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Church of the Advent (Spartanburg, South Carolina)

Church of the Advent
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Church of the Advent
Location	141 Advent St., Spartanburg, South Carolina
Coordinates	34°56′59″N 81°55′28″W
Area	2.7 acres (1.1 ha)
Built	1851
Architect	McCollough, John DeWitt
Architectural style	Gothic Revival, Late Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	00000553
Added to NRHP	May 26, 2000

Episcopal Church of the Advent is a historic Episcopal church at 141 Advent Street in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The Gothic Revival building was constructed in 1851 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

The Church of Advent is significant both as the home of the first Episcopal congregation organized in Spartanburg County, in 1848, and as an excellent example of a Gothic Revival sanctuary and church complex designed before the Civil War. Many of its monuments are of notable artistic merit. There were significant alterations and additions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The sanctuary was designed in 1851 by the Reverend John DeWitt McCollough, rector at the Church of Advent 1850-1857 and 1859-1875, with later major alterations and additions designed by Silas McBee (1853-1954) and A. H. Ellwood and Sons in 1897. McCollough is also known to have designed a number of other churches in South Carolina. Major H.J. Dean's quarry supplied the granite for the church. Slaves or free blacks, including several skilled carpenters, performed much of the labor. The sanctuary was finally completed in early 1864; a bell tower was added in 1870. The sanctuary was enlarged in 1897 to its current cruciform plan. Pendleton Hall built 1912-13 as an addition to the north side of the sanctuary and designed by A. H. Ellwood and Sons served as the parish hall for many years. The Church of the Advent also sponsors Boy Scout Troop No.1, founded in 1914 by Dr. W. H. K. Pendleton (then rector of the church), as the first Boy Scout troop organized in South Carolina. The Boy Scout Hut on the church grounds was built in 1927. The church cemetery surrounds the sanctuary.

History of the Church

History of the Episcopal Church

The History of the Episcopal Church, as it is in America, goes back to the beginning of America itself in the early 1600s. During the beginning years of America the Episcopal Church, which was then called The Church of England slowly grew and traveled from Virginia, where the first church was established, down to southern states of South Carolina and Georgia. The churches were seen as a missionary organization to Parliament so they were given money from taxes to help the church and community. They would use these taxes to maintain infrastructure and help the poor. As these churches grew they also grew in place of a local government.

During the American Revolution many of the people in the church were split on whether to be loyal to England or to fight for America. It was also noted that there were different ratios of Loyalists and Patriots depending on the colony. Even in certain prayers where a person is praying for the well-being of the King, the Patriots swapped out the wording to keep their prayer aligned with their political beliefs. After the signing of The Declaration of Independence, some states also made praying for the King of England treason. It was also during this time right after the war ended that the Church’s name was changed to the Episcopal Church.

After the American Revolution the loyalist side of the Church of England, who called themselves the Anglicans, began to disperse, some went into exile and others fled for Canada. This left the remaining Episcopal members of the Church to rebuild and align their church with what they believe which included renaming so they could distance themselves from the Church of England and England itself. In the early 1780s, the Episcopalian bishops got together and started organizing the new Episcopal Church. This led to a new Common Book of Prayer, however this time an American version, and also forming the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

During the 19th Century civic involvement was the provided models at first and then slowly evangelism models were being incorporated with pastoral dedication. During this time Episcopalians focused on organization instead of expansion. Their focus changed when the General Seminary was created and Foreign and Domestic Missionary was established. It was eventually declared to constitute the membership of Foreign and Domestic Missionary. Later on there would be an establishment in Japan and Liberia. In 1856 before the Civil War the first society in the Episcopal Church for African Americans. It was called “The Protestant Episcopal Society for Promoting the Extension of The Church among Colored People”. The group lost its focus when the founder moved to Haiti.

The Civil War caused a change in the Episcopal Church. The south had their own Protestant Episcopal Church and the north there was never a specific separation. For example, After the war, the Presiding Bishop, John Henry Hopkins Bishop of Vermont, wrote to every Southern bishop to attend the convocation in Philadelphia in October 1865 to pull the church back together again. Only Thomas Atkinson of North Carolina and Henry C. Lay of Arkansas attended from the South. Atkinson, whose opinions represented his own diocese better than it did his fellow Southern bishops, did much nonetheless to represent the South while at the same time paving the way for reunion. A General Council of the Southern Church meeting in Atlanta, GA in November permitted dioceses to withdraw from the church. All withdrew by 16 May 1866, rejoining the national church. During the Civil War as well as the Anglican Church that was founded in Haiti which later became the biggest diocese of the Episcopal Church.

On November 8, 1874, Holly became the first African American bishop. He was the bishop in Haiti and the first African American to go to the Lambeth Conference. He was consecrated by the American Church Missionary Society. The Haitian church in 1875 became a diocese of the Episcopal Church. Samuel Ferguson became the first to practice in the U.S. as a black consecrated man and the first to be a black man to sit in the House of Bishops.

In the 20th Century the church underwent centralization. After the Civil War women missionaries weren’t allowed in the church still but were staffed in hospitals and schools. In 1871 Women Auxiliary was established and become a source of funding for the church. The presiding bishop was turned into an elected executive officer and created a national council. During this time the Book of Common Prayer was changed. The church’s coat-of-arms was added in 1940 and it is based off the St. George’s Cross which is England’s symbol. Also in the 20th Century, the church was shaped by a movement called the Social Gospel movement. Female labor was the backbone of the church’s outreach by handling healthcare, education, and by helping the disabled. By the women doing these things it gave the church a different look than other church opponents at this time and women were delegated in 1970.

History of the Church of the Advent

The Episcopal Church of the Advent is a branch of the Episcopal Church that is located in Spartanburg, SC. It was built in 1848 in the “upcountry” of South Carolina because current residents of Charleston would be moving to the upcountry during the summer due to the heat in Charleston, and they wanted an Episcopal Church to go too. After the church was built many of the well-known names like the Kennedy’s and the Montgomery’s went to this church but also many of the regular people from the city of Spartanburg also attended. The Advent has been a prevalent part of the community since it was first built, providing community service and also a place that welcomed all people. In the late 1990s, the church celebrated its 150 year anniversary. It also celebrated being the oldest church in the same location in Spartanburg. Even though there are some other churches that are older, the Episcopal Church of the Advent has been in the same location since it was built, located to what is now downtown Spartanburg. the Advent remains a popular church in Spartanburg still including some of the cities politicians and college professors, and still holding the same beauty it had over 150 years ago.

About The Religion

The Episcopalian religion believes in “loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”. They believe and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, they want to spread inclusion and share God’s love for all human beings. They also believe that gifts from God, such as leadership, can be expressed by all people in the church no matter gender, race, or sexual orientation. They follow the idea that Jesus Christ is entirely human as well as fully God. Above all else, they want to share God’s love. The Episcopalian Church originated in England, closely linked to Royalty at the Church of England. The Christian denomination has nine provinces and is a member of the Anglican Communion. The traditional Episcopal Church uses various translations of the Bible including the King James Bible, the 1901 Revision, the 1952 Revised Standard Version, the 1976 Good News Bible, and the 1990 New Revised Standard Version.

Daycare Center

The Advent Children’s Center is a daycare located at the Episcopal Church of the Advent. They promote their core values of Faith, Integrity, Respect, and being Child-Centered. Their mission statement is as follows: “Advent Children’s Center’s mission is to provide a safe, quality, educational and Christian environment to the parish and the community. Our purpose is to encourage a happy, self-confident and eager to learn individual through activities designed to develop the social, emotional, cognitive and physical aspect of the child.”

Famous Grave Stones

The well-known minister and architect of the 1800s, John DeWitt McCollough (1822-1902) was buried at the Church of Advent in Spartanburg, SC. McCollough was never formally trained as an architect but brought back the significance of structure and design of fourteenth-century English Gothic churches. Having studied Episcopal ministry, McCollough became a missionary where he assisted in congregation construction. He was involved in the creation of seven churches including Christ Church (Greenville) St. Stephen’s (Ridgeway), Nativity (Union), Christ Church (Mars Bluff), St. Mark’s (Chester), Grace (Anderson) and Advent (Spartanburg). McCollough passed on January 23, 1902, and will forever be remembered by his churches.

Another famous gravestone is US Congressman Stanyarne Wilson, who was buried in the graveyard in 1928. He served in the SC House of Representatives for two terms from 1884 to 1886 and 1890 to 1892. He served in the State Senate for one term, from 1892 to 1895. Also, he served in the US House of Representatives for three terms from 1895 to 1901. Wilson was an avid businessman and attorney. He moved to Richmond, Virginia to practice law, after he was done with politics, for 15 years. Until he moved back to Spartanburg in 1928 right before he passed away. Wilson was a well-known man in the business and law worlds and he was a well-respected man in the community.

Organ

The Flentrop Pipe Organ located in the Episcopal Church of the Advent was assembled by the Flentrop Orgelbouw Pipe Organs of Zaandam in The Netherlands in 1989. The pedal compass ranges from C-f’ (30 notes) and the manual compass C-g’’’ (56 notes). Including 3 divisions, 24 stops, and 29 ranks of pipes, the organ also contains slider chests, mechanical key action, and mechanical stop action. Additionally, the church owns “several upright pianos of varying quality”, 3 octaves of Malmark chimes, two Yamaha Clavinovas, two octaves of Malmark handbells, and the 11 bells atop the stone bell tower.

References

Category:Episcopal churches in South Carolina Category:Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Category:Gothic Revival church buildings in South Carolina Category:Churches completed in 1851 Category:19th-century Episcopal church buildings Category:Churches in Spartanburg County, South Carolina Category:National Register of Historic Places in Spartanburg, South Carolina Category:Buildings and structures in Spartanburg, South Carolina Category:1851 establishments in South Carolina