St. Augustine Episcopal Church 1753 Union Street Benton Harbor

St. Augustine Episcopal Church
1753 Union Street
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
269-925-2670
PREFACE
It is important to me that I share with readers of this booklet the sources from which
its contents were excerpted as well that I acknowledge the contributions made by
several parishioners who have been kind enough to take the time to share their
view of the St. A’s story. How blessed we are that there is a sufficient number of
founders still living today to obtain what I hope is an accurate accounting.
During the early 1960s, the years of St. Augustine’s conception and birth, I
was then (Mrs. Larry B. Smith) a 30-year-old mother of two daughters--a two-yearold and a kindergartener--with not the slightest notion that a half century down the
road, I’d be invited to summarize the journey of our infant church as part of our 50year anniversary celebration.
Having been entrusted to write this colorful story, I felt, at times, the need to
call on others in our church family for confirmation and clarification of the facts. A
couple of fellow founders who have jogged or corrected my memory as to how it
was, to whom I’m extremely grateful, are Roy and Elaine Shoemaker along with
others who have shared reminiscences and anecdotes throughout the years. Thank
you, all, so much! I should like, also, to acknowledge the contributions of the Rev.
Charles Frandsen, now retired in the area, and the Rev. Dan Scheid, St. A’s current
rector.
The resulting 30-minute oral odyssey at the 50-year celebration was greatly
enhanced by a carefully prepared video to illustrate the talk. First, let me extend my
thanks to all who have searched through family pictures and donated many to help
in the telling of our tale. Next, I’d like to express my gratitude to John Owen, who
took many of the recent pictures and then spent hours in his studio scanning all
photos; to my husband Bruce, who typed, edited, and synchronized the slide show
with my talk and to Kate Scheid who procured the video equipment.
A 30-minute time allotment to cover 50 years of history means that parts of
the tale were necessarily omitted. There could be no mention of the parish outreach to our immediate community or those at a greater range. No space for spiritual journey—so important as to who we are. No coverage of thousands of saints
who have come through our doors, week after week to sing their praises, express
their needs, hear God’s word, and seek fellowship. But, the program has been transcribed into booklet form to acquaint the community with where we came from. And
now, I shall pass the pen on to whoever will write the next chapter.
In closing, I would like to thank God for all that he has provided our St. Augustine’s family and ask that he would continue to shepherd us as we move into the
next 50 years of our journey—in answer to his call.
Priscilla [Smith] Banghart,
2012
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IN THE BEGINNING
In post-World War II, the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Western Michigan,
like other dioceses throughout
the U.S., was in a building
“boom” to make up for the
church’s lack of expansion
throughout the duration of the
war. New churches were popping up everywhere.
Locally in the Twin Cities, St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church in
St. Joseph, had just constructed a new state-of-the-art office
and classroom wing. But what
St. Paul’s
of St. Stephen’s Mission in Benton Harbor, the
other Twin City? There in its tiny, inadequate
building on Pipestone Street, the congregation
struggled to make ends meet. Nothing much
had improved in its 30-year occupancy of what
had originally been Trinity Episcopal Church
(built in 1885). For many years the size of both
the congregation and their budget prevented
their being able to grow or to improve their
building or to build a new one. Their hands
were tied.
In mid-1960, the Rev. R. Bruce Wheeler, vicar
of St. Stephen’s, conceded it was time to petition the newly consecrated Bishop Charles
St. Stephen’s
Bennison for help. As the Bishop could see no
prospect for change in the downtown Benton
Harbor location, he appointed a Planning Council made up of a few members of
St. Stephen’s and some from St. Paul’s, St. Joe.
The Episcopal Planning Council was chaired by the Honorable Chester J. Byrns.
The others named to the council were John Chapman; Roy Shoemaker, secre-
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tary; W. O. Madison, Leslie French, Edward Carrington, and the Reverends R.
Bruce Wheeler and H. Stewart Ross. The Council met weekly commencing in
July 1960 through early 1961. The scope of their project would be dependent on
a count of the Episcopal population in the greater Twin City area.
On completion of the census, results revealed that St. Stephen’s had 69 communicants and 102 baptized while St. Paul’s had recorded 335 communicants and
638 baptized, many from St. Joe and many others from the east side of the St.
Joseph River. Ultimately, Benton Township was determined to be the targeted
area for the new church. Ideally situated in Fairplain’s southeastern quadrant
was a parcel of land at 1753 Union Avenue owned by Ernest and Vi Walker,
members of St. Paul’s parish, willing to sell and eager to join the new congregation, as well.
Bishop Bennison on December
4, 1960, visited both St. Paul’s
and St. Stephen’s Sunday
morning services to announce
the plan for the new church and
to reveal the location. It had
been quite a morning, for in the
course of just a few hours,
those attending St. Paul’s but
living east of the St. Joe. River,
and those from St. Stephen’s
with their long-prayed-for dream
got first glimpses of each other
as the Bishop consecrated the
Fairplain site on which they
would build their new church
home, together. Surely, this
was what God was leading us
to do—and, it was very exciting!
RESOURCE NOTES
Early St. Stephen’s history—archived at Benton Harbor Public Library-- mainly on
microfiche of “Benton Harbor Palladium” using dates recorded in this booklet.
Later photos and news stories after the 1975 merger of the “Benton Harbor Palladium” and “St. Joseph Herald Press” to the “Herald Palladium.”
“A History of St. Paul Episcopal Church in St. Joseph, Michigan” by Edith
McConnell, MICH 283.977 M12, volumes 1 & 2. Available at St. Joseph /Maud
Preston Palenske Memorial Library.
Minutes of 1960 to 1961 Episcopal Planning Council, relative to the diocesan survey, location designation, kept in St. Augustine Episcopal Church archives.
St. Augustine Episcopal Mission minutes, before November 1980 stored in St. Augustine Episcopal Church archives.
St. Augustine Episcopal Church minutes, after November 1980.
Church attendance figures recorded In Church Service Register kept by clergy.
Copies of Annual Meetings are archived in church records
L. to R. John Chapman, Roy Shoemaker,
the Rt. Rev Charles Bennison,
the Rev. R. Bruce Wheeler
Edward Dart Architect, biography of St. Augustine architect, written by his sister,
Susan Dart. Evanston Publishing, Inc., Evanston, IL, 1993, ISBN 93-070276,p. 222
[Mr. Dart was also the architect for Water Tower Place, Chicago, ILL, p. 180]
Effective Small Churches in the 21st Century by Carl S. Dudley. Abingdon Press
October 2002
No time was lost as, just over a month later, on January 8, 1961, elated prospective members attended a meeting at Fairplain Central School’s cafeteria to receive update on the project plans and to select a parish name. St. Augustine of
Canterbury won overwhelmingly (beating out the other five nominees: St. Bartholomew, St. Alban’s, St. Edward the Confessor, Church of the Resurrection,
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So, that big change that grew from the union of two very different roots transplanted
in 1961 has grown into a healthy living organism, a church that embraces all, listens
to God’s word and, most important, reaches out in love. Thanks be to God!
and Church of the Ascension). Those persons pledging to join the new St. Augustine’s of Canterbury numbered 112 adults and 80 children, including 30 preschoolers.
The newly appointed Steering
Committee worked swiftly in finding an interim worship site for the
more than a year that would be
required to build the new church
on Union. Word came of the availability of a suitable temporary
home, just about ½ mile away,
from the new building at 332 Napier, owned by Dr. Dean and Elizabeth Hudnutt. No sooner had the
word gotten out into the neighborhood than Fairplain neighbors
banned together in an attempt to
prevent the integrated church’s
presence in “their backyard”—based mainly, they claimed, on their concerns about
traffic tie-ups, inadequate parking space, etc. The local newspaper hopped right on
the story printing sensational, racially slanted headlines with each edition. Just imagine, all of this in the same time frame with the national Civil Rights movement so
active in Mississippi, Alabama, and other parts of the south! Despite all of the
threats and publicity, the new congregation moved calmly ahead.
Priscilla B. [Smith] Banghart
July 31, 2011
On March 5, 1961, the loyal members of St. Stephen’s grouped around their longtime worship place on Pipestone to bid a bittersweet farewell and witness its desanctification--prior to joining their new “sisters and brothers in Christ” at the Hudnutt
House for the next phase of their spiritual journey. How blessed was the expectant
flock to have the leadership of “Fr. Bruce” to guide them along the way. Looking to
the future, Elaine Shoemaker former St. Stephen’s organist, marched right up to the
borrowed organ in their temporary quarters, and accompanied the congregation in
singing their thanks to the Lord!
Top on the St. Augustine agenda was the election of its first Bishop’s Committee
(equivalent to the parish church’s vestry) made up of the following: Oceana Bradley,
John Chapman, Dean McKinney, Ed Prong, Dave Risto, Roy Shoemaker, and T. O.
(Bud) Wright. John Chapman and Roy Shoemaker were elected Senior and Junior
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Warden respectively. Truly, these leaders and those of the earlier committees are
the patriarchs of St. Augustine’s.
The selection of architect and builder came next requiring the appointment of a
building committee. Fr. Wheeler had liked what he had seen in a small awardwinning church in Gary, IN, and asked that the committee interview its Chicago architect along with our other candidates. The building committee liked what it saw in
Mr. Dart, and so Edward Dart it was! Dan Stanard was the contractor. After ground
breaking in May, the new house of worship was underway.
Little by little the church with the swooping roof and “handle” on top took shape. On
Sunday, June 4, 1962, Bishop Bennison came to preside over the laying of the cornerstone. Just seven weeks later, on July 22, the joyous congregation gathered for
its first Sunday worship in the new church. A great celebration was set for November 25 when Bishop Bennison was to return to dedicate St. Augustine of Canterbury
Episcopal Church planted permanently in its Fairplain home. This house of God had
been built and furnished for a total of $115,300. And it was GOOD!
THE EARLY YEARS
The Rev. Bruce Wheeler stayed with his congregation, guiding it through its infancy
for about another year when he answered the call to prison ministry on the streets of
Chicago. In June of 1963, the Rev. William I. Carter stepped into Fr. Wheeler’s
shoes. And such a good fit it was as this charismatic man was quickly embraced by
his new flock. Several groups, including Episcopal Church Women, Brotherhood of
St. Andrew, Daughters of the King, Church School, Choir, Altar Guild as well as a
teen group were functioning well. Good times abounded also as church potlucks,
pancake dinners and annual picnics at Peg Fricke’s and “Danny” Sowle’s adjacent
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Gepert, suggested a couple of locations in south western Michigan. Dan contacted our Sr. Warden Dave Crabtree relative to internship at St. A’s. The parish overwhelmingly gave the idea two thumbs up. We were at that time being well
“supplied” by the much beloved Rev. Henry Mikaya of Wyoming, Michigan, who
also welcomed Dan’s assistance throughout the following year. Midway through
Dan’s internship, the Vestry invited him to be our next rector (contingent on ordination to the diaconate, graduation, and ordination to the priesthood). After accepting
our call, Dan completed his senior year of
seminary studies and his rigorous field education at All Saints’ Church, Chicago, while
returning monthly to St. A’s to preach and
attend the vestry meetings here in Benton
Harbor.
At last the day of Dan’s ordination and installation took place on September 24,
2006. The glorious celebration kicked off
an era of innovation and growth for St. Augustine’s. Dan had, during his three-month
internship and year of preaching with us,
spent much time getting to know us well
Fr. Scheid
while exploring the Twin Cities area and
assessing its needs. The manner in which
Dan’s many passions and talents intersected with those of the congregation pretty
much set the course for his ministry. As a result, we now feed approximately 60 to
80 families twice a month at our well utilized Neighborhood Food Pantry—with purchased foods and those grown in the parish garden as well. We thank Gail Wells
for her superb management of the food pantry throughout its four-and- one-half
year history.
Over the past five years of Dan’s tenure, his sermons regularly nudge us to listen
to God’s call to us. As a result the congregation has been led to a varied and busy
schedule of activities: Wednesday evening’s Mass on the Grass, street clean-up,
mentoring in Benton Harbor schools, working for Habitat for Humanity, knitting
prayer shawls, and exchanging thoughts monthly at the Women’s Book Club. It
seems like the word “change” is no longer the scary word it once was, for now,
instead of generating fear, it announces opportunity.
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Fr. Frandsen returned to us as supply priest until 1996 when the Rev. Charles
Granger was called. Reaching out to serve the needs of the Benton Harbor community was top on his list of goals, followed by his plan to combine more events between his shared parishes of St. A’s and The Church of the Mediator. Again financial concerns perpetually overshadowed Fr. Granger’s agenda. So as he was not
able to move his family to Benton Harbor, he returned home to Kansas City, Missouri, before having realized his goals.
The shared ministry between St. A’s and Church of the Mediator ended in 1999 at
the request of the Mediator as they felt it wasn’t working for them.
Even so, our hopes were raised yet again with the
arrival of the Rev. Wayne Hutson who had newly
returned to the area. The diocese was just about
to commence a yearlong course of study on the
small church following the text of Carl Dudley’s
Effective Small Churches in the 21st Century. Fr.
Wayne lost no time in encouraging interested parishioners (especially vestry) to become involved.
During the five years of his stay, considerable
time and effort were invested in transforming ourselves into that “effective” church about which we
had studied. A popular ministry was his Sunday
afternoon worship service for residents of Orchard
Grove Extended Care Centre. Creeping into this
Fr. Hutson
otherwise pleasant scenario was the unrest being
experienced throughout the entire Anglican Communion, as members struggled with the consecration of Bishop Eugene Robinson
and his role and that of other gay leaders in the church. For Fr. Wayne this endorsement of gays was the last straw causing him and several parishioners to leave
St. Augustine’s.
A TIME OF GROWTH
homes became a cherished tradition. Fr. Bill was very gentle and preached regularly about “humanity” and “agape” and “brotherhood.” Well known in all of the community, for his compassion for those in need, Fr. Bill encouraged the church’s outreach to various Benton Harbor causes. He truly modeled the Great Commandment
in his five years of service to St. A’s.
At the time of its fourth Annual Meeting, the Mission had reduced its nearly $140,000
of indebtedness by 40 per cent and the church’s membership had increased to 254
of whom 197 were communicants. Additionally, the mission had purchased a vicarage at 1279 Miami Road.
The Rev. R. Craig Bell, St. A’s third vicar, was a brilliant man, great of stature and
just 30 years old. His sometimes brusque and forthright manner unfortunately offended several. Hence, not many recognized the compassion of which Fr. Craig
was capable.
In time, his great range of sensibilities was witnessed by all, for example on the Sunday following the Kent State massacre (May 4, 1970). Enraged by the killing of four
students by the Ohio National Guard, Fr. Craig preached an impassioned sermon
testing the social conscience of all in their pews. The opposite range of his sensibility is exemplified by the tale of his driving to Ann Arbor in a ferocious blizzard of
1969 to administer the rite of Holy Unction to newborn Mark Knickerbocker, while
offering comfort to the grieving first-time parents, Les and Diane. And, again, this
was the same man who, each morning for several weeks, had said his daily office at
the hospital bedside of 40-year-old Larry Smith as Larry lay in a coma following a
catastrophic stroke! It is said that Fr. Bell had said about his own ministry that he
had come to “comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comforted.” And it seemed he
had!
Fr. Craig Bell and his wife Sara were with us for nearly three years ( March 1968 to
December 1970). During which period they had brought two lovely baby daughters
home to the new vicarage.
FROM MISSION TO PARISH
Our next and current rector, like the Old Testament’s King David, came to us
through a highly atypical course of events, rather than through the customary search
process. The account began in 2005 when Dan Scheid, at that time, a student at
Seabury Western Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, was deliberating as to where he
might best perform his required internship. Our bishop, the Right Reverend Robert
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Our second decade commenced with the installation of the Rev. Charles F. Frandsen who was to become the most longstanding clergyman in the history of St. Augustine’s. In addition, to his ¾ time as our vicar, he was to serve the diocese the
remaining one fourth time as newly appointed editor of the diocesan newspaper,
The West Michigan Churchman.
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Fr. Charles was quickly accepted and respected as he
restored stability to all of the mission’s well-established
organizations: the ECW, the faithful choir and talented
director, Elaine Shoemaker, altar guild, Daughters of the
King, etc. Especially benefiting from this new force
among us was the church school, which with Fr.
Charles’ leadership expanded to two days a week. This
Tuesday School operated successfully for five wonderful
years.
Harbert. St. A’s was to claim two thirds of the priest’s time and the smaller Mediator congregation would receive one third. In time, 1987, to be exact, Fr. Charles
announced his intention to retire. After our having been served so well for 16
years, January (20,) 1971, to January (25,) 1987, Fr. Frandsen retired. The fact that
he and his beloved wife Ianthe and children Christina, Lisa, John, Philip, and
daughter-in-law Shawn, intended to remain in the area eased the farewell which
was marked by another great party.
The mission continued to reduce its mortgage. It was a
Fr. Charles Frandsen
joyous day, October 27, 1974, when we celebrated its
being paid in full! Allelujah! The actual document was
burned right before our eyes. The festivities continued with a glorious banquet at
Benton Harbor’s Downtowner restaurant. Among the 159 merrymakers were all of
our former priests Fr. Bruce Wheeler, Fr. Bill Carter, Fr. Craig Bell and our incumbent, Fr. Charles Frandsen.
And, O Gracious Lord, we thank you for not warning us of the unsettled years
ahead! A chronic problem in attracting qualified and willing candidates to accept
the call as rector to St. Augustine’s is that we have never been
able to offer full-time employment. Certainly this was one reason for our inability to find a successful match in the period
from 1987 to 2006—almost two full decades. During a significant part of this interim, we were tended by a series of compassionate supply priests.
When, after his retirement, Fr. Charles was asked what he considered to have
been the overall focus of his St. A’s ministry, he answered without hesitation, “the
liturgical changes within the Episcopal Church emanating from the Ecumenical
Movement following Vatican II.” Indeed, he spent months offering instruction on
the Trial Liturgy of 1979 from the striped book and the “green book.” His plan to
introduce changes into our Sunday worship, just one prayer at a time, was well accepted with very little resistance from the congregation.
UNSETTLED TIMES
In March 1988, the Rev. Jean Scribner was called to become
our fifth priest—our first woman. Somehow she and the congregation just never “clicked,” and so after only 15 months the
relationship was dissolved. (March 6, 1988 to June 11, 1989)
[No photo available]
Barbara Wilson
The changes, though, were more far reaching than just the liturgy. How many remember the stationary, closed screen between the altar and the choir? Thanks to
the generosity of our dear friends, the Honorable Chester and his wife Priscilla
Byrns, adaptations to the altar platform were made so that the screen might be
opened allowing the priest to celebrate Holy Communion facing the congregation
and to welcome the choir and organist into the worship area. These also were
among all-encompassing changes introduced during the Ecumenical Movement.
Attainment of parish status occurred in November 1980. On Bishop Bennison’s
November 30th visitation, he presented a handsomely mounted key to Fr. Charles
commemorating his accession from vicar to the first rector of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church.
Fr. Granger
It was nearly five and
a half years before we
acquired our next
priest, the Rev. Barbara Wilson. She
proved to be a caring pastor. Her interest
in children led her to encourage adoption of
the Children’s Worship Center as our Christian education curriculum (based on the
Montessori and Cavalletti educational models). However financial issues and personal problems caused her to leave us after
just 20 months.
At the point, in 1981, when Fr. Frandsen’s editorship of the diocesan newspaper
ended, he was assigned to initiate a shared ministry with Church of the Mediator in
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