Grace Church Entering 170 Years of Continuous Service

Grace Church is approaching 170 years of continuous service to the Haddonfield community.

The Rev. Dr. Patrick Close, (Father Pat) the present rector, admits that the church has had an interesting past, that it is now very active in the present and they are looking forward to a promising future.

In 1841 the Rev. Andrew Bell Patterson, rector of Trinity Church in Moorestown, began holding services and preaching in Haddonfield on Sept. 5 of that year. According to the history of the church the services were held in Grove Schoolhouse. Five months later on February 7, 1842, in the same schoolhouse the parishioners voted to establish a Protestant Episcopal Church in town.

Haddonfield in 1841 was a quiet little hamlet with unpaved and unlighted streets. Kings Highway was dusty in the summer and a frozen rutted mess in the winter, according to its history. Shops along the highway included a wheelwright, gunsmith, two blacksmiths, and a harness maker as well as general stores, tailor shops, taverns and the Friendship Fire Company.

Under the direction of Patterson ground was purchased in March 1842 for the construction of a new frame church which was completed by September of that year. Patterson remained the church’s leader until 1846 when the Rev. Mr. Thomas L. Franklin succeeded him.

Grace Church finally got a full-time rector in 1855 with the arrival of the Rev. Samuel W. Hallowell. It was at this time, with a full-time pastor, that the church began to grow. Church records indicate an increase in activity, people and finances and the increase necessitated the construction of an addition to the church.

On May 3, 1866 the Rev. Gustavus M. Murray was named new rector of Grace Church and under his leadership for the next 29 years the church grew to become an important element in the Haddonfield community. Murray had been characterized as an earnest and devout young clergyman, deeply religious—a man of kindly, genial nature.

Under Murray’s leadership the church saw the construction of a new rectory in 1872 at a cost of $4,564.55. During the 1870s and '80s the 125 members of the church worked tirelessly to accumulate enough funds for the construction of a new church, which, the church’s history reveals, was to be the crowing achievement of Murray’s pastorate.

The congregation held fairs and cake sales every Saturday at a store located at Chestnut and Main streets. Finally on December 16, 1889, their hard work paid off when the vestry adopted architectural plans for the stone church. Old Trenton sandstone quarried in 1891 was used in the construction of the church. Cost of construction was $17,311. The new church was ready for occupancy by 1892.

The work of building the church into an active and effective parish took its toll on Murray’s health. He was given an eight-week leave of absence in January 1895 and at the end submitted is resignation.

In his 1987 annual report the Rev. Canon Allen S. Bolinger, then rector, wrote "I see the time, talent and treasure of the dedicated people of the church family making things happen." Then in his 1990 report Bolinger stated that "Looking ahead, our potential is limited only by the limitations of our enthusiasm for, commitment to, and our willingness to support sacrificially with our time, talent and material blessings, the Lord’s work in this parish family."

Now in the 21st century the church has grown from that 125 members to more than 1,000 active parishioners. Father Pat, who is the 11th rector of the church, says they average about 20 to 25 baptisms, 6 to 12 weddings, and 10 to 12 funerals a year. He adds that the average Sunday attendance is more than 250 and that they had nearly 700 people in attendance this past Easter. "We have added a Saturday night worship service in the past few years and it has been steadily growing and we continue to look for ways to interact with the community," he explains.

"Over the years, our mission and vision changed," says Father Pat. "We currently operate a food ministry with St. Paul's in Camden that provides 110 bags of groceries each week to the hungry in that city." They are presently operating a part time free medical clinic with St. Wilfrid's Church in Camden and plan to move towards more and more free medical health services. The church is also seeing a growing number of young families with children, adult singles and gay and lesbian people coming to their parish.

"We are a warm and welcoming place where people are accepted and we seek to journey with them in their faith walks," he points out. Father Pat says they try very hard to be child friendly and to help the kids know that church can be fun and where they learn about God, what it means to be a Christian in these times and how to participate and live out their faith.

Father Pat explains that they are preparing to start a new "five-year plan" next year that will carry them forward to their 175th anniversary. "We will look at how we can continue to grow our congregation, do more in the community, educate people as to how to live their faith in today's world and offer worship that is meaningful and inspiring."

Thomas A. Bergbauer Sr., a retired journalist, can be reached tbergbauer@verizon.net.