A senate RESOLUTION

 

to congratulate St. Philip's Church in Charleston for its significant, historic contributions to the founding of the Palmetto State and the nation.

 

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate are pleased to learn that the historic St. Philip's Church in Charleston held a Revolutionary War festival on Friday and Saturday, June 26-27, 2026; and

 

Whereas, named for Saint Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who was born in Galilee and died a martyr in what is now Hierapolis, Turkey, St. Philip's was founded in 1680, making it the oldest congregation in the United States south of Virginia. The church has played a vital role in the spiritual, cultural, and civic life of the people of Charleston and the nation for over three centuries. In its churchyard are buried leading patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States; and

 

Whereas, in the seventeenth century, the first edifice of St. Philip's Church stood at the southeast corner of Broad and Meeting Streets, where St. Michael's Church stands today. That original site quickly proved to be too small, and a new and much larger church was built at the current location in the Anglo-Palladian style, popularized by London's St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, holding its first services on Easter Day 1723; and

 

Whereas, Edmund Burke, a prominent member of Parliament and philosopher during the eighteenth century, described the new church in 1777: "St. Philip's is spacious, and executed in a very handsome taste, exceeding everything of that kind which we have in America." When that church suffered a major fire in 1835, the congregation determined to rebuild quickly and was able to resume services in 1838; the congregation continues to worship in that building today; and

 

Whereas, St. Philip's is often referred to as the Westminster Abbey of South Carolina and has continued to grow and thrive despite the ravages of war, enemy occupations, fires, earthquakes, pestilence, and famine; and

 

Whereas, eighteenth century evangelist John Wesley and revivalist George Whitfield preached at St. Philip's. The rector at the time of the American Revolution, Reverend Robert Smith, was a leading evangelical scholar who served as the first bishop of South Carolina and as the founding president of the College of Charleston. Numerous clergymen and bishops of the Episcopal Church have come from St. Philip's congregation; and

 

Whereas, the church established the first hospital and one of the first schools in the colony early in the eighteenth century as part of its efforts for the propagation of the Gospel. St. Philip's had one of the earliest and largest Sunday schools in the early nineteenth century with hundreds of children attending, which led Bishop Gadsden to construct the Chapel of the Good Shepherd to house it; and

 

Whereas, to support Carolina Day, St. Philip's hosted a Revolutionary War festival, an event which included presentations from organ music and exhibits of archived items from Reverend Robert Smith's days to soldiers dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms, carrying flags in cadence; and

 

Whereas, reenactors and storytellers portrayed Rebecca Brewton Motte and Edward Rutledge, both of whom are buried in the church yard, and tours of the church were offered. Father McGreevey was in the pulpit during the day, delivering excerpts of then Reverend Smith's sermons during the Revolutionary period. With a grant from SC250, the church placed gravesite markers for Revolutionary War Patriots to support educational tours; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Senate values the importance of St. Philip's to the state's history and its significance upon the nation's two-hundred-fiftieth anniversary. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the Senate:

 

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, congratulate St. Philip's Church in Charleson for its significant, historic contributions to the founding of the Palmetto State and the nation.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to St. Philip's Church.

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