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WHEREAS, William R. Gignilliat,
Jr., a longtime member of Grace Episcopal Church, and Howard
Stranathan, a former member of Grace Episcopal Church, have
devoted time and energy over the past ten years researching the
early history of Episcopalians in Gainesville and Grace
Episcopal Church, Gainesville, and
WHEREAS, there are conflicting
dates between the cornerstone of the "old church" on Washington
Street, which gives the founding date as 1828, and the
cornerstone of the "new church" on Boulevard, which gives the
founding date as 1848, and
WHEREAS, the tornado of April 1936
completely destroyed Grace Episcopal Church on Washington
Street, necessitating the construction of a new church, and
WHEREAS, Leslie and Edith Quinlan,
Mr. E. N. Howard, Dr. Clarence Butler - Sr. Warden, and Dr. John
Woodock - Jr. Warden, and other persons in 1937, who were some
50 years closer to events leading to the establishment of Grace
Episcopal Church, rebuilt Grace Episcopal Church on Washington
Street and provided a cornerstone that gives the founding date
as 1828, and WHEREAS,
William Henry Hosch, author of a history of Hall County, begins
his history of Grace Episcopal Church by noting that an
Episcopalian named Warren Jourdain came to Gainesville in the
1820's and purchased land on which the first church for
Episcopalians would eventually be built, and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hosch refers to
Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians beginning their
denominations in the early 1820's in private homes of members,
and WHEREAS, a history of
the Episcopal Church in Georgia notes that in 1838 a priest from
New York, the Rev. E.B. Kellogg, was employed by the Diocese of
Georgia to found a church in Clarksville, and
WHEREAS, Mr. Kellogg in his
written reports to the diocese records the presence of
Episcopalians in Gainesville,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
that the Vestry of Grace Episcopal Church, Gainesville, having
duly considered all of the above and in agreement with the
cornerstone of the "old church," declares A.D. 1828 as the year
of founding of Grace Episcopal Church, Gainesville, Georgia.
Adopted by the Vestry of Grace
Episcopal Church
Gainesville, Georgia
March 27, 2006
Response by the
Archivist, Registrar & Historiographer of the Diocese of
Atlanta:
12 April 2006
Dear Doug:
As Registrar of the Diocese I
accept the Vestry's resolution that the date of the beginning of
the work of the Episcopal Church in Gainesville was 1828. I will
write an official letter as such to the Chancellor and Bishop
that I'm changing your founding date in our official records to
1828. I appreciate the tremendous amount of historical research
that went into this effort and believe it best characterizes the
initiation of what we now celebrate as Grace Church,
Gainesville. You take your place among the very earliest
congregations in the Diocese, congratulations. I will copy the
letter to you.
Faithfully,
Bill McLemore
Dear Bishop:
I have been in correspondence with
the Rev. Doug Dailey, Rector of Grace Church, Gainesville, for
over a year with regard to the founding date of their parish.
William R. Gignilliat, Jr. of that parish, and Howard
Strananthan, a former member, have completed ten years of
research and established that the work of the Church in their
community began in 1828. To this regard, the Vestry passed a
resolution on March 27, 2006, accepting "A.D. 1828 as the year
of founding of Grace Episcopal Church, Gainesville, Georgia."
As Registrar of the Diocese, with
your concurrence, I accept this date and will make the necessary
changes in the Archives. I hope your office will do the same
when future reports of the origins of Grace Church are made.
Happily, this honors those who labored so early to bring the
work of our church to fruit in Gainesville.
Faithfully yours,
Bill The
Reverend William P. McLemore
Archivist, Registrar, & Historiographer
Diocese of Atlanta |