I was excited to attend service on January 10 at St. Michael’s Church (Anglican). St. Michael’s is the oldest edifice in Charleston. The current structure sits at the corner of Broad and Meeting, and it is said by locals this corner represents the four corners of law: local, state, federal and God’s. As we were still in the thick of battling COVID-19 at the time of my visit, the church required that you provide your name and contact information for contact tracing, in addition to taking your temperature upon entering (as I learned during the service, the Rector had tested positive the week prior, so these strict precautions made sense).

This was my first Anglican Church service experience.  Prior to this, I only knew the Anglican Church (or the Church of England) as the church formed when Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife and marry his mistress Anne Boleyn.  The good folks in Rome told him no, he could not divorce his Catholic wife Catherine, and as a good King does he said fine, I’ll start my own church – thus, the Church of England.  

A couple of observations as I entered:

• The bulletin was detailed and informative, and as a new attendee I appreciated it.
• When you are taken to your pew, you are locked in. Well, not technically, but each pew has a latch that is secured shut after you sit down. A locked “Box Pew” to yourself was both confining and comforting at the same time.
  
  

Everyone at the church was welcoming, and I was intrigued with the message of the day “Transforming Our City.”  It felt timely and relevant given all the unrest both in Charleston, and across the country in the last year.  The Rector was well spoken and engaging, and he gave illustrated examples of where the bible calls on us to serve our community, noting that 2021 is the year to transform the city.  Where he completely lost me was when the message strayed from transforming the city to stating from the pulpit the primary goal is to “erase the word abortion from our vocabulary.”  Given all that is happening in the world, I simply do not agree that this one of our top priorities, nor is it the most needed transformation in Charleston.  So at that point, I tuned out. I appreciated the passion for the point, yet I fundamentally disagree with the belief.

St. Michael’s is worth attending if only for the architecture and aesthetics of the sanctuary.  The stained glass at the front of the church is the only place in Charleston (per the Rector) where Satan is shown inside[SRS1] . (see pic). The columns both inside and outside are gorgeous and the altar surrounded by marble memorials is somewhere you could get lost for a few hours.  As I sat locked in my box, I thought about the members of this congregation who sat here on Sunday mornings past: ones who decided to rise up against England, ones who decided to commit treason and rise up against America, ones who had committed adultery and so many other things.  What did they feel when they read aloud the confession of Sin and Absolution? Were  they square with God? 

Two other quick nuggets: First, be in GOOD shape before you attend Anglican church – you are going to be standing, kneeling and sitting A LOT.  Solid work out.  And second, each time they reference the Catholic Church, the word Catholic was lower case. Typo? Maybe. Intentional slight from Henry’s era, probably.

Fun Facts:

• Congregation organized 1761
• Domination:  Anglican – Church of England
• American Flag – yes

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