South Carolina General Assembly
111th Session, 1995-1996

Bill 1087


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                       1087
Type of Legislation:               Concurrent Resolution CR
Introducing Body:                  Senate
Introduced Date:                   19960131
Primary Sponsor:                   Passailaigue 
All Sponsors:                      Passailaigue 
Drafted Document Number:           res9889.elp
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:      19960206
Subject:                           Grace Episcopal Church of
                                   Charleston



History


Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________

Senate  19960206  Received from House
House   19960201  Introduced, adopted, returned
                  with concurrence
Senate  19960131  Introduced, adopted, sent to House

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

CONGRATULATING THE GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA ON THE OCCASION OF ITS ONE HUNDRED FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY, FEBRUARY 18, 1996.

Whereas, the Grace Episcopal Church of Charleston, South Carolina will celebrate its one hundred fiftieth anniversary on February 18, 1996; and

Whereas, the Grace Church was officially admitted as a parish of the Diocese of South Carolina on February 16, 1846, and consecrated by Bishop Christopher Edward Gadsden at a special service of Morning Prayer on November 9, 1848; and

Whereas, the vestry called the Reverend William Wallace Spear as first rector and the first worship service of the new parish was held on January 31, 1847 in the chapel at the College of Charleston where services were held until the church building was completed; and

Whereas, the membership of the church, since its inception, has continuously displayed their dedication and loyalty to Grace Church, seeing it through many struggles and crises: three national financial panics; a yellow fever epidemic in 1858, Civil War bombardment, the disastrous earthquake of 1886, and most recently Hurricane Hugo in 1989; and

Whereas, the complete restoration of the historical properties of Grace Church are a tremendous testimony to many years of dedicated and successful visions by the congregations of Grace Church as its Gothic sanctuary remains rich in its religious symbolism; and

Whereas, over the past 150 years, Grace Church has been served by only nine Rectors: The Reverends W. W. Spear, (1847-1855), Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1855-1898), E. L. Goodwin (1889-1899), J. W. Gresham (1900-1902), William Way (1902-1946), Ralph S. Meadowcroft (1946-1972), T. Stuart Matthews (1973-1976), Benjamin B. Smith (1977-1991), and the current Rector, the Reverend Donald S. McPhail, installed as Rector in September, 1992; and

Whereas, the members as well as the leaders of Grace Church have continuously recognized music as a very vital and important part of the church ministry with its forty-member concert Adult choir, two children's choirs, the Reuter Organ which has been modified numerous times and presently has fifty-six ranks (sixty-one pipes each), including an antiphonal organ with trompette-en-chamade; and

Whereas, the membership of the church remains today a congregation of faith and loyalty to God, and dedicated in their commitment to visions of growth in a complete program of worship, education, and service through the "Ministry of All...to All"; and

Whereas, the members of the General Assembly are greatly honored to have the opportunity to recognize the outstanding and loyal congregation of Grace Episcopal Church on this auspicious occasion. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, recognizes and congratulates the congregation of the Grace Episcopal Church of Charleston, South Carolina, for the inspiration of its past, its sensitivity to the opportunities of the present, and the hope and alertness to the challenges of a bright future on the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of its founding, February 18, 1996.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Rector and members of Grace Episcopal Church.

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