As we prepare to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of our Church it is an appropriate time to reflect upon and celebrate our rich heritage and history. While we are proud of our history, are inspired by it and draw strength from it, our eyes are firmly fixed on the challenges of the present and the opportunities in the future. With guidance, we wish to build on the strength of our history and to discern God’s plan for us.
The history of Christ Church as a parish dates back to July of 1841 when Dr. George Washington Dame, an Episcopal priest from Danville (30 miles east), began monthly visits to Martinsville to hold services. The small congregation initially met in the private home of Dr. Anderson Wade but within a year was able to expand into a small brick building where the little parish began to grow.
By 1888 planning began for the erection of a much larger, grander church building and by the turn of the century construction was under way on the new structure which remains essentially the same as when it was consecrated in 1903.
Ancillary buildings include our Parish House, the mansion home of prominent local family, that provides meeting rooms, class rooms, a nursery as well as church offices and serves as a gathering place for many parish and community functions. Adjacent to the church is a four bedroom brick colonial house that is being refurbished to once again serve as a rectory.
Our parish has grown over the years under the leadership of many fine priests, two of whom have moved on to the Episcopacy. Realizing that young people are the lifeblood of our future, a group of parents and church leaders brainstormed the entire Christian Education program and developed a unique “out of the box” concept of a family church school. This approach has taken the traditional 9:30 Sunday morning classroom from a school-like setting and moved it to a dynamic series of lessons that may take place beside a river or at a lake; on a mountain top, in a kitchen or anywhere the lesson may lead.
The traditional style of worship is favored by our parish. A dynamic music program serves as a centerpiece in our church services and is a part of both Sunday morning services. Each quarter Holy Eucharist is celebrated with acoustic contemporary music in a relaxed setting. Music styles range from bluegrass to traditional hymns performed with unique instrumentation, to music written by contemporary composers.
Church records reflect that our average Sunday attendance is about 75 for two services. Holy Days, Christmas, Easter and special services increase that average to about 145 on those occasions. Attendance for our family Sunday programs vary with as few as 7 or 8 to as many as 15 or more. We are growing! Adult classes reliably have 15 or more in attendance.
We have no preconceived notions or expectations of who God will send as our new Rector. We do believe that if we keep our minds open and trust the work of the Holy Spirit, that God will lead us to a new Rector who will be creative and innovative in helping us to grow both as a parish and in outreach to the greater community. We do seek a man or woman who loves Jesus with their whole being and wants to share that love with all persons they may touch. We are anxious to be led spiritually and to pull together with our new Rector to prayerfully seek and do God’s will.
At the request of our Diocese the parish leadership answered 12 questions concerning the state of the church. Those questions and answers along with the results of our parish survey are shared in the links below.