Turning the Church Around – The New View of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

BY SARAH HOUGH & DR. DAN FINLEY; PHOTOS BY RAY WISHART

In its 100-years serving this area, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church has witnessed many changes and challenges. Founded in 1914, named Christ Church, and built at a cost of $800 on a site donated by Robert Baker of Marianna, the church started out with 22 members. The next year, the church was renamed St.Andrew’s after the patron saint of fishermen. The property overlooks Beach Drive and the beautiful waters of St. Andrew’s Bay in Panama City.

The original white frame church was used until 1958 when it was replaced by the current A-frame church. The old church building was moved across Baker Court where it was used for educational and administrative purposes. In 1972, it was sold for $1 to the St.John the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church and was moved to its current location on Baldwin Road.

Several priests have since led the congregation at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.After a decline in the number of members, recently that number has grown. This year there are 250 members.

The church’s priest, The Rev. Dr. Margaret S.Shepard came to St.Andrew’s Episcopal Church in 2010. A woman of small stature she has immense courage and determination.

As a young woman, Margaret witnessed the explosion that killed four young black girls. Margaret just happened to live near there, on 16th Street near the Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, on that day, that terrible day, September 15, 1963. She saw the events as they unfolded and the aftermath.It changed her life forever.The bomb, a box of dynamite with time-delay fuse, had been planted at the church by a white supremacist hate group. The sermon slated for the church that day was entitled “The Love That Forgives.” The 14-year old attendees Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Carole Robertson, and 11-year old Denise McNair did not survive the bombing.

Dr.Shepard still vividly remembers the sound of the explosion, the smell of the dynamite and smoke from the fire. She was so horrified by the hatred of this act that she decided to dedicate her life to ending hatred.

After attending and graduating from Birmingham Southern College, Margaret, then a Presbyterian, at the invitation of her piano teacher began singing in the choir at the local Episcopal Church. She completed a master’s degree from the University of Alabama and became more and more involved in the Episcopal Church at the end of the 1960s. She was inspired by the writings of Carter Heyward, one of the Philadelphia Eleven – the first 11 female priests in the Episcopal Church, who were all ordained against the Church’s wishes in 1974.

It would be two-years before the General Assembly approved women as priests. When Margaret approached the Bishop of Alabama, in the early 1970s seeking permission to train for the priesthood, he said, “Absolutely not!”

Margaret persisted and, at long last, because of her sincerity and devotion, she was given permission to pursue the priesthood.She completed her Master of Divinity degree at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and later completed her Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Margaret was the first female Episcopal Rector in Alabama. Before coming to St.Andrew’s in 2010, she served as vicar and rector at several churches in Alabama and North Carolina.

As Margaret became acquainted with the aging building of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, she was concerned that the steps to the choir’s area didn’t meet handicap code and regulations.With this necessary update, other plans were made and became a reality. The pews, challenging for people in wheelchairs, were removed and replaced with comfortable and movable chairs.

In the process of planning the architectural changes and improvements, Margaret tackled one of the biggest challenges. The large window at the end of the sanctuary was blocking the beauty of St. Andrew Bay. As a solution, the large “faux stained glass” window came out and a crystal window was installed.

Several stunning features were added.A labyrinth, which is inlaid in the floor, represents a conscious journey with God. There is now a columbarium, a place for urns of loved ones. Local contractors and many volunteers worked relentlessly for six-months to transform the church.Master Tile Artist Colleen Green and Metalist Thad Cofer collaborated to create a hanging cross and the Processional Cross. The beautiful hanging cross is suspended from the ceiling in front of the window that now offers breathtaking views of the bay.

At the beginning of its second-hundred -years and after accomplishing the stunning transformation, Margaret declares, “The church is not for the people inside, it is for the people outside our doors.” St. Andrew’s Episcopal is a community partner with Al-Anon, Narcotics Anonymous, BASIC, Catholic Family Charities, and the Baptist Church Food Pantry. The church hosts the annual World AIDS Day, assists St.Andrew’s Benevolence Society, Panama Rescue Mission, and Prescriptions for the Needy program. The church supports national and international organizations such as Episcopal Relief and Development, Habitat for Humanity, and Doctors without Borders.

Behind the church lies the beautifully maintained St. Joseph’s Garden, which also serves as final resting place for 120-people who have been cremated but whose ashes were unclaimed.

A very welcoming place, the 100-year-old church, led by Dr.Margaret Shepard, is beginning a new chapter in service to the community with a new look and an unobstructed view that will be with the congregation for the next centuries.

Reference: The History of Bay County from the Beginning, by Tommy Smith, 2000

 

[author image=”https://www.panamacityliving.com/media/2015/01/Sarah-Hough.jpg” ]Sarah moved from Michigan to the Panama City area in 1985 . She is an avid traveler, having visited more than 20 countries in the last 10 years . Instead of getting shorter, her bucket list keeps getting longer as she finds more and more places to visit . Sarah is a dedicated volunteer with Guardian ad Litem . Much of her leisure time is spent quilting . She serves also on the Gulf Coast State College Education Encore Advisory Council .[/author]

[author image=”https://www.panamacityliving.com/media/2015/01/Daniel-Finley-.jpg” ]Dr. Daniel Finley is an award-winning health science professor at Gulf Coast State College. Since moving here in 1992, he actively participates in community service and has leadership positions with the American Cancer Society, BASIC, and March of Dimes. Dr. Finley is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida. He is active in the St. Andrews Episcopal Church and is a father of two. Dan enjoys walking, cooking, and ballroom dancing.[/author]