Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-10-09
ST. JAMES CHURCH
SENEGENIENNIAL
DULY CELEBRATED
Correspondent of Charlotte Observer
Gives Detailed Account of Big Epis-
copal Celebration in HendersonYiIle.
Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Observer.)
n nfneln anniversary of the con-
of st. James Episcopal
Nhurch was observed here Friday. Al
umpe OF clergy from various parts
Oh the missionary district of AsheviIle
We're present. A corporate sommun-
ION OF the parish was celebrated at
$50 a. M, and at 10 a.. M. a serviceI
Vas held, With a historical sketch of
me long history of the Church. In
spite OF damp weather and muddy
roads, large congregations were pres
ept at both services
st. James, Church, the Oldest church
here. still standing on its original site,
is a substantial and attractive building,
located in the finest residential section
OF he city. Its history, a long record
Oh struggle with adverse circum-
stances, finally eliminating in success.
is associated with many welEknownr
names and its semi-centennial is an
event OF considerable Importance to all
who are interested in North Carolina
history.
Its birth dates hack to the trou-
5ious times of the storm and distress
OF the civil a 1t was ~consecrated
by Bishop Atkinson on September 10,
1868, shortly after the battle of Gettys-
burg was fought. Bishop Atkinson
was a great bishop, a true statesman.
To him, perhaps than to any
other n man, is due the fact that the
Episcopal Church in the United States
IS now n body. Alone among the
Sreat non-ROman Catholic churches,
the Episcopal Church has deliberately
refused to divide along sectional lines.
With Bishop Atkinson at the, consecra-
ton OF this little church in a then al
most unknown mountain village were
Rev. Jarvis Buxton and Rev John
Grimke Drayton, well-known men of
well-known families representing the
two Carolinas.
Hard times soon befel the young
Church. Its parish organization laps
ed; after a while services seem to
have been abandoned. But the build
ing, 4 substantial brick structure, had
CIV. IDENTIFY been built to stay; and.
though abandoned. for the time, it still
stood, a silent, patient witness await
ing the day when it should once more
be put to active use. In searching
through the official records of the
Diocese of North Carolina, we find
spaces of several years duration with
no mention of st. James. In one jour-
Ial there is a report in which it is said
hat the total collections in this
church for a year were $3.50.
In 1882 Rev. E. A. Osborne, then rec
ter of Calvary church, Fletcher, but
since well and favorably known in
Charlotte, was placed in charge of st.
James and for some time he came
here one Sunday in the month. Before
| very long he left; and for a number Of
years short periods of pastoral care
were interspersed among longer pc
| RODS of abandonment or neglect. Blu
life was not extinct, and signs of grow
ing strength became evident. Finally
in 1896 the mission was readmitted as
d parish.
The fftieth anniversary finds abund-
ant cause for thankfulness. The par
ish now has a $25, 900 plant, including
the recently-erected rectory. The
church, ~consecrated by the South's
greatest bishop, during the awful car
rage of the Civil War and beg ming
it's life as a parish in the Church of the
Confederate States, has had assoc a
tons with all sections and knows no
dividing lines. The restoration of the
historic building has been the lager of
love of a Northern woman, a member
of another Communion. The list of its
pastors and vestrymen includes names
from the North and the South, the East
and the West, and lands beyond the
sea. England is represented, and even
distant Australia. The parish is now
a mission center, and the mission work
includes not only churches but also
two large day schools. The parish
plant includes property which so years
ago was the home of Judge Shipp,
whose son i snow a resident of this
city. Among the men whom its parish
and it's missions have given to the min
fstry of the Church is Rev. Nathan A.
Seagle, D. D., rector of st. Stephens
Church, New York City.
At the 10 o'clock service this morn
ing, the Bible lessons read and the
Psalms recited were those6 appointed
by the Church to be used at the con-
~secration of a church building, the
same which we're used so years ago.
Today, as then, the congregation heard
the wonderful prayer of Solomon n
the inspired seer's vision of the New
Jerusalem.
And it was a cosmopolitan gathering
that assembled for this semi-centen-
NAL. All sections were represented,
and all the varying types of religious
belief which the tolerant Episcopal
| Communion shelters under it's capacl-
| Gus roof. The deans of the convoca-
tons we're here: Doctor Swope, who
came to Biltmore from West Virginia,
and Father Lobdell who came to Ruth
erfordton from Philadelphia-two men
as far apart in theological opinions as
the poles, but working tremendously
together for a cause which is greater
than any opinion. And the other
clergy of the district gave further IL
1,r4rntinnr of "nnitv in diversity"