From its humble beginnings as a mission in the unsettled Piedmont region of South Carolina, Christ Church has grown into a downtown church of approximately thirty-eight hundred communicants.
In March of 1820, The Reverend Rodolphus Dickerson established St. James Mission in the little village of Greenville Court House. Mr. Dickerson’s congregation was composed mainly of “a few zealous Episcopalians whose families were spending their summers in the upper country.” On September 2, 1825, Vardry McBee donated four acres for the establishment of an Episcopal church. A building committee engaged the services of a local, stone mason and contractor, and on September 15, 1825, the cornerstone was laid for a brick church at a proposed cost of $3,000. In 1826, this little mission was received into the Diocese of South Carolina as Christ Church Parish. The church building at first had no windows and was used by a small, mostly summertime congregation for about 25 years until our present church building was begun. By 1845, the vestry of Christ Church had begun to feel pangs of growth. In April of that year, the vestry proposed a new and larger church building. Construction of the church proceeded, and our beautiful church was consecrated on St. Michael and All Angels Day, September 29, 1854. The original design of the church was traditional Gothic cruciform, but funds were only available for the construction of a nave. A balcony was added in 1875, and the south transept was constructed in 1880. In 1914, with the help of the Christ Church Guild, a beautiful stained glass window portraying Christ and the Last Supper was purchased from the Mayer Studios of Munich, Germany. This handcrafted work, both inspirational and breathtaking, has become the focal point behind the altar. In 1968, the church building was refurbished, the north transept and the undercroft were added, and the balcony was enlarged. In 2000, the parish enlarged the balcony in the church once again and installed a new 68-rank Goulding and Wood Organ. In 2005, Christ Church erected two state of the art facilities in the All Saints Center and the Children’s Center (Mother’s Morning Out, Nursery and Preschool Wing). And the most recent building project was to remove the old Moeller organ pipes in the church setting in their place four new rose windows and St. Luke's (prayer) Chapel. These new additions were dedicated on the Day of Pentecost, 2007.
Known as the “Parish in the heart of the city,” Christ Church is indeed blessed by the beauty of its physical surroundings, which have been preserved and expanded by the energy and vision of its faithful stewards, both past and present. More importantly, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the church’s mission statement has become a reality under the outstanding leadership of our clergy.
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Our Vision
Followers of Christ: Faithfully Engaged in His Mission
Our Mission
God calls Christ Church
to be a living witness to Christ’s Grace
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We will
pray and worship,
teach and learn the faith,
encourage generosity,
engage all parishioners in the
sharing of God’s gifts,
love and serve our neighbor, and
Do You Have Other Questions?
It is our goal to pose and answer the questions that are most important to the visitors of this site. If you have additional questions please contact us at (864)271-8773. We look forward to serving you.
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