St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church (Atlanta)

For other St. Bartholomew's churches, see St. Bartholomew's Church.

Church in Atlanta, Georgia

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church
St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church
"Whoever you are, wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome to this place and to this table."

Location	1790 LaVista Road, Atlanta, Georgia
Denomination	Episcopal Church
Website	stbartsatlanta.org
History
Founded	1954
Dedication	St Bartholomew
Consecrated	August 24, 1996
Administration
Province	IV
Diocese	Atlanta
Deanery	East Atlanta
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Robert C. Wright
Rector	The Rev. Dr. Angela F. Shepherd, Rector
Priest(s)	The Rev. Alex Sherrill, III, Assistant to the Rector
Assistant priest(s)	The Rev. Shirley Porter, Associate Priest; The Rev. Bill Deneke, Assisting Priest
Deacon(s)	Deacon Katherine Hilliard-Yntema
Laity
Director of music	Stephen Frketic, Director of Music and Organist
Churchwarden(s)	John Ford, Senior Warden, Margaret Jones, Junior Warden
Parish administrator	Vicki Brewer

St. Bartholomew's is an Episcopal parish in Atlanta, Georgia, which is notable for its ministries, choral music, and architecture.

Architecture

The main structures of St. Bartholomew's are all modernist (or International style) in design. Architectural buffs have granted the main church building some attention, one blogger calling it a "nice setting", and another calling attention to the "bluer" ceiling of its nave.

History

1950s and 1960s

In the early 1950s, many people were moving into DeKalb County, especially in the vicinity of W. D. Thomson School, the area now known as Toco Hill. St. Bartholomew's Church originated when a group of Episcopalians recognized the need for a church in this rapidly growing community. With the permission of the Bishop of Atlanta, the Rt. Rev. Randolph Claiborne, these Episcopalians met in December 1953, to start the process. On February 24, 1954, St. Bartholomew's officially became an "organized mission of the Protestant Episcopal Church," with the Rev. Harry Tisdale (then Rector of Holy Trinity in Decatur) as priest-in-charge. In March of that same year, the mission purchased property on LaVista Road and soon bought a former barracks building and moved it onto the property. This building served as church, parish house, Sunday School, kitchen, office and nursery. Later, it housed Nicholas House for homeless families.

In January 1955, when the Rev. Austin Ford began his ministry, the mission's original six families had grown to fifty. One of the original organizers was George A. Craig, a grad student/employee of Georgia Tech. On January 27, 1957, St. Bartholomew's achieved full recognition as a parish. With communicants exceeding 250, construction began on a new church building (now the Parish Hall). In 1960, the 700 communicants spun off another parish, St. Bede's. In 1967, Fr. Ford left to establish Emmaus House, a ministry in the inner city.

1970s

The Rev. Charles Hackett served as rector until 1971, when he resigned to continue his studies and start the Anglican Studies program at Emory University's Candler School of Theology. In 1972, the Rev. Harwood ("Woody") Bartlett became the rector, and during his tenure, the parish joined several other area churches in outreach efforts focused on the inner city, including programs at several housing projects.

The Olde English Festival began in 1978, in an effort to raise funds for a new organ. The fun and profits of the Festival led to its continuation for 25 years. After the first few years, all proceeds went to causes outside the parish.

Also in 1978, the parish once again expanded its facilities to create offices, a music department, and more classrooms.

1980s

In 1982, Fr. Bartlett left to become the director of the Episcopal Charities Foundation. During the interim period between rectors, the parish opened a family shelter in Sunday school rooms in response to increasing homelessness in the community.

The Rev. Chester (Chet) Grey became rector in that same year. He played a major role in the establishment of Jerusalem House, a residence for those affected by AIDS. In 1988, Project Open Hand began using the kitchen facilities at St. Bartholomew's to prepare meals for 14 people with AIDS. The organization, which expanded its mission in 2000 to serve those living with virtually any chronic illness, homebound seniors and at-risk youth, now occupies a new, much larger facility, where it prepares over 5,000 meals each day for thousands of people across 18 Georgia counties. Now called Open Hand Atlanta, the organization also provides much-needed nutrition education throughout the state, and Market Baskets, which include fresh fruit and vegetables, for clients now able to prepare meals themselves.

1990s

The St. Joseph of Arimathea garden opened in 1992, and the Emmanuel Center for Pastoral Counseling also opened during this period. In 1993, Fr. Grey left to assume the role of Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Trenton, New Jersey, as another major building program was underway.

In 1994, the Rev. Stacy Sauls became the rector and oversaw the construction that was underway. In 1995, the construction of a new worship space was completed, and the old church became the parish hall and chapel. Fr. Sauls also supervised the purchase of a new organ. The Toco Hill Community Ministry was formed to provide financial help for families in trouble. The parish converted the former rectory into a meeting place, now known as the Amerson House. During these years, the music program grew in strength, size, and quality with directors Randolph James and Brad Hughley.

2000s

Stacy Sauls left in 2000, upon his election as the Bishop of Lexington. In the interregnum, the parish was led by the Rev. Jim Curtis.

In 2002, the Rev. Wm. McCord ("Mac") Thigpen III, became the sixth (and first openly gay) rector of St. Bartholomew's. He has presided over the completion of the Rosales organ and a full renovation of the Amerson House (former rectory). He brought a renewed vision of hospitality to St. Bartholomew's as well as a joyful celebration of the parish's fifty-year history.

Rectors

The Rev. Harry Tisdale, (Priest-in-Charge) 1954
The Rev. Austin Ford, (Vicar) 1955–1956, (Rector) 1957–1967
The Rev. Ted Hackett, 1967–1971
The Rev. Jerry Zeller, (Interim) 1971–1972
The Rev. Woody Bartlett, 1972–1982
The Rev. Jack Murrey, (Interim) 1983
The Rev. Chester Grey, 1983–1993
The Rev. John Westerhoff, (Interim) 1993
The Rev. Stacy Sauls, 1994–2000
The Rev. Jim Curtis, (Interim) 2001
The Very Rev. William McCord Thigpen, III, 2002–2016
The Rev. Allan Sandlin, (Interim) 2016–2017
The Rev. Dr. Angela F. Shepherd, 2018–present

Outreach

St. Bartholomew's has traditionally had a strong outreach program. The missions of St. Bartholomew's have always been central to its work and passion. Below is a list of some of the parish's current outreach projects/organizations:

Domestic missions

Toco Hills Community Alliance
Emmaus House
Friends of L'Arche Atlanta
Hunger Walk
Jerusalem House
Project Open Hand
Refugee Resettlement
Nicholas House
Villa International

Global missions

Bread for the World
Medical Mission trips to Haiti and Honduras
Kids 4 Peace

Music and concerts

St. Bartholomew's has a large music program, of four choirs totalling 60 members (The St. Bartholomew's Choir; the Evensong Choir; The Treble Choir, made of girls and boys; and The Schola Cantorum, to sing the office of Compline). In addition to liturgy, the music department sponsors multiple concerts throughout the year as an outreach ministry to the community. The church's nave holds the Rex Rector Memorial Organ, Opus 29 of Rosales Organ Builders, which was built in 2003 and "is one of the finest instruments or its kind in the Atlanta area." St. Bartholomew's has also welcomed outside choral and music groups to its venue, including Lauda Musicam of Atlanta, New Trinity Baroque, Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chorus, and the Atlanta chapter of the American Guild of Organists.