Grace-St. Luke's
Encyclopedia
Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church is an historic church in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee
. The church's history dates back to the mid-19th century and the current structure—located in Memphis' Central Gardens
Historic Preservation District at 1720 Peabody Avenue—was constructed in 1912.
Today the parish is active (with membership in excess of 1,200) and is known both for its progressive hunger ministries and its formal worship and music.
The church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee
.
views of the rector of Calvary Church
. St. Lazarus was the site of the marriage of Jefferson Davis
' daughter in 1876, but St. Lazarus' congregation was decimated by the yellow fever
epidemic in 1878 and merged with Grace Church. St. Luke's Church was established in present-day Midtown in 1894.
By the late 1930s, Grace Church had a strong congregation, but found itself without a building. St. Luke's Church, on the other hand, had erected a new church in the heart of residential Memphis in 1912 (its present home), but found itself in a period of declining membership. The two merged, and celebrated its first service as the Parish of Grace-St. Luke's on Thanksgiving Day, 1940.
The parish continued to grow and, by 1974, had doubled in size and was the largest Episcopal parish in the state of Tennessee. Though no longer the largest in the state, the parish continues to have active membership and strong outreach and community programs.
The Rev. Ann Carriere was ordained deacon at Grace-St. Luke's on July 12, 1981 by Bishop Fred Gates in a nave packed with parishioners, ecumenical Memphis clergy, and community members who had followed the news in the media. Carriere served in the supportive community at Grace-St. Luke's -- and out of the public eye where her role caused considerable controversy -- and was ordained priest there in 1982. She served the parish eight more years.
stained glass windows that date back to 1889. That year, one of the benefactors of Grace Church, Mrs. W. A. Gage, met a representative of the Tiffany Glass Company at the Paris Exposition. She personally underwrote three windows, including a glorious window depicting Christ’s ascension to be hung above the altar.
The vestry commissioned four more windows as it built its new building at the turn of the 20th century, and these were installed under the direction of Louis Comfort Tiffany
himself. When Grace merged with St. Luke’s in 1940, it brought the windows, and they were installed throughout the building.
Today, Grace-St. Luke’s Tiffany windows are thought to be the largest collection of Tiffany windows in a parish church in the South, and window scholars recognize the windows as prime examples of the Tiffany palette.
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. The church's history dates back to the mid-19th century and the current structure—located in Memphis' Central Gardens
Central Gardens, Memphis
thumb|right|400px|An American Craftsman style home in Memphis' Central Gardens historic neighborhood. Central Gardens is a historic neighborhood in Midtown.- Geography :...
Historic Preservation District at 1720 Peabody Avenue—was constructed in 1912.
Today the parish is active (with membership in excess of 1,200) and is known both for its progressive hunger ministries and its formal worship and music.
The church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee
Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee
The Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee is the diocese of the Episcopal Church that geographically coincides with the political region known as the Grand Division of West Tennessee. The geographic range of the Diocese of West Tennessee was originally part of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee,...
.
History
The history of Grace-St. Lukes dates back to the mid-19th century with the establishment of Grace Church in a rented room in what was then on the western outskirts of the city, now Midtown Memphis. After the Civil War, returning Confederate Officers founded St. Lazarus Church on Madison Avenue, in Downtown Memphis in protest to the UnionistUnion (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
views of the rector of Calvary Church
Calvary Episcopal Church (Memphis, Tennessee)
Calvary Episcopal Church, located at 102 North Second Street at Adams Avenue, in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States, is an historic Episcopal church, founded August 6, 1832 by the Rev. Thomas Wright. The nave is the oldest public building in continuous use in the city of Memphis and was...
. St. Lazarus was the site of the marriage of Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
' daughter in 1876, but St. Lazarus' congregation was decimated by the yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epidemic in 1878 and merged with Grace Church. St. Luke's Church was established in present-day Midtown in 1894.
By the late 1930s, Grace Church had a strong congregation, but found itself without a building. St. Luke's Church, on the other hand, had erected a new church in the heart of residential Memphis in 1912 (its present home), but found itself in a period of declining membership. The two merged, and celebrated its first service as the Parish of Grace-St. Luke's on Thanksgiving Day, 1940.
The parish continued to grow and, by 1974, had doubled in size and was the largest Episcopal parish in the state of Tennessee. Though no longer the largest in the state, the parish continues to have active membership and strong outreach and community programs.
Ordination of Women
Grace-St. Luke's emphasis on inclusivity dates at least back to 1981, when the parish ordained the first female in the state of Tennessee.The Rev. Ann Carriere was ordained deacon at Grace-St. Luke's on July 12, 1981 by Bishop Fred Gates in a nave packed with parishioners, ecumenical Memphis clergy, and community members who had followed the news in the media. Carriere served in the supportive community at Grace-St. Luke's -- and out of the public eye where her role caused considerable controversy -- and was ordained priest there in 1982. She served the parish eight more years.
Tiffany Windows
Grace-St. Luke's cares for seven extraordinary TiffanyTiffany glass
Tiffany glass refers to the many and varied types of glass developed and produced from 1878 to 1933 at the Tiffany Studios, by Louis Comfort Tiffany....
stained glass windows that date back to 1889. That year, one of the benefactors of Grace Church, Mrs. W. A. Gage, met a representative of the Tiffany Glass Company at the Paris Exposition. She personally underwrote three windows, including a glorious window depicting Christ’s ascension to be hung above the altar.
The vestry commissioned four more windows as it built its new building at the turn of the 20th century, and these were installed under the direction of Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
himself. When Grace merged with St. Luke’s in 1940, it brought the windows, and they were installed throughout the building.
Today, Grace-St. Luke’s Tiffany windows are thought to be the largest collection of Tiffany windows in a parish church in the South, and window scholars recognize the windows as prime examples of the Tiffany palette.
See also
- Website of Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church
- Episcopal Church in the United States of America
- Episcopal Diocese of West TennesseeEpiscopal Diocese of West TennesseeThe Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee is the diocese of the Episcopal Church that geographically coincides with the political region known as the Grand Division of West Tennessee. The geographic range of the Diocese of West Tennessee was originally part of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee,...