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Chapel of the Cross (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
Chapel of the Cross is a parish of the Episcopal Church of the United States located in the Diocese of North Carolina. It is the spiritual home to over 1,600 communicants, including a large number of students studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
. The town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
is named after the church.
was established in Chapel Hill in 1752 when a “chapel of ease” was built at an important hilltop crossroads in the southern part of Orange County
to spare remote parishioners a journey to the church in Hillsborough
. The small log building, known as New Hope Chapel, stood where the Carolina Inn
is now but disappeared during the American Revolution
. The settlement on New Hope Chapel Hill remained, the University of North Carolina was founded in 1795, and traveling clergy visited; but a permanent Episcopal congregation did not form again for half a century.
In May 1842, the Rev. William Mercer Green
, a Professor of Belles Lettres at the University of North Carolina, presided over the organization of the Church of the Atonement: an Episcopal parish with fifteen communicants and no church building.
The growing congregation worshiped in one another’s homes for five years as work on their little church went slowly, using handmade bricks fired in kilns on the Rev. Green’s property. On October 19, 1848, Bishop Levi Silliman Ives consecrated the new church — complete with a wooden gallery for slaves — “The Chapel of the Holy Cross.” He accurately described the scale of the building by calling it a chapel, but declared, “We’ll name it for the deed and not the doctrine.” The parish had twenty-two communicants, five of whom were University students.
By 1921 the parish had outgrown its first church. The Vestry, under the leadership of the Rev. Alfred Lawrence (rector 1921–1944) asked the distinguished church architect Hobart B. Upjohn to design a new building to be connected to “the old chapel” by a cloister. Major funding for the church was provided by a gift from the Durham mill owner and philanthropist William A. Erwin in memory of his grandfather, William Rainey Holt, a classmate of William Mercer Green in the class of 1818. The new building was consecrated on May 14, 1925.
The Chapel of the Cross has not been untouched by the moral and political turmoil of the twentieth century. The Rev. David Yates (rector 1945-1959) insisted that a Christian community was obligated to pray for the enemy and respect the rights of conscientious objectors, however difficult, during World War II. He ensured that black people were welcomed in the parish, long before most Southern institutions were integrated. Later, on February 13, 1977, the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray
, the first black woman ordained to the Episcopal priesthood, celebrated her first Eucharist
and also became the first woman to celebrate the Eucharist at The Chapel of the Cross. She presided in the same chapel where her grandmother, Cornelia, a slave child belonging to Mary Ruffin Smith, was baptized in 1854.
The Rev. Peter James Lee (rector 1971-1984) led the parish toward understanding and acceptance of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer
and opened the pulpit and altar to women priests. In 1980, extensive renovation and restoration of parish buildings were completed. Mr. Lee was consecrated Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
on May 19, 1984, and became Bishop of Virginia the next year.
On July 1, 1985, the Rev. Stephen J. Elkins-Williams, then Associate for Parish Ministry, became the twenty-seventh rector of The Chapel of the Cross. His tenure has been marked by an intentional focus on expanding the outreach ministry of the parish and its role in the community as exemplified in the development of a Sister Parish Covenant with St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, a student-parish Habitat for Humanity partnership, continued strong campus ministry, and increased outreach funding. Christian Education and Youth Ministry programs have been expanded, and a more intentional Elder Ministry is in the process of development. The staff has been increased to keep up with expanding ministry, including the Assistant for Pastoral Ministry, full-time Organist-Choirmaster and Christian Education Director positions, and increased administrative and maintenance support.
The thirtieth anniversary of the Reverend Pauli Murray's first Eucharist was commemorated in the chapel on February 8, 2007, in a service celebrated by the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori
, the Presiding Bishop
of the Episcopal Church.
The history of the Chapel of the Cross has been marked by steady growth. The Church of the Holy Family, the second Episcopal church in Chapel Hill, was commissioned in 1952. The Church of the Advocate, an Episcopal mission of Chapel of the Cross, Holy Family and St. Matthews (Hillsborough), was founded in 2003.
The Chapel of the Cross welcomes you with an open door. We are:
held at 9:30pm.
Chapel of the Cross holds three services every Sunday during the Summer. All three services offer the Eucharist and occur at 8:00am, 10:00am, and 5:15pm.
Services are also held at assisted living facilities in the Chapel Hill area. A service of Holy Eucharist using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer is held on Wednesday at 10:00am, and Holy Eucharist Rite II is celebrated at 5:15pm on Thursday. A service of Evening Prayer is held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 5:15pm.
The Chapel of the Cross has a strong choral tradition with five separate choirs led by the Organist and Choirmaster Dr. Wylie S. "Van" Quinn: the compline choir, the junior choir, the senior choir, the cantus choir, and the parish choir.
Chapel of the Cross serves students at the University of North Carolina and has a strong college ministry program called the Episcopal Campus Ministry. The Episcopal Campus Ministry meets every Tuesday at 5:30 during the academic year. The church also has a strong youth program called the Episcopal Youth Community for sixth through twelfth graders which meets on Sunday nights.
As a university church, there is also a strong focus on adult and youth education. Sunday School is held every week with a variety of other programs and discussion groups on topics ranging from the death penalty to the environment
. Along with education, other programs are offered to assist parishioners with their spiritual development and prayer life.
Troop 9 of the Boy Scouts of America meets every Tuesday evening at 7:00PM at the Chapel of the Cross during the academic year. Troop 9 has been meeting at The Chapel of the Cross since 1937 and began its charter with The Chapel of the Cross in 1946. The origins of Troop 9 predate the incorporation of the Boy Scouts of America. The Troop originated on the UNC campus in 1910 as a Scout Unit of the YMCA. Along with other YMCA Scout Units, the Troop was transferred into the BSA under an agreement with the BSA's founder and the YMCA in 1912. Troop 9 will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2010, at the same time the Boy Scouts of America celebrate their 100th anniversary of incorporation in the United States.
With a focus on the Millennium Development Goals
developed by the United Nations
, Chapel of the Cross engages in a wide variety of outreach work in the community of Chapel Hill, the United States
and the world. International outreach efforts have focussed on two countries, South Africa
and Honduras
. Another major effort undertaken by the Chapel of the Cross in the area of outreach is the annual Attic, Basement and Closet Sale (ABC Sale), which raises thousands of dollars for charities that apply for grants. In addition, the church's facilities are used by a wide variety of organizations from the University of North Carolina and the community, including Alcoholics Anonymous
, Narcotics Anonymous
, and English as a Second Language
(ESL) classes. A special service is held monthly for individuals in the community with developmental disabilities.
There are currently four full-time clergy at Chapel of the Cross:
• The Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams - Rector
• The Rev. Tambria Lee - Associate for Campus Ministry
• The Rev. Victoria Jamieson-Drake - Associate for Pastoral Ministry
• The Rev. David Frazelle - Associate for Parish Ministry
The Venerable Dr. William Joyner serves as deacon at the Chapel of the Cross. Several other priests serve in volunteer capacities, including the Rev. Dr. Bill Morley, and the Rev. Dr. Richard Pfaff.
The main governing body of the Chapel of the Cross is the vestry, which is composed of twelve lay people elected from the congregation for three-year terms. Four vestry members are elected annually. For a list of the current vestry members, refer to the vestry website.
Chapel of the Cross is active in the governance of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
, the national Episcopal Church, and the international Anglican Communion
as a whole.
For more information about the current state of the Chapel of the Cross, please refer to their publications page.
(Bishop of Pittsburgh (Southern Cone)) - Served as the Associate for Campus Ministry
• The Rt. Rev. John Spong (Bishop of Newark) - Served as a Student Resident
• The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee (Bishop of Virginia) - Served as Rector
• The Rev. Pauli Murray - Celebrated her first Eucharist at Chapel of the Cross
• State Senator Eleanor Kinnaird
- Parishioner of Chapel of the Cross
• Chancellor Emeritus of UNC-Chapel Hill James Moeser
- Parishioner of Chapel of the Cross
• Governor Beverly Perdue - Parishioner of Chapel of the Cross
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. The town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
is named after the church.
History
The Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
was established in Chapel Hill in 1752 when a “chapel of ease” was built at an important hilltop crossroads in the southern part of Orange County
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
to spare remote parishioners a journey to the church in Hillsborough
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
. The small log building, known as New Hope Chapel, stood where the Carolina Inn
Carolina Inn
The Carolina Inn is a hotel listed on the National Register of Historic Places on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Orange County, North Carolina which opened in 1924. It was built in 1922 by alumnus John Sprunt Hill and donated to the University in 1935. It was...
is now but disappeared during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. The settlement on New Hope Chapel Hill remained, the University of North Carolina was founded in 1795, and traveling clergy visited; but a permanent Episcopal congregation did not form again for half a century.
In May 1842, the Rev. William Mercer Green
William Mercer Green
William Mercer Green was the first Episcopal bishop of Mississippi.-Early life:Green was born in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1798. He was the son of William Green, a North Carolina rice planter, and Mary Green, a woman of Quaker extraction...
, a Professor of Belles Lettres at the University of North Carolina, presided over the organization of the Church of the Atonement: an Episcopal parish with fifteen communicants and no church building.
The growing congregation worshiped in one another’s homes for five years as work on their little church went slowly, using handmade bricks fired in kilns on the Rev. Green’s property. On October 19, 1848, Bishop Levi Silliman Ives consecrated the new church — complete with a wooden gallery for slaves — “The Chapel of the Holy Cross.” He accurately described the scale of the building by calling it a chapel, but declared, “We’ll name it for the deed and not the doctrine.” The parish had twenty-two communicants, five of whom were University students.
By 1921 the parish had outgrown its first church. The Vestry, under the leadership of the Rev. Alfred Lawrence (rector 1921–1944) asked the distinguished church architect Hobart B. Upjohn to design a new building to be connected to “the old chapel” by a cloister. Major funding for the church was provided by a gift from the Durham mill owner and philanthropist William A. Erwin in memory of his grandfather, William Rainey Holt, a classmate of William Mercer Green in the class of 1818. The new building was consecrated on May 14, 1925.
The Chapel of the Cross has not been untouched by the moral and political turmoil of the twentieth century. The Rev. David Yates (rector 1945-1959) insisted that a Christian community was obligated to pray for the enemy and respect the rights of conscientious objectors, however difficult, during World War II. He ensured that black people were welcomed in the parish, long before most Southern institutions were integrated. Later, on February 13, 1977, the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray
Pauli Murray
The Reverend Dr. Anna Pauline Murray was an American civil rights advocate, women's rights activist and feminist, lawyer, writer, poet, teacher, and ordained priest....
, the first black woman ordained to the Episcopal priesthood, celebrated her first Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
and also became the first woman to celebrate the Eucharist at The Chapel of the Cross. She presided in the same chapel where her grandmother, Cornelia, a slave child belonging to Mary Ruffin Smith, was baptized in 1854.
The Rev. Peter James Lee (rector 1971-1984) led the parish toward understanding and acceptance of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
and opened the pulpit and altar to women priests. In 1980, extensive renovation and restoration of parish buildings were completed. Mr. Lee was consecrated Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
The Diocese of Virginia is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing 38 counties in the northern and central parts of the state of Virginia. The diocese was organized in 1785 and is one of the Episcopal Church's nine original dioceses. However, the diocese has...
on May 19, 1984, and became Bishop of Virginia the next year.
On July 1, 1985, the Rev. Stephen J. Elkins-Williams, then Associate for Parish Ministry, became the twenty-seventh rector of The Chapel of the Cross. His tenure has been marked by an intentional focus on expanding the outreach ministry of the parish and its role in the community as exemplified in the development of a Sister Parish Covenant with St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, a student-parish Habitat for Humanity partnership, continued strong campus ministry, and increased outreach funding. Christian Education and Youth Ministry programs have been expanded, and a more intentional Elder Ministry is in the process of development. The staff has been increased to keep up with expanding ministry, including the Assistant for Pastoral Ministry, full-time Organist-Choirmaster and Christian Education Director positions, and increased administrative and maintenance support.
The thirtieth anniversary of the Reverend Pauli Murray's first Eucharist was commemorated in the chapel on February 8, 2007, in a service celebrated by the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she is the first woman elected as a primate of the Anglican Communion...
, the Presiding Bishop
Presiding Bishop
The Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
of the Episcopal Church.
The history of the Chapel of the Cross has been marked by steady growth. The Church of the Holy Family, the second Episcopal church in Chapel Hill, was commissioned in 1952. The Church of the Advocate, an Episcopal mission of Chapel of the Cross, Holy Family and St. Matthews (Hillsborough), was founded in 2003.
Mission statement
Its mission statement is as follows:The Chapel of the Cross welcomes you with an open door. We are:
- Called by tradition and mission to minister in the heart of the University and local community
- Committed to the sacramental worship of God, engaging the richness and beauty of Anglican liturgy and music
- Growing as disciples of Jesus through preaching, teaching, service, and fellowship
- Bringing Gospel witness to the world.
Information
Chapel of the Cross holds five services every Sunday during the Fall, Winter and Spring. Four services offer the Eucharist and occur at 7:30am, 9:00am, 11:15am, and 5:15pm. Both Rite I and Rite II are offered every Sunday. The final Sunday service is a candlelight service of Sung ComplineCompline
Compline is the final church service of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. The English word Compline is derived from the Latin completorium, as Compline is the completion of the working day. The word was first used in this sense about the beginning of the 6th century by St...
held at 9:30pm.
Chapel of the Cross holds three services every Sunday during the Summer. All three services offer the Eucharist and occur at 8:00am, 10:00am, and 5:15pm.
Services are also held at assisted living facilities in the Chapel Hill area. A service of Holy Eucharist using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer is held on Wednesday at 10:00am, and Holy Eucharist Rite II is celebrated at 5:15pm on Thursday. A service of Evening Prayer is held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 5:15pm.
The Chapel of the Cross has a strong choral tradition with five separate choirs led by the Organist and Choirmaster Dr. Wylie S. "Van" Quinn: the compline choir, the junior choir, the senior choir, the cantus choir, and the parish choir.
Chapel of the Cross serves students at the University of North Carolina and has a strong college ministry program called the Episcopal Campus Ministry. The Episcopal Campus Ministry meets every Tuesday at 5:30 during the academic year. The church also has a strong youth program called the Episcopal Youth Community for sixth through twelfth graders which meets on Sunday nights.
As a university church, there is also a strong focus on adult and youth education. Sunday School is held every week with a variety of other programs and discussion groups on topics ranging from the death penalty to the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
. Along with education, other programs are offered to assist parishioners with their spiritual development and prayer life.
Troop 9 of the Boy Scouts of America meets every Tuesday evening at 7:00PM at the Chapel of the Cross during the academic year. Troop 9 has been meeting at The Chapel of the Cross since 1937 and began its charter with The Chapel of the Cross in 1946. The origins of Troop 9 predate the incorporation of the Boy Scouts of America. The Troop originated on the UNC campus in 1910 as a Scout Unit of the YMCA. Along with other YMCA Scout Units, the Troop was transferred into the BSA under an agreement with the BSA's founder and the YMCA in 1912. Troop 9 will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2010, at the same time the Boy Scouts of America celebrate their 100th anniversary of incorporation in the United States.
With a focus on the Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
developed by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, Chapel of the Cross engages in a wide variety of outreach work in the community of Chapel Hill, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the world. International outreach efforts have focussed on two countries, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. Another major effort undertaken by the Chapel of the Cross in the area of outreach is the annual Attic, Basement and Closet Sale (ABC Sale), which raises thousands of dollars for charities that apply for grants. In addition, the church's facilities are used by a wide variety of organizations from the University of North Carolina and the community, including Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
, Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous is a twelve-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous describing itself as a "fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem," and it is the second-largest 12-step organization...
, and English as a Second Language
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
(ESL) classes. A special service is held monthly for individuals in the community with developmental disabilities.
There are currently four full-time clergy at Chapel of the Cross:
• The Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams - Rector
• The Rev. Tambria Lee - Associate for Campus Ministry
• The Rev. Victoria Jamieson-Drake - Associate for Pastoral Ministry
• The Rev. David Frazelle - Associate for Parish Ministry
The Venerable Dr. William Joyner serves as deacon at the Chapel of the Cross. Several other priests serve in volunteer capacities, including the Rev. Dr. Bill Morley, and the Rev. Dr. Richard Pfaff.
The main governing body of the Chapel of the Cross is the vestry, which is composed of twelve lay people elected from the congregation for three-year terms. Four vestry members are elected annually. For a list of the current vestry members, refer to the vestry website.
Chapel of the Cross is active in the governance of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, founded in 1817, roughly corresponds to the segment of the U.S. state of North Carolina between I-77 in the west and I-95 in the east, including the most populous area of the state. Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh, Cary, and Durham are the...
, the national Episcopal Church, and the international Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
as a whole.
For more information about the current state of the Chapel of the Cross, please refer to their publications page.
Notable names with connections to Chapel of the Cross
• The Rt. Rev. Robert DuncanRobert Duncan
-Arts:*Robert Duncan , American music critic*Robert Duncan , British TV actor*Robert Duncan , U.S. composer*Robert Duncan , U.S. poet-Politics:...
(Bishop of Pittsburgh (Southern Cone)) - Served as the Associate for Campus Ministry
• The Rt. Rev. John Spong (Bishop of Newark) - Served as a Student Resident
• The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee (Bishop of Virginia) - Served as Rector
• The Rev. Pauli Murray - Celebrated her first Eucharist at Chapel of the Cross
• State Senator Eleanor Kinnaird
Eleanor Kinnaird
Eleanor G. 'Ellie' Kinnaird is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 23rd Senate district since 1997. Her district includes constituents in Orange and Person counties...
- Parishioner of Chapel of the Cross
• Chancellor Emeritus of UNC-Chapel Hill James Moeser
James Moeser
James Charles Moeser was the ninth chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also a trained concert organist...
- Parishioner of Chapel of the Cross
• Governor Beverly Perdue - Parishioner of Chapel of the Cross