Good Shepherd – a ‘new’ church with a 300-year history and a promising new future!

Although Good Shepherd in its current incarnation is relatively young, we trace our roots to two Church of England congregations established in Colonial South Carolina: St. Paul’s Parish Church (1708), on the Stono River in Rantowles, and St. George’s Parish Church (1720), within the Dorchester settlement on the Ashley River. Families from these parishes ‘summered’ inland to escape mosquitos and malaria, and in 1830 established St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Summerville. It grew and flourished for over 180 years as a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. After the 2012 schism in the South Carolina Episcopal Church, a remnant Episcopal congregation of St. Paul’s, Summerville, reorganized as The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. Today we are grateful to embody a vibrant, continuing presence of the Episcopal Church in this place.

During the early years of reorganization, Good Shepherd’s congregation first gathered in homes, later at the Timrod Library, and for over two years at Wesley United Methodist Church. Worship was led by wonderful retired clergy from the Diocese, and we were overwhelmed with gifts of prayer books, hymnals, and communion vessels from the wider Episcopal Church. In October 2013, Bishop Charles vonRosenberg appointed The Rev. Alastair Votaw to be our first Priest-in-Charge, and in February 2014 we were accepted as a mission congregation of the continuing Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina at the 223rd Annual Diocesan Convention. In 2015 we leased a freshly renovated space in downtown Summerville on West Luke Avenue. In July 2017, The Rev. Dow Sanderson became our second Priest, and under his leadership, Good Shepherd continued to grow, attaining full Parish status in November 2023.

Over the years since becoming the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, we have grown steadily in spirit and size and resources. As we welcomed and incorporated new members, we began to outgrow our space and to envision new possibilities for ministry. We had begun searching for property to expand in Summerville, when Good Shepherd received a generous gift of land from lifelong parishioners George and Jane Tupper. 

It was time to begin planning how to move forward! We first moved our offices into the existing house on the new property at 808 N. Cedar Street. Fr. Sanderson secured an interim place of worship from St. Luke’s Lutheran, and in October 2024 we began holding services and Sunday school in their historic chapel on Central Avenue. An architect was hired to design our new church building. Now plans are proceeding, as we prepare to build a new home for the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Summerville!

As ever, we are a community filled with gratitude, welcoming newcomers to share the love of Christ in our inclusive and joy-filled church. Here indeed, all are welcome, all are valued, all are loved.

Building on blessings, from joy into joy…

…come taste and see what the Lord is doing!

GOOD SHEPHERD'S FAMILY TREE

GOOD SHEPHERD'S FAMILY ALBUM