|
_________________________________________________________________
An
Abbreviated History
of St. Elizabeth's by Myles Williamson
 |
| Myles
and Joan Williamson |
On
June 24, 1923, St. John the Baptist's Day, the first worship
service was held in St. Elizabeth's Chapel. It was the
culmination of several years of effort by members of St.
Bartholomew's Church, Ho-Ho-Kus who lived in the Upper
Ridgewood neighborhood to establish a place of worship that was
closer to their homes. For the next four years services were
conducted by the Rev. Robert Thomson, Rector of St. Bartholomew's.
By that time growth of the congregation made it possible to
establish St. Elizabeth' as an independent parish.
In
1927 the Rev. Charles Armstrong was called to be the first Rector of St.
Elizabeth's Church. He was a well loved pastor who reached out to
people of the neighborhood and made the Church School a welcoming place
for the children. His untimely death in 1939 was a great blow to the
congregation which had come to depend upon his loving guidance during
the difficult times of the great depression.
In
1940 the Rev. George Nostrand was installed as Rector. Young men of the
parish were soon called into the armed services and Mr. Nostrand
established a newsletter to keep in touch with the many who were
separated from their families and the church. In 1944 the parish lost
another young man when the Rector left to take up duties as a chaplain
in the U. S. Navy.
The
next Rector, the Rev. Alexander Rodger, led the parish through the post
war years of growth in the village and in the parish. As from the
beginning the Church School had been of prime concern to the parish, it
had then far outgrown the capacity of the parish house. This became the
reason for an extensive enlargement of both the parish house and also
the church in the 1950's. The congregation responded most generously
to Mr. Rodger' s leadership and the project was completed without
incurring any debt. Mr. Rodger also brought insights of the activities
of the National Church as he served for many years as Secretary of the
House of Bishops. Mr. Rodger retired in 1971 after 27 years of service
to the parish.
 The
Rev. Richard Andersen came to the parish in 1972 and remained for nearly
20 very active years. During his tenure many significant changes took
place: the new edition of the Book of Common Prayer was introduced, our
concept of stewardship was challenged, our music program was enhanced,
our outreach activities were expanded, a fulltime clergy assistant was
added to the staff and congregational participation was increased. Mr.
Andersen was tireless in pursuing all of these and also in maintaining
the Church School and youth programs.
After
Mr. Andersen's retirement, the year of 1992 was devoted to the search
a new Rector. In January, 1993, The Rev. John Hartnett became Rector.
Early in his tenure it became evident that increasing parish activity
has again outgrown the facilities offered by the Parish House. Planning
committees were convened and architects engaged. The anticipated high
cost of replacing the existing building was a daunting prospect but the
enthusiastic response by the congregation to the project in pledging
over $5 million indicates that it will be successfully completed.
Myles
Williamson
Introduction
A
parish church means many different things to its members, its immediate
community, and the larger world. St. Elizabeth's currently has at
least one member who was part of this congregation on the day our doors
first opened; we have at least one family with currently active members
in four generations. There are still many who recall our major expansion
in the 1950s, and many more who recall the creation
of
our Memorial Garden and the rebuilding of our organ just
over a decade ago.
But
as time has gone on, there are fewer and fewer of us here who can tell
the story of St. Elizabeth's from the very beginning. Like amateur
archaeologists we might link a name in the old Vestry minutes with a
memorial inscription on a brass vase for altar flowers, or if we dig
more deeply, we might trace highlights of a family history through the
terse entries in our parish register. Like the second and third
generation of Christians who began to feel a need to write down the
stories about Jesus, we are at a time in our history when writing at
least some of it down seems, not only desirable, but also essential for
our current self-understanding and future well-being.
Congregations,
like individuals, families, and even nations, acquire over time
distinctive identities. The elements that combine to form that defining
character often have their roots in the earliest days of the community.
In this history of the first few generations of St. Elizabeth's, Myles
Williamson reminds us of the early days of our congregation, and in the
telling of this story, we see many elements familiar from our own time.
Founded as a neighborhood congregation and built in the middle of
a residential street, St. Elizabeth's continues to have a domestic,
familiar character. Established by lay members active in the church, St.
Elizabeth's has always had extraordinarily strong leadership from its
lay members at every level. Choirs and musicians, Church School students
and teachers, clergy and lay staff, senior members and newcomers, groups
of women and gatherings of men all come together throughout this story
to create the fabric of our community.
With
walls constructed of native glacial boulders, adorned with windows from
English and American workshops, and sheltering a congregation with
increasingly wide international ties, St. Elizabeth's is a small
American congregation with clear and deep connections to the larger
worldwide Anglican Communion. With a liturgical tradition whose roots
extend back to the worship in the first Temple in Jerusalem, a baptismal
service drawn from the early years of the Christian era, strong
Elizabethan language in collect, confession, and eucharistic canon, and
the lively rhythms and images of new texts and translations, worship at
St. Elizabeth's is itself a walk through time and history.
I
hope that this introduction to the early history of St. Elizabeth's
will help you to see how your life is connected to the larger life of
this congregation and, through that, to the larger life of our world
today and the life of all people in all times. Myles Williamson, veteran Vestry member and
former Senior Warden, gives us a great gift in this book, a gift of
memory and self-understanding. Reminded of our origins
may we move with greater confidence and purpose into the mission God
gives us individually and as a community.
The
Rev. John G. Hartnett
THE
BEGINNINGS
St.
Elizabeth's Episcopal Church, Ridgewood, New Jersey, was founded
during the 1920s, a decade known as the Roaring Twenties because of the
marked changes in American society during that period. It was postwar
time; the laying of the cornerstone of St. Elizabeth's Church occurred
less than four years after the signing of the armistice that ended the
First World War in 1918. That war brought America onto the world stage
in ways that it had never known before. There was a resulting tension
between President Wilson, who wanted the nation to take a leading part
in world affairs in the League of Nations, and those who wanted the
United States to remain isolated. President Wilson was unsuccessful in
this last effort during his term in office.
Two
amendments to the Constitution greatly affected
the life of the nation. The Eighteenth Amendment, ratified in 1919,
prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic
beverages within the borders of the United States. The Nineteenth
Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave the vote for the first time to all
female citizens over the age of twenty-one.
In
1920 Warren Harding was elected to the presidency on the pledge that he
would return the country to "normalcy." His death in 1923 brought
Calvin Coolidge to the White House; in 1928 Herbert Hoover was elected
president. These years of growth and prosperity led to speculation and
over expansion in the economy, which resulted in the stock market crash
of 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930s.
This
was also a time of growth in Ridgewood. Many houses were being built,
and many families were moving to this pleasant suburb to establish homes
in a desirable location for rearing children. The Erie Railroad provided
frequent commuter service so that residents had access to offices and
factories in New York, Paterson, and other urban areas.
THREE
CONGREGATIONS
Christ
Church Parish, Ridgewood, had been
established in 1854 on the east side of the village. With the increased
development of the west side, a Curate
from Christ Church ministered to the newer residents by holding home
services. When financial restraints made it impossible to support a
Curate, lay readers continued these services.
In
1914 St. Bartholomew's Church was established in
Ho-Ho-Kus with the Rev. Robert Thomson as Rector. It became the church
home for many residents of Upper
Ridgewood, which was officially a part of Christ Church Parish. In 1916
the Rev. E. S. Carson, Rector of Christ Church, agreed to transfer that
part of Ridgewood west of the Erie Railroad and north of Glen Avenue to
St. Bartholomew's Parish. Records from that period show that as the
population of the area increased, the congregation
of St. Bartholomew's became more and more a congregation of Ridgewood
residents. Eventually both Wardens, a majority of the Vestry, and a
majority of the congregation itself lived on the hill. At a special
meeting of the parish in 1922, the congregation decided that it would be
wise to build a parish house in Upper Ridgewood so that Church School,
meetings, and social functions could be held in a suitable place that
was close to the homes of many parishioners.
SPECIAL
MEETING OF THE PARISH OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S
A
special meeting of the Parish was held in the Church
on Thursday evening, April 6th, 1922 at the close of the Lenten Service,
which was conducted by the Rev. Robt.
J.
Thomson, Rector. Mr. A.T. Brown acted as Secretary of the
Meeting. The Secretary read the notice, to the members of the
Parish, calling this meeting, which was as follows:
NOTICE
of
a
SPECIAL
MEETING
of
the
St.
Bartholomew's Parish,
Ho-Ho-Kus,
N.J.
Notice
is hereby given, that a Special Meeting of the
Parish of St. Bartholomew's, Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, will be held in
the Parish Church, on Thursday, April the sixth (6th) 1922, at a quarter
after eight (8.15) o'clock, in the evening, to consider the needs of
the Parish, especially with reference to the Ho-Ho-Kus and Upper
Ridgewood Sections of the Parish; to authorize the carrying out of such
Votes for the good of the Parish as may receive the sanction of the
Meeting; and to take action on such other matters as may legally come
before the Meeting.
A
plot of ground on Fairmount Road was donated and construction begun. The
proposed design was
revised several times as the building grew so that when it was
completed, it was a chapel, a place of worship, rather than a parish
house. It was dedicated with a service on June 24, 1923, St. John the
Baptist's Day, and named St. Elizabeth's Chapel in honor of John the
Baptist's mother and in memory of Elizabeth Leonhard, the first wife
of Mr. Albert Leonhard, who had donated the land. It is interesting to
read in contemporary accounts how the plans evolved from the original
idea of a simple frame structure into the stone chapel that is the core
of our church today. Each change was aimed to make the structure more
permanent and more beautiful. These changes also increased the
cost from the original estimate of $15,000 to $32,000 before completion.
Warden Leonhard's contribution exceeded $16,000 in addition to the
land, which was valued at $3,500. With the exception of the pews and
choir stalls, parishioners or friends donated all of the interior
furnishings - including the altar, pulpit, lectern, organ, and
communion vessels - as memorials.
These
events were recorded in a report written by
Mr. S. Willson Richards for a celebration of the tenth
anniversary of the building in 1933. This report reads, in part, as
follows:
The
Vestry of St. Bartholomew's Church appointed a
committee to thoroughly consider what should be done in Upper Ridgewood.
This committee recommended that an attempt be made to purchase property
so as to provide a place where Sunday School might be held and where
other church activities among the Episcopalians in Upper
Ridgewood might be continued.
On
February 14, 1922 the Vestry of St. Bartholomew's Church voted to
erect a parish house on property to be acquired in Upper Ridgewood. A
canvass of the entire parish was made, with the result that pledges were
obtained for an amount which it was believed would be sufficient to
erect a modest parish house on a plot of ground on the north side of
Fairmount Road at Virginia Place, which had been donated to the Church
by Mr. Albert F. Leonhard, then the Senior Warden of St. Bartholomew's
Church. At a special meeting of St. Bartholomew's Parish on April 6th,
1922, the action
of the Vestry proposing to erect a parish house in Upper Ridgewood, was
ratified.
Among
other things, this building was to be equipped with rolling curtains in
the pillars on either side of the
entrance to the chancel, so that when pulled across the chancel, the
altar would be hidden from view and the nave of the Church, which was to
have movable
pews, could be used for entertainments and church dinners. The present
choir room1 was designed to be a kitchen where dinners could be
prepared.
With
the approval of the plans by the Parish, steps were taken to start work,
and the first move was on a Saturday afternoon when the men of Upper
Ridgewood undertook to clear the underbrush from the property. After
several builders had failed to submit satisfactory bids for the erection
of the building, a contract was made with Mr. Wallace G. Carr, a member
of the Parish, to have supervision of
the work on a fee basis and Mr. Carr was assisted by
Mr. John Kollmar, then as now, a member of the Parish.
This
room is now the Saunders room.
On
June 29, 1922, some workmen began to dig the excavations for the cellar
and foundations and others started to gather field stones for the
foundation piers. Immediately, the thought arose as to the
advantage of having the outside walls entirely of field stone and when
the architect estimated the added cost would be $3,000, Mr. A. F.
Leonhard pledged this added amount so that a more permanent structure
might be erected. A rather amusing incident arose in this connection, in
that a property owner threatened to sue the Church and its officials for
removing stones from vacant property owned by him. One hundred dollars
was paid to satisfy the claim.
A
Building Committee, consisting of:
Mr.
Charles F. Bruder, Chairman
Mr.
John Kollmar
Mr.
Charles K. Allen
Mr.
A. F. Leonhard
Mr.
Alfred T. Browne
Mr.
S. W. Richards
Mr.
Charles E. Doty
Mr.
Edgar Stow
Mr.
G. Fred Kohler
worked
unceasingly in an effort to see that the
building, when completed, would be both useful and beautiful. From time
to time, as the work progressed, various suggestions were made to alter
the original plans and specifications, and while each of the changes
made increased the aggregate cost, the Vestry backed up each
recommendation of the Building Committee, with the result that when the
building was finished, instead of costing the original $15,000, it had
reached the sum of $32,000, and it was only through the generosity of
the members of the Parish
and outside friends, that it was possible to accomplish the work.
A
gift of $1,000 was received from the Bishop's Fund and a mortgage loan
of $7,000 obtained from the American Church Building Fund Commission
helped the Vestry in financing the construction of the building, but it
was only through the extreme generosity of Mr. Albert F. Leonhard, the
Senior Warden of St. Bartholomew's Church then, and the Senior Warden
of St. Elizabeth's since its organization that it was possible to
complete the project.
As
the work progressed, Mr. Leonhard advanced funds to meet the obligations
for materials and labor and when the building was completed, he canceled
all obligations on the part of the Parish to refund any of the money he
had advanced. While it has always been Mr. Leonhard's wish that his
generosity in this respect remain undisclosed, nevertheless, it seems to
this Committee that our report would fall far short of our obligation to
our duty, if we failed to record the fact that, including his pledge and
the $3,000 to
cover the extra cost of having a field stone structure, Mr. Leonhard's
total contribution to the erection of our Church building was $16,100
plus the gift of the property on which the church stands and which cost
$3,500. The balance of the cost of erecting the church edifice was
provided by funds and pledges of the other members of the parish who
gave generously, and as their circumstances allowed and through
temporary loans from Ridgewood banks pending payment of the pledges.
As
a mark of appreciation of Mr. Leonhard's
generosity, all of which was done in loving memory of his first wife,
Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Leonhard, the Vestry of St. Bartholomew's Church
gave the name of St. Elizabeth's Church to our building.
On
Sunday afternoon, October 22, 1922, the Right Rev. Wilson R. Stearly,
D.D., then Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese, laid the corner stone of St.
Elizabeth's Church, in the presence of a very interested and happy
congregation of members of
St. Bartholomew's Parish and a number of its friends.
As
the creation of the building progressed, there was less and less thought
of a parish house and more of a real church building, and before it was
too late, the plan of the hollow pillars at the entrance to the chancel
with rolling curtains was abandoned.
Realizing
that the character of the furnishings of the church could easily mar its
beauty, a committee consisting of Mr. G. Fred Kohler and Mr. S. W.
Richards, were designated to confer with all those who might desire to
make gifts and a second committee consisting of Mr. John Kollmar and Mr.
Richards was appointed to look into the question of
pews.
When
the Vestry adopted the latter committee's recommendation to purchase
solid pews which would have to be fastened to the floor, the future of
the building as a Church was settled.
During
the Fall and Winter of 1922-23 and the Spring of the latter year, the
building committee strove unceasingly to have the erection of the
building completed and they were amply rewarded when, on St. John the
Baptist's Day, June 24, 1923, the building was opened and dedicated at
a service at which the then Bishop of the Diocese, the Right Rev. Edwin
S. Lines, D.D. officiated.
Although
it was an extremely warm day, and the services were held in the
afternoon, members of the Parish and their friends from far and near and
a number of clergymen from other Parishes and Churches went to make up a
total of 368 persons in
the Church for that service.
From
this account, compiled by one of the founders,
it can be seen that the original concern to build a suitable place for
Church School and other parish functions gave way to the desire for a
place of worship. As we shall see, the original intent was not
forgotten.
A
very interested spectator followed much of the
construction of the chapel. A young lady who lived with her family in
the new house just west of the building site watched with great interest
as the lot was cleared by St. Bartholomew s parishioners and the
foundation dug. This excavation yielded many stones, and as the pile grew,
it gave rise to the idea of a beautiful stone chapel. Stones began
arriving in trucks and other vehicles. Neighbors and parishioners
also contributed many stones. When it was time to erect the walls, a
colorful man dressed as an artist arrived and introduced himself as the
chief stonemason. He was pleased to describe and demonstrate to the
young lady how the stones were to be laid and how difficult it was to
put them all together so that the various shapes and sizes could be held
together by the mortar. The interested young lady, Miss Lynette Todd,
was later to become the wife of Charles S. Armstrong, the first Rector
of St. Elizabeth's after it became a parish. Following their marriage,
the happy couple took up residence in the Todd home, and it became the
unofficial rectory of St. Elizabeth's Church.
Following
the opening of the chapel, the need for a parish house still existed. A
group of individuals arranged to purchase the plot on California Street
immediately behind the chapel and deed it to St. Bartholomew's Church
as the site of a parish house.
Pledges
of funds sufficient to begin construction were
soon received, and construction was completed in 1927.
For
three and one-half years, Sunday services were conducted in both the
church in Ho-Ho-Kus and the chapel in Ridgewood. By that time the
congregation had grown to the point that the Rector of St. Bartholomew s
could no longer serve both communities as well as he would have wished;
so parishioners considered establishing a separate parish in Ridgewood.
At
an organizational meeting in the sacristy of the chapel on December 28,
1926, it was unanimously agreed to incorporate as a parish and to be
known as "The Rector, Wardens, and Vestrymen of St. Elizabeth's
Church, Ridgewood, New Jersey." The following officers were elected:
Wardens:
Albert F. Leonhard,
Angelo Zabriski
Vestry:
Edgar S. Stow
J. P. Crittenden
Milton C. Lightner
S. Willson Richards
C. Fred Kohler
John Inge
John Kollmar
Charles A. Godsell
J. Norris Myers
With
the consent of the Bishop and neighboring
parishes, St. Elizabeth's Church became an independent parish on
January 1, 1927. The records from that period
show the dedication and generosity of the many people who made these
events possible. Of particular note is the work of the Rev. Mr. Thomson,
under whose guidance and counsel our church had its beginnings. He gave
unstintingly of his time and energies to conduct services in both
places. The pulpit, which was given by an anonymous donor at the time of
the original construction, was later dedicated to his memory at that
same donor's request. Another person whose work and generosity made
our church possible was Mr. Albert F. Leonhard, who as Senior Warden of
St. Bartholomew's in 1922 had donated the Fairmount Road property.
CALLING
THE FIRST RECTOR
Correspondence
from December 1926, when it was
decided to divide the parish, gives a glimpse into the emotional trial
for both the Rector and the parishioners. Should Mr. Thomson stay in
Ho-Ho-Kus or move to the new church? The choice must have been most
difficult.
To
stay in Ho-Ho-Kus would mean losing more than half of his parishioners
and Vestry and organizing a campaign to build a new church for St.
Bartholomew's, as the existing one was inadequate. To move to
Ridgewood would mean being a part of a growing parish in a beautiful new
church that he had worked to build. Apparently, many in the new church
were in favor of calling Mr. Thomson, but others believed it essential
that he stay in Ho-Ho-Kus in order to maintain the viability of St.
Bartholomew's. The Bishops supported the latter opinion, and so he
remained there but also supported St. Elizabeth's during the last
three years of his life. Two poignant letters from Mr. Thomson to the
committee organizing the new parish describe his anguish. The first,
written December 8, 1926, to Mr. J. Norris Myers, reads in part:
|
 |
|
Rev. Robert
Thomson |
I
have been greatly disturbed by remarks made to
me in regard to the Rectorship of the new Parish in Upper Ridgewood, and
since you are the Chairman of the Steering Committee of this movement, I
am writing to you concerning the matter.
The
information which has caused me most distress is to the effect that the
consideration of my name as Rector of St. Elizabeth's Church would be
a cause of dissension harmful to the best interests of the work there.
May I say that I would feel greatly humiliated if placed in such a
position. The cause of the Church of Christ is far too important for any
man to allow himself to become an obstacle to its greatest
success.
If
I am called to Upper Ridgewood, I know that I will be led by the Spirit
in making a decision. And my acceptance of the Call would only come when
I am
convinced that my Ministry there is by the ordering of the Great Head of
the Church. Should I accept the Call it would be under the condition
that, if in the judgment of the Vestry it seemed desirable to have
a younger Rector when I have reached the pension age of sixty-eight
years, I will abide by the decision of the Vestry. In the event of God's
sending me there, He will care for the work in Ho-Ho-Kus; and add His
Blessing to labors in both places.
The
second letter, written on December 13 to Mr. Albert Leonhard, concludes
as follows:
Our
Bishops have expressed the desire that I
continue as Rector of St. Bartholomew's Church in
order to carry through the erection of the new Church edifice. Their
wishes are not to be lightly set aside. My task-the building of the
Church here-is before me. With the Blessing of God, and the sustained
and enthusiastic cooperation of my Congregation and our friends, this
pledge of our future growth, will be carried to completion.
I
therefore ask you to request the Vestry not to consider my name for the
Rectorship of St. Elizabeth's Parish. I need hardly assure the
congregation that I will follow their progress with my prayers. It is my
purpose to seek to promote the most cordial relations between the Mother
and Daughter Parishes. No friction ought to be allowed to find a place,
even though regret may be present. The work
of our Divine Lord must go forward.
It
was indeed a time of trial for Mr. Thomson and for those who loved him.
The
Wardens and Vestry of the newly formed St.
Elizabeth's Church moved quickly and on January 12, 1927, issued a
formal call to the Rev. Charles Steele
Armstrong, Rector of St. Matthew's Church, Jersey City. Mr.
Armstrong had been an assistant and later Priest-in-Charge at All Saints'
Church, Glen Rock, as well as an associate at St. Paul's Church,
Paterson. He had recently become engaged to marry Miss Lynette Todd, a
charter parishioner of St. Elizabeth's and a resident of 207 Fairmount
Road, the present rectory. Mr. Armstrong began his ministry on February
22, and the wedding took place in April.
The
new Rector set about his duties energetically. In
April of 1927, he began a weekly newsletter named St. Elizabeth's
Message. In this he not only listed all services and meetings for the
coming week but also included personal notes of thanks and inspiration.
For a while he posed questions, in the form of a pop quiz, about church
matters, with answers given in the next issue.
EARLY
LITURGY AND CUSTOMS
On
Sundays the schedule called for two morning services plus Evening Prayer
at 8:00 P.M. During summer this was reduced to a single service of Holy
Communion. The Eucharist was also celebrated on all major feast days and
saints' days. Services were held every morning during Holy Week plus
an evening service on Maundy Thursday and a three-hour service on Good
Friday. On Easter Day, Holy Communion was celebrated at 8:00 and 11:00
A.M., followed by a Festival Church School Service at 4:00 P.M., at
which each child received a potted plant donated by the Church School
superintendent. This began a tradition that has continued at St.
Elizabeth's for seven decades.
As
noted earlier, the 1920s were a period of change although many remnants
of the past were still evident. For example, the official
corporate title of our church was "The Rector, Wardens and Vestrynien
of St. Elizabeth's Church." The very title precluded the
participation of women on the Vestry, and in fact, no women served in
any official church positions at that time. Although ladies had adopted
shorter skirts and shorter hair styles than would have been considered
proper a few years earlier, dress was still relatively conservative,
especially when attending church. Women wore hats whenever they entered
the church and, indeed, almost everywhere they went. Men also wore hats,
felt in winter and straw in summer. Photographs from that time show that
ladies wore hats that seemed to resemble inverted wastebaskets and that
the people attending a baseball game at Yankee Stadium (another landmark
that opened in 1923) were nearly all male, nearly all adult, and all
wearing dark suits and hats.
A
Chronology of our Era
1597
Francis Drake conducts first Anglican service in North
America (Drake's Bay, CA)
1607
Jamestown founded--an Anglican colony names for King
James.
1687
Anglican litury imposed on South Church, Boston.
Puritans boycott.
1688
"Glorious Revolution":
William and Mary replace Roman Catholic James II on the
throne.
1689
Act of Toleration restores civil rights to Roman
Catholics and Dissenters.
1691
Freedom of worship for "protestants" guaranteed
in New England. King's Chapel becomes center of Anglican worship in Boston.
1722
Timothy Cutler, rector of Yale, and Samuel Johnson,
Congregational pastor of New Haven, announce at Yale graduation
that they have converted to Anglican Church.
1730
First books which openly question literal interpretation
of the Bible.
1733
James Oglethorpe establishes colony of Georgia for relief
of debtors at suggestion of Thomas Bray, and anglican priest.
1784
Samuel Seabury consecrated first American bishop by
Scottish bishops.
1787
William White and Samuel Provost ordained bishops by ABC
1789
First General Convention of Episcopal Church.
1804
Absalom Jones, first Afro-American priest ordained.
1807
England outlaws slave trade, largely due to the work of
Willliam Wilberforce, and Anglican lay leader and founder of
Evangelical school of 19th Century Anglicanism ("Clapham
Sect"). Salvery
outlawed in 1833, the year of his death.
1816
John Henry Hobart, Rector of Trinity and Bishop of New
York, establishes churchs throughout New York State.
Serves 14 years until his death in 1830 at the age of 55.
1833
John Keble preaches a sermon "National
Apostasy" which begins what becomes known as The
Oxford Movement. (Keble
is the author of Hymn 10, "New every morning is the
love..." and 656 "Blest are the pure in heart".)
Also associated with the Oxford Movement are Edward Pusey
and John Henry Newman (author of the Collect for the Evening,
"O Lord support us all the day long, until the shadows
lenthen, and the evening comes..." (p. 833) and the text of
Hymn 445 "Praise to the holiest in the height...") Newman later (1845) becomes a Roman Catholic and a Cardinal.
1838
F. D. Maurice [pronounced "Morris"] (1805 -
1872) publishes The Kingdom of Christ exploring causes
and cures of denominational separatism and hostility.
Maurice becomes a leading voice of engagment of the
Church with social and economic issues of the day, especially
the welfare of poorer classes.
Appointed professor of Moral Philosophy at Cambridge in
1866.
1839
Charles Lyle's Elements of Geology offers
alternative to Genesis for the story of the creation and
formation of the earth
1842
Jackson Kemper, ordained a missionary bishop in 1835,
establishes Nashotah House, which becomes the principal High
Church seminary in the United States. In 1859, Kemper becomes bishop of Wisconsin, a post he holds
until his death in 1870 at the age of 81.
1859
Darwin's Origin of the Species offering an
alternative to Genesis for the development of human life.
Both Lyle and Darwin are Anglicans...
1860
Fredrick Temple, later ABC, publishes Essays and
Reviews favorable to modernism (archeology, literary
criticism of bible, liberal tolerance).
1863
Bishop John Colenso of Natal deposed by Archbishop Robert
Gray of Capetown for his eccentric views denying eternal
punishment and reinterpreting the sacraments. [The ensuing schism in Natal persisted until 1911.]
The hymn "The Church's One Foundation" (#525)
is thought to be a rebuttal to some of Colenso's modernist
views.
1860's
US Civil War: Southern
Episcopalians split with the North and form their own Church.
North declines to acknowledge that they ever left.
After the war, the Southern bishops return.
1867
The first Lambeth Conference is convened, in part, to try
to resolve issue of jurisdiction and doctrine raised by the
Colenso matter.
1868
Phillips Brooks becomes Rector of Trinity Church Copley
Square. Liberal
follower of English theologian F. D. Maurice, advocate of social
ministries of Church, most famous American preacher of his day.
Church burns down in 1871, and he oversees new building designed
by H. H. Richardson. Becomes
Bishop of Massachusetts 1891, dies 2 years later.
1871
James DeKoven, a priest of Nashotah House, asserts
appropriateness of candles, incnese, genuflections.
Consequently, though elected Bishop of Wisconsin in 1874
and then of Illinois in 1875, consents were not given by other
dioceses and he was not ordained a bishop.
Dies in 1879.
(for
a full chronology see:
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/timeline)
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