St. Luke's Church (Blue Ridge, Georgia)

St. Luke's Church is an Episcopal (Anglican) Church located in Blue Ridge, Georgia. It is part of the Diocese of the South.

The church is popularly known as "The Parish Church of the Mountains",[1] drawing worshippers from Fannin, Gilmer and Union Counties in Georgia and from Cherokee County in North Carolina and Polk County in Tennessee.

St Luke's is affiliated with the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. Worship is classical and Biblical and is conducted according to the Book of Common Prayer.

History

The first Anglican service in Blue Ridge was held on June 7, 1987 in the community room of the Blue Ridge City Hall, with 12 persons present. Several weeks after weekly services began, Mrs. David Henry (Willa) Haight III gave several lots near the city center for the construction of a church. One of the lots included a cemetery from the early 20th century containing graves of early setters of Fannin County.

In 1995, a church of Carpenter Gothic design was constructed on the site located at the corner of Ewings and Jones. The building, enlarged in 2011, has a set of leaded glass windows, much fine walnut woodwork and an organ from The Netherlands. The church and grounds are popular with tourists.

The church is the site of the annual Georgia Episcopal / Anglican Men's Conference, usually held in September. Since 1995, St. Luke's Churchyard has been the site of the Blue Ridge Community Easter Egg Hunt.

The Rev. Victor H. Morgan, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, was the founding Rector.

Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge is the county seat of Fannin County, Georgia. The town was incorporated by an act of the Georgia Legislature on October 24, 1887. In 1895, the county seat was relocated from Morganton to Blue Ridge.

Prior to incorporation, the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad was built through what is now the town center.

References

  1. ↑ "Who We Are". Stlukesblueridge.org. 1987-06-07. Retrieved 2012-02-17.


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