Imagine a church where everyone is welcome no matter their background. That’s Saint Stephens Episcopal Church. Founded in 1822 Saint Stephens Episcopal Church was the first in Charleston to offer free pews. Other churches sold or rented them. This made Saint Stephens Episcopal Church unique.
The congregation first met in a rented room. Donations funded the first church. It was meant for those who couldn’t afford seats elsewhere. The cornerstone was laid on Guignard Street in 1823. The building was brick and measured 36 by 50 feet.
In 1835 a fire destroyed several blocks. Saint Stephens Episcopal Church was purposefully destroyed to create a firebreak. The decision was made to move the church to Anson Street. The cornerstone for the current church was laid in December 1835. Henry and Edward Horlbeck designed it in the Greek Revival style. It was completed and consecrated in 1836.
Sarah Hopton Russell, Sarah Dehon and Sarah Rutledge were key in establishing Saint Stephens Episcopal Church. Known as the Three Sarahs they were dedicated to philanthropy. They insisted that no one be turned away from Saint Stephens Episcopal Church. This included race condition or social standing. Sarah Rutledge even sold a cookbook and donated the proceeds to the poor.
In 1845 Saint Stephens Episcopal Church opened a parochial school. It closed in 1956 after the public school system opened. Reverend Dupont opened an orphanage. This grew into the Episcopal Home for Children. He also opened a home for women. This evolved into Bishop Gadsden Retirement Community.
The church closed temporarily in 1864 due to Civil War shelling. Repairs were made. It became a self-supporting parish in 1866. In 1880 the church closed again. Most of the congregation joined St. Luke’s.
In 1911 a mission with a parochial school opened at Saint Stephens Episcopal Church. In 1923 an African American Methodist congregation converted to Episcopalianism. They were given Saint Stephens Episcopal Church as their place of worship. For nearly seven decades Saint Stephens Episcopal Church served a Black working-class neighborhood.
In 1987 the membership decided to open Saint Stephens Episcopal Church to both White and African American worshipers. The phrase on the doorway became a reality. It says My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. Saint Stephens Episcopal Church also became known as a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ Christians.
Hurricane Hugo damaged Saint Stephens Episcopal Church in 1989. Services were temporarily held in the parish hall. In 2001 the congregation became an independent parish again. In 1998 they purchased a property on Society Street. It’s used for a rectory church offices Sunday School rooms and a Fellowship Hall.
Saint Stephens Episcopal Church withdrew from the Diocese of South Carolina in 2012. It affiliated with the new Episcopal Church in South Carolina. Today Saint Stephens Episcopal Church is proud of its warm open and accepting hospitality. It welcomes all people no matter their background. It’s a community centered on social justice compassion and the love of God. The crooked cross atop the church is a symbol. It was blown aslant by Hurricane Hugo but didn’t fall. It represents standing strong with love for all amid the world’s gales.