The Church on Essex Street
Grace Church in Salem stands on Essex Street in the heart of Salem, Massachusetts, an Episcopal parish that has been part of the city's downtown life for generations. People who wander in off the street often look up: the building is a quiet treasure in the middle of Salem, and many newcomers say they never knew the church was there. The parish's invitation matches the surprise. Whoever you are, however long you have been looking for a spiritual home, the doors are open.
Grace Church belongs to the Diocese of Massachusetts and worships in the Anglican tradition, drawing on both ancient and contemporary expressions of it. Its mission commits the congregation to unconditionally include all people, building a community that through prayer, presence and partnering improves the quality of life by bringing everyone closer to God. It is a church shaped as much by what it does outside its walls as by what happens at the altar.
Sunday Morning at Ten
Most Sunday mornings at 10:00 am, the parish gathers for the Holy Eucharist, celebrated with prayers from the Book of Common Prayer, a sermon, and music led by the Music Director on the organ. All ages are welcome at communion. The Reverend Deborah Phillips, the rector since 1997, leads the congregation in preaching and presides at the Eucharist.
The morning is built around presence and participation rather than spectacle. Long-time Episcopalians, newcomers from other traditions, and visitors simply walking by find a place at the rail. Children begin in church with their families and join Church School partway through the service; everyone shares in the Peace together before gathering at the Table. No one is ever turned away from the worship at Grace Church.
Celtic Evensong in the Late Afternoon
At 4:00 pm every Sunday, the same sanctuary opens again for a quieter service: Celtic Evensong and Communion. The liturgy is drawn from the Iona and Northumbria traditions, the music is contemplative, and there is no traditional sermon. Instead, a brief reflection is offered by a member of the laity or sometimes by a member of the clergy. God welcomes all who come.
Both Sunday services are available through the parish's YouTube channel and Facebook page. For people who work weekday mornings, who prefer a more meditative service, or who simply want a different rhythm than a Sunday morning Eucharist, the Celtic service offers an alternative expression of Anglican worship in the same sanctuary.
A Rector with Deep Local Roots
The Reverend Deborah Phillips has been rector of Grace Church since 1997. A graduate of Boston University and the Episcopal Divinity School, where she received the Excellence in Preaching Award, she was ordained a priest in 1992 and has served three other parishes in the Diocese of Massachusetts. Before ordination she was a math teacher: a Peace Corps volunteer in Malaysia, then a teacher in the Woburn, Massachusetts public schools and at Shore Country Day School in Beverly.
Phillips has given long service beyond the church as well. She has served on Diocesan Council representing the North Shore Deanery, co-chaired the Evangelism Network, sat on the Standing Committee, co-led Holy Land pilgrimages with Bishop Gayle, and co-chaired the Social Ministries and Public Policy Mission of the Diocese. In Salem, she has served on the board of the Salem Harbor Community Development Corporation, been past president of the Essex County Community Organization and of Help for Abused Women and their Children, served as Treasurer of the Salem YMCA, and was Executive Director of the Bowditch School Partnership. She and her husband Eric and their dog Dublin live in Salem's Collins Cove neighborhood.
Music in the Anglican Tradition
Music has been central to worship at Grace Church for many years. Mark N. Peterson became Music Director in June 2023, following his retirement as director of music at Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina, where he also directed the Barton College and Wilson Symphony, a professional ensemble, and the college choir.
A native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Peterson holds degrees from Boston University and the University of New Hampshire and has taught on the faculties of Bradford College and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Before moving to North Carolina he served several North Shore parishes, including Clifton Lutheran in Marblehead, First Parish in Wakefield, and Christ Church in Andover. At Grace Church he brings a steady diet of Bach organ music to the Sunday Eucharist and shapes the contemplative soundscape of the Celtic Evensong.
Children and Lifelong Formation
Formation at Grace Church is described as lifelong and communal. Several distinct offerings meet the youngest members of the congregation where they are.
The Young and the Restless Chapel meets on the second Sunday of each month at 9:00 am. Designed for infants and toddlers, the service uses elements from Godly Play and Music Together: rocking, singing, and moving through the stories of faith, and ending with communion.
Church School meets every Sunday morning from 10:00 until 10:30 for children age three and older. Children engage with Scripture stories, learn about the sacraments, and build a community of faith together. They join those gathered in the sanctuary at the Peace, when the whole congregation shares greetings.
Bible Study gathers by Zoom every Wednesday evening at 5:00 pm. The hour is spent exploring how God is encountered in the readings appointed for the coming Sunday. No previous experience with Scripture is required, only an open heart and a listening ear.
Throughout the year the parish also offers half-day and one-day retreats. During Advent and Lent, gatherings have ranged from the Episcopal Church's Way of Love program to the Book of Common Prayer and hymnals, Celtic Spirituality, Black poets, and book studies. Recent retreat topics have included creation care, stewardship, anti-racism, discipleship, and storytelling.
The Abundant Life Garden and Community Outreach
Outreach at Grace Church is built into the rhythms of the year. The Abundant Life Garden Project, a curriculum developed by Episcopal Relief and Development, runs from May through September. Children work through six thematic lessons on water, seeds, soil, harvest, animals, and celebration, grow their own garden, and donate 100 percent of the harvest to a local homeless shelter.
Since January 2023, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem has shared space with Grace Church. The state-approved program, licensed by Early Education and Care of the Massachusetts Department of Education, recognizes the role adults play in young people's social, emotional, and brain development. Parishioners have knitted hats for every child, hosted computer take-apart afternoons, and offered ongoing support to the BGCGS staff.
Walking the Way of Love
Social justice is named in the parish's mission and made visible in its programming. Grace Church is a welcoming and affirming congregation. It participates each year in Salem's Pride Parade and in the Interfaith Pride Service, and offers a worship service near the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
Anti-racism work takes several forms: retreats on how to breathe love, wear love, and shed those things that prevent love; Advent and Lenten calendars of daily meditations on becoming an anti-racist; a Little Free Anti-Racist Library for families and children; a study of Black poets; an annual Juneteenth service; and anti-racism training through the Diocese of Massachusetts.
The parish also observes many of the wider Anglican calendar's special services through the year: the Chalking of the Doors at Epiphany, the Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas), Ash Wednesday, the St. Patrick's Service, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, the St. Francis Observance and Blessing of the Animals, All Saints' Sunday, Thanksgiving, a Blue Christmas Longest Night service, and a pickup Christmas Pageant, alongside Christmas Eve and Christmas Day worship.
A Treasure in the Middle of Salem
For nearly three decades, Deborah Phillips has been at the center of Grace Church's life; for more than two years Mark Peterson has shaped its music; for generations the parish has opened its doors on Essex Street to anyone walking by. There is a treasure in the middle of Salem waiting to be discovered, and all who enter are treasures themselves.