CityView Magazine

10 | September/October 2019 S F A I T H A beacon and a rock in an ever-changing world BY DONALD WADDELL LAHUFFMAN S t. Joseph's Episcopal Church occupies a stately blue- green building at the corner of Moore and Ramsey streets. is building, constructed for the church in 1896 and consecrated the following year, features tasteful décor, exquisite furnishings and extraordinary structural details, including five stained glass Resurrection Windows designed by Tiffany Studios in New York. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. But St. Joseph's Episcopal Church is more than a beautiful and historic building. Since its establishment in 1873, the church has been about people in communion with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whom we serve. Despite terrible fires in 1916 and 2015, the church still stands strong. anks to God, St. Joseph's has also been both a fortress and a lighthouse for the community in a sea of social change over the last century and a half. rough racial segregation, both world wars, the prosperous 1950s, the civil rights movement and the landscape of the post-civil rights era, the church has remained a beacon for those who seek God's peace and guidance in a world which is constantly changing. My family has been part of St. Joseph's since its founding. I myself have attended the church for seven decades – so far. It has been a blessing. St. Joseph's was organized for a black congregation that separated from St. John's Episcopal Church. Its first rector was Dr. Joseph Huske, the retired rector from St. John's. Special acknowledgement goes to Charlotte McNeill, a church member and seamstress, and to her friend Eva Cochran, a wealthy woman who helped finance construction of the church's current home. rough the years St. Joseph's has sought to help those in need. In the 1940s and 1950s, when black members of the Armed Forces and their families were denied access to the local USO because of racial segregation, St. Joseph's opened its doors to them as a social hall. e church initiated one of the area's first breakfast programs for the homeless and, with the help of other churches and community organizations, operated the program for 20 years. e Moore Street playground operated on property owned by St. Joseph's. e church allowed the city to use its property for the playground so neighborhood children could play outdoor sports and table games and do arts and cras. Marian Gunnells, a church member, was one of the playground's supervisors. Local Shriners provided team uniforms. Over the years, St. Joseph's membership has consisted of a myriad of individuals from many fields, including education, business, medicine, the

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