Church History

Providence and perseverance. Those are the two words that best describe the early history of St. Paul’s Church. The congregation was established in 1910, and construction began on the first church building in 1913. Before construction was completed, the structure was blown down in a hurricane. A second church was built shortly thereafter; that building lasted until 1972 when it was destroyed by termites. The chapel on the corner of Main Street and Lakewood Avenue was built as the third church building in 1972. For much of this timespan, St. Paul’s was a mission: it was not a self-supporting parish. Most of the time, the church only had part-time clergy. Pastors of All Saints in Pawleys Island and from the Church of the Advent in Marion came to St. Paul’s to conduct services. Sometimes there was no clergy! At one point, the future of St. Paul’s looked so dim that the bishop almost closed the church and moved it to Socastee. But by God’s Providence and the perseverance of the faithful few, the church survived. Significant growth began in the late 1980s and continued for the next 20 years. St. Paul’s became a self-supporting congregation and the church began to have an impact on the community. Churches Assisting People (CAP) – a local food pantry – began at St. Paul’s during this period. The church began to grow by 15-20% per year, and construction of a new church building was completed in 2001. The St. Paul’s Day School, a faith-based pre-school and Mother’s Morning Out program began at the turn of the millennium. The Shepherd’s Table – a soup kitchen was started in 2008 by a member of the congregation. In the first decade of the 21st Century, the church navigated through a turbulent relationship with its denomination until St. Paul’s and other like-minded churches pledged to stay true to the Gospel.
The global pandemic of 2020 briefly disrupted life in the church. But now, momentum has resumed, and St. Paul’s Church is a growing congregation of over 300 members. The Day School teaches the faith to children. Worship is Spirit-filled, and the ministries of the church are reaching out to the community with the love of Jesus. By God’s Providence, St. Paul’s will persevere and move into the glorious future the Lord has prepared for us.