COM
pensation he received was very trifling,
barely enough to pay his expenses. The
small band assembled for worship at the
old Masonic Hall, and consisted Of only five
OF six families.
Those who took the most active part in
getting up church, were the families Of
Maj. Henry NJ. RGtledge, Dr. John Shelby,
DIR. Minick, f. b. Fogg, Maj. Thomas
Claiborne, James Stewart, James Diggons,
NJ. Watson, and Col. George Wilson. The
young men who then attended worship at
the Hall were Edward Rutledge, p. II.
Skipworth, Ii. A. Rutledge, q. M. Fogg,
and others whose names are not remenI-
bered. The ladies who took the most in
terest, and were members Of the church at
that time, were Mrs. S. S. NJ. Rutledge Mrs.
Maria Shelby, Mrs. Ann Minnick, Mrs.
Catherine Stewart, Mrs. Mary NJ. r. FOgg,
Mrs. Diggons, and Mrs. Rebecca Watson,
who exerted themselves with zeal and en-
ergy to raise up the primitive Episcopal
Church in the then small city Of Nashville.
All of those excellent and pious ladies have
passed away except Mrs. Diggons, who still
lives and is now a member of the Church
of the Advent, and Mrs. Watson, now in
Louisiana.
The Rev. Mr.. Otey attended faithfully
| to his ministrationS every other Sunday for
three Or four years. In 1927, he left the
| State for year or more, and went to North
| Carolina to prepare himselffor priests ord
erS under the Right Rev. Bishop Ravens
colt. During his absence the congregation
| employed for a short time young clergy
man by the name of Howell, who only Off
| ciated about six months. On the return
of Mr.. Otey he resolved to remain in Frank
| lin and give that congregation his entire
| services. The Rev. John Davis, was then
employed to preach for the congregation
assembled at the Masonic Hall, who con-
tinued his services until the year 1929; but
| the growth Of the church was slow, and
| had but a sickly existence. AT this period,
| there was a new life and spirit infused into
the minds of EpiscOpalians, which increas-
! ed their zeal and stimulated their energy.
| This was produced by the visit of the Right
Rev. John Stark Ravenscroft, Bishop of
| North Carolina, who remained in Nashville
several days, stirring up the minds of the
people by his bold and eloquent
| sermons. and explaining iii a forcible
manner the doctrines, discipline and litur-
| CIV of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The
Masonic Hall being too small to accommO-
date all those who desired to hear him
preach, all the other congregations with a
| commendable and christian liberality, ten
| dered their churches, which were crowded
| to oyeriiowing during the entire stay Of
| Bishop RavenscrOft. The writer of this,
| who was present, can bear witness TO the
| enthusiasm and delight with which the
| Bishops discourses were listenedtO, though
| most of them were too High Church to be
| approved of by other denominations. Dur
| ing Bishop RavenSCrOft'S visit the first Di
| oceSan Convention for Tennessee was held
| in Nashville, and clerical or lay delegates
were in attendance from st. Johns Church,
| Knoxville; St. Paul's, Franklin; and st.
! Peters. Columbia. Life and spirit was
then instilled into the hearts of all EpiScO-
palians through the State, and particu-
| larlyin Nashville. \ vestry was elected, and
it was determined 10 put out subscription
papers for the purpose of building a church.
In a short time a sufficient amount was
raised, and the present beautiful structure
was erected and completed for public wOr-
| ship in 1881. The Rev. George Weller
| of MARYLAND. was called to be the first pastor
| Of the church in 1929, and arrived and took
charge of the parish late in that year. The
vcstry then were organized under the name
| of the Wardens and NeStTy Of ChriStS
| Church. The services Of the Rev. Mr.. VEL
Ter were very acceptable. He was a sound
orthodox divine, and the church increased
| largely during the period of his miniStra-
lions. lie resigned his rectoTship in 1887,
when his place was filled by the Rev. j. i.
| Wheat, by whose. elOquence and genial
| manners the congregation was largely in
| creased. lie resigned his charge in 1913
when the Rev. Charles Toner was elected
Rector, who officiated until 1857, when he
resigned, and organized another congrega-
tiOn, now called the Church of the Advent.
The Rev. LeOnidas Smith, of Norfolk
Va, was the next rector of Christ Church.
and remained until November, 1861, when
his place was supplied for few months by
his brother, the Rev. Aristides Smith, who
left in February, 1862, when the United
States troops took possession of Nashville.
The church was kept open during the war,
and the Rev. Mr.. Harlowe Officiated until
1867, at which time the Rev. ". j. Ellis
was installed, who ofliciated until March,
1871, when the present incumbent, the
Rev. William Graham, was installed as
| rector