A Mother Church on the Savannah
Saint Paul's Church has stood on the bank of the Savannah River since 1750, making it the oldest house of worship still in use in Augusta, Georgia. The congregation gathers in a brick landmark at 605 Reynolds Street, on the city's Riverwalk, where a Celtic cross and a cannon mark the original site of Fort Augusta. Inside the narthex, a baptismal font carried from England in 1751 still stands as one of the oldest artifacts of the parish, four years older than the United States itself.
The parish is well known for the beauty of its liturgy and the depth of its music program, built around three choirs and one of the Southeast's most respected organists. People gather from throughout the Central Savannah River Area to worship, study, and serve. The parish's mission statement reads, "Historic Saint Paul's Church is a welcoming Episcopal congregation committed to living and sharing the Good News of God in Jesus Christ through liturgy, music, and outreach." The vision is to "continue to grow and live as a community which recognizes and honors Christ in everyone and everything." At every entrance, the same words greet newcomers: "No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter where you are on the journey of life - Saint Paul's welcomes you."
That welcome takes many forms: three distinct Sunday services, a contemplative Celtic evening prayer, a weekday mass in the chapel, online Compline, three choirs for children and adults, a youth program known for mission and fellowship, and a long list of outreach partnerships across Augusta and abroad.
Three Sunday Services
Saint Paul's offers three markedly different services each Sunday, allowing members and visitors to choose the style that fits their season of life.
The early service begins at 8:00 a.m. with Holy Eucharist, Rite I. It is celebrated without music, using the traditional Elizabethan English of the historic Prayer Book. This quiet, spoken liturgy often draws those who want a contemplative start to the day.
At 11:00 a.m., the principal service gathers the largest congregation of the day. Both the Saint Paul's Choir and Canterbury Choir lead the music. The service follows a traditional pattern of prayers, scripture readings, sermon, and hymns from the Book of Common Prayer, with the congregation sharing in Holy Communion. All who come in faith are welcome at the Communion table. The 11:00 a.m. service is broadcast live on WGAC 580 AM and 95.1 FM radio, and streamed on Facebook and YouTube, so it can be heard across central Augusta and the CSRA. After the service, the parish gathers on the lawn for Lemonade on the Lawn, a weekly social hour that has become a Sunday tradition.
At 5:30 p.m., the church is transformed for Celtic Evening Prayer and Communion. This candle-lit service emphasizes the contemplative side of worship and features many of Augusta's best Celtic musicians. Worshippers are invited to slow down, light a candle as a visible sign of prayer, and (for those who wish) receive prayers for healing from the clergy. Many who attend come from other denominations and faith traditions; the parish is glad to count this evening gathering as a second church home for many in the community.
The Music Program
Music is one of the defining marks of Saint Paul's. Keith Shafer has served as Director of Music and Organist since 1983, leading what is widely considered one of the most accomplished music programs in the region. Trained at the Hartt College of Music at the University of Hartford, the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, and the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, he was a finalist in all of the major American organ-playing competitions. His recordings have been broadcast on National Public Radio's Pipedreams and on Georgia and South Carolina public radio.
Three choirs carry on this tradition. The adult Saint Paul's Choir leads the 11:00 a.m. liturgy. The Canterbury Choir involves youth from upper elementary and middle school grades. The Saint Nicholas Choir, for younger children, is led by Victoria Hammond and Nikki Wickware, both veteran music educators who have sung and taught in Georgia for decades. Sarah Pritchard, who served as organist and choirmaster of a sister Episcopal congregation in Harrisburg for twenty-five years before joining Saint Paul's in 1986, now holds the title Music Associate Emerita.
The music program has reached well beyond Augusta. Mr. Shafer has spent residencies in the British cathedrals of Salisbury, Durham, Worcester, York, Edinburgh, and St. Paul's Cathedral in London, served as Georgia Convenor of the American Guild of Organists, and was for twenty-five years a Director of the Sewanee Church Music Conference at the University of the South. His editions of "Psalms Made Singable" are used in churches throughout the United States and Canada.
275 Years on the Savannah
The story of Saint Paul's is the story of Augusta. In 1750 the Church of England established a parish at the site of Fort Augusta, and the original timber chapel was erected beside the fort. Anglicanism was the official religion of the Royal Colony of Georgia, and the new church was named for London's historic St. Paul's Cathedral. The Rev. Jonathan Copp arrived a few years later, and formal religious services have continued at this site ever since.
Four buildings on this site have been destroyed. The first was damaged during the French and Indian War by refugees sheltering inside the fort. A second building, completed after the war, was destroyed in 1781 during the Second Siege of Augusta, when the British turned the churchyard into Fort Cornwallis during the Revolutionary War. After independence, former Anglicans reorganized an Episcopal congregation and began meeting in public buildings in 1785; in 1788 their minister traveled north to receive Holy Orders from Samuel Seabury, America's first Episcopal bishop.
The third building, designed by John Lund and consecrated in 1821 by the Bishop of South Carolina, was a brick structure laid in Flemish bond with an impressive bell tower, almost identical to the present church. In 1823 the parish hosted the founding convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. During the Civil War the building was used as a hospital, and the first and last General Councils of the Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America were held here in 1862 and 1865. Confederate General Leonidas Polk, Bishop of Louisiana, was buried in the churchyard after being killed near Atlanta in 1864, because his body could not be returned to New Orleans.
The great Augusta fire of March 1916 destroyed more than thirty blocks of downtown, and the greatest single loss was Saint Paul's, after an adjacent cotton warehouse exploded into the new parish hall and flames swept through the old church. Services were held under a tent in the churchyard and later in the courthouse until a new parish house could be built.
A Heritage Commission keeps the story alive with a self-guided tour brochure available in the narthex, a detailed timeline of the parish, and ongoing research on those interred in the historic churchyard, including Col. William Few, a signer of the United States Constitution, whose portrait hangs in the narthex.
The Building: A Wendell Masterpiece
The present building, completed and consecrated in 1919, was designed by Augusta architect Henry Ten Eyck Wendell as a larger copy of the 1820 church. Although Wendell kept the exterior close to Lund's earlier design, he elongated the nave, pushed the altar further back, and changed the windows from Gothic to Roman arches. The interior is pure Georgian, borrowing heavily from designs of Sir Christopher Wren in London. Wendell died before the building was completed, but the church is considered his masterpiece.
Memorial stained glass windows were added through the 1960s. The chapel and parish hall were remodeled in the 1970s, and the Children's Ministries Center was completed in 2000. The River Room and Berlin Room, finished in 2008, now serve many community events.
In the churchyard, many undocumented graves lie beneath the surface; others are marked, including that of Col. William Few. Behind the church, at the foot of the Riverwalk, a Celtic cross marks the location of Fort Augusta; the cannon at its base is believed to have been brought from England in the 1730s by James Oglethorpe. To the left, behind the parish offices, a bricked floor plan shows the outline of the original 1750 chapel.
The church doors are open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until noon, for quiet reflection, prayer, or a quiet hour in the heart of downtown.
Weekday Worship
Beyond Sunday, the parish keeps a small but steady weekday rhythm. On Thursdays at 11:30 a.m., a thirty-minute Holy Eucharist is celebrated in the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul, followed by Lectio at Lunch in Tyler Hall, a Bible study that gathers over lunch. On Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m., Compline is prayed online via Zoom, with the parish office providing login information.
Children and Families
Saint Paul's considers children an integral part of the parish. They are welcome at all services, and the parish encourages families with young children to sit at the front of the nave so children can see, hear, and participate in worship. Crayons and children's bulletins following each Sunday's readings are available from the ushers.
A staffed nursery in the Children's Ministry Center welcomes children from six weeks to four years old each Sunday from 9:20 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Two caregivers are on duty each Sunday, both certified in Infant and Child CPR and First Aid and trained through the Diocese of Georgia's Safeguarding God's Children program. A silent pager system lets parents know if they are needed.
Children's Sunday Formation gathers children from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. The Godly Play program (four-year-olds through 2nd grade) meets in the St. Francis Room, following the circle of the Church year in a Montessori-style format that gives children room to play, wonder, and ask big questions. Upper Elementary (3rd through 5th grade) meets in the St. Patrick Room, with lessons built around the model of the Holy Eucharist: gather, tell the sacred story, share, and send forth.
Special events weave formation into parish rhythm: an annual Christmas Pageant on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, a Palm Procession on the Sunday before Easter, a Foot Washing and Communion service on Maundy Thursday, Stations of the Cross, an Easter Egg Hunt in the Churchyard, a Pentecost Procession, a Winter Family Dance, and a Parents Afternoon Out for children 3K through 5th grade.
Youth and EYC
Middle school youth (grades 6-8), known as The Wayfinders, meet in the St. Benedict Room on Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m., reflecting on the Episcopal tradition of being on a journey of faith. Episcopal Youth Formation for grades 9-12 meets in the St. James Room at the same time, focused on faith and practice and structured around conversation.
The Episcopal Youth Community (EYC) gathers youth in grades 6-12 twice a month from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings for food, fellowship, and service. Each gathering is built around either fellowship (pool parties, caroling and cocoa, bowling, Top Golf) or service projects at the Augusta Dream Center, Ronald McDonald House, SafeHomes of Augusta, the SPCA, and the parish's own Snack Pack Packing event.
Youth at Saint Paul's also participate in diocesan youth events such as New Beginnings (grades 7-9), Hometown Missions (grades 3-12), and Happening (grades 10-12). Confirmation preparation begins in the tenth grade. The youth program's scripture base is Micah 6:8: "He has shown you, O Man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God."
Aubrey Hinkson, who grew up across the river in Aiken, South Carolina, and now lives in North Augusta with her husband and two children, serves as Director of Children and Youth. She also owns Orange Otter Toy Store in North Augusta and teaches in the Hull College of Business at Augusta University.
Outreach in the CSRA and Beyond
Saint Paul's strives to respond to human needs in the community, the diocese, and the world. The Outreach Committee partners through volunteer efforts and financial support with Downtown Cooperative Church Ministry, Compass for Hope, Master's Table Soup Kitchen, Angel Tree Ministry, Golden Harvest Food Bank, Heifer International, and Our Little Roses Orphanage in Honduras. The parish also supports clothing and school supply drives, disaster relief, and Sunday-afternoon ice cream socials at the Georgia War Veterans' Nursing Home.
A signature event is the annual Mardi Gras Auction, Dinner, and Dance in the River Room, which helps fund these ministries. The Bridge Building Community ministry organizes occasional ramp-building days for neighbors in need, with supplies provided and construction leaders on hand. Outreach Committee meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every other month in Tyler Hall.
Ironman 70.3 Weekend
Each September, the parish opens its doors to athletes, families, and spectators during Ironman 70.3 Augusta weekend. The Saint Paul's TriAugusta Pasta Dinner draws hundreds of athletes and their families to the River Room on Saturday evening for spaghetti, salad, bread, and cookies, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
On race morning, the church opens at 5:00 a.m. for meditation and prayer, and the River Room becomes a hospitality space with complimentary coffee, water, and light refreshments for athletes waiting to start and for families waiting on their athletes. The cheer station outside the River Room supplies ice and popsicles to athletes as they finish the run on the Riverwalk. Parishioners add race participants' names to the Sunday Prayers of the People.
Welcome and Visitors
Saint Paul's makes a point of welcoming newcomers and visitors. The church doors are open daily for prayer and quiet reflection, and parking is available on both sides of the church, including handicap parking. Wheelchair ramps are available from the east side of the church near 6th Street.
On Sunday mornings, ushers greet visitors with a service bulletin. The bulletins include the entire liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer, all service music and hymns, and easy notations so newcomers can follow along. Hearing enhancement devices are available from an usher. While customary postures such as standing and kneeling are part of Episcopal worship, visitors are invited to be seated at any point according to their needs and comfort.
Children are welcome in worship and may also attend the Children's Ministry Center nursery. All who come in faith are welcome at the Communion table; for those who wish to receive communion without leaving the pew, an usher can arrange a visit at the altar rail.
A Welcome to Saint Paul's orientation meets every other month for newcomers, and a Newcomer Party is hosted twice a year at a parishioner's home. Name tags are available in the narthex.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral care runs deep at Saint Paul's. The Rev. Kimberly E. Dunn, who joined the parish in 2023, carries special responsibility for pastoral care throughout the CSRA and for building relationships with neighbors in downtown Augusta.
Names may be added to the Sunday Prayers of the People through a notebook at the baptismal font; requests can also be sent to the parish office. The Saint Ruth Byllesby Chapter of the Daughters of the King, an international prayer and service order, prays daily for the parish's prayer list. Prayer for healing is offered at every Sunday evening Celtic service.
Parish Visitors and Eucharistic Visitors make monthly visits to homebound parishioners, and clergy of Saint Paul's visit parishioners who are unable to attend. Sunday bulletins are mailed to homebound parishioners so they can follow the 11:00 a.m. service, broadcast live on 95.1 FM radio.
Music and the Calendar
The music program is woven into the church year. Independence Day brings a brass quintet and percussion to the 11:00 a.m. service, followed by a parish barbecue in the River Room. The Sunday closest to the start of the school year brings the Back to School Blessing, when students and teachers bring book bags, briefcases, or laptops to be blessed for the new school year. The Blessing of the Animals on the church lawn in early October, co-sponsored by the Augusta Humane Society, draws feathered, furry, multi-legged, and scaly friends on leashes and in carriers. Lent, Easter, Christmas, and other major feasts bring the entire guild of musicians to bear.
Parish Life
Parish life extends well beyond Sunday. The Men's Monthly Meal gathers on the first Wednesday of each month in the River Room; men arrive at 4:00 p.m. to cook, and the parish gathers at 6:00 p.m. for dinner. Senior Lunch meets monthly from September to May, geared toward retirees but open to anyone who wants a relaxing social hour. Gather by the River, a Low-Country Boil in the River Room, kicks off the fall program year. Parents Afternoon Out gives parents a regular break.
The Clergy
The Rev. Dr. Eric Biddy became the 22nd Rector of Saint Paul's on September 1, 2021. A native Georgian who grew up in Powder Springs and graduated from Emory's Candler School of Theology, he recently completed a PhD in theological ethics at Chicago Theological Seminary. Before returning to Georgia, he pastored St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Oak Park, Illinois for seven years. He and his wife Jackie share their home with their children Isaac and Lucy, their twelve-year-old cat Nell, and their dog St. Aidan of Lindisfark (Aidan).
The Rev. Kimberly E. Dunn accepted a call to Saint Paul's in June 2023 as Associate Rector, with an emphasis on pastoral care and on building relationships with those who work, study, live, or visit in downtown Augusta. A graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, she was ordained a priest at Saint Paul's on December 16, 2023. A native of Kansas City, Kansas, and a former international opera performer, she is a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and a former military spouse who served service members and their families in Europe during Desert Storm.
Two assisting clergy round out the pastoral team. The Rev. Bill Dolen joined the parish shortly after arriving in Augusta in 1992 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2010 after completing the Advanced Degree Program at the University of the South. A retired US Army officer and allergy-immunology specialist at the Medical College of Georgia, he often serves as a substitute organist at Saint Paul's and as Assistant Conductor of the Augusta Choral Society. The Rev. Erwin Veale, ordained to the diaconate at Saint Paul's in 1994 and to the priesthood in 1996, has served numerous congregations throughout the Augusta Convocation and serves on the Pastoral Care Staff at University Hospital.
Beliefs and Tradition
Saint Paul's stands within The Episcopal Church, an American expression of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Episcopalians trace their roots to the Church of England; the word "Episcopal" comes from the Greek episkopos, meaning "overseer" or bishop. The Episcopal Church now includes about 2.2 million members in more than 7,400 congregations across 109 dioceses and three regional areas in sixteen countries.
The parish sees its unity not in a common consensus on all matters but in a common journey toward God through the worship and ministry of its churches. The clearest statements of what Episcopalians believe are found in the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, both more than sixteen hundred years old and held by billions of Christians around the world. The Bible is the source of the church's theology, and the Book of Common Prayer is the guide to its worship and the articulation of its theology.
All are welcome at Saint Paul's: "No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter where you are on the journey of life."