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The Church of the Epiphany was an Episcopal congregation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1834, it merged with St. Luke's Church in 1898 to form The Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany. Its 1834 Greek Revival building, designed by architect Thomas Ustick Walter and located at 1501-15 Chestnut Street, was demolished in 1902. ==History== In 1833, Dr. Caspar Morris, Alexander W. Johnston, Robert Coldeleugh, and Lewis R. Ashhurst proposed a new congregation for the growing neighborhood around Broad and Chestnut Streets. The cornerstone was laid on March 24, 1834 by Bishop William White with the first service held in the basement of the Church the following August. The Church of the Epiphany was consecrated on Oct 12, 1834 by Bishop White; The Rev. Stephen H. Tyng, rector of St. Paul's Church, Philadelphia, was called as the first Rector. Dr. Tyng was a leader of the evangelical movement and the church became a meeting place for evangelicals from all denominations. He was an outspoken critic of the Roman Catholic Church, yet he was a fierce opponent of the Philadelphia Nativist Riots (1844). His autocratic style and strident views, however, had limited appeal beyond those in the small evangelical community. The Rev. James H. Fowles, rector of St. Batholomew's Church, Colleton County, SC, was called to be rector in 1845. Under his leadership the debt of the church was liquidated, the building was enlarged and the interior renovated to be more in keeping with contemporary Episcopal practice. His health began to deteriorate during the fourth year of his rectorate. He died on March 5, 1854 near Wateree, SC. The rectorship of The Rev. Dudley A. Tyng, son of the first rector, was filled with controversy. In 1856, one of the wardens challenged him during a sermon where he denounced the Fugitive Slave Act. In response, the Vestry approved a resolution stating it was inappropriate to "select the Lord's day and the pulpit of this Church as the time and place for the discussion of any question of sectional politics." Tyng would not agree to refrain from such discussions and the Vestry asked for his resignation, which he refused to tender. The controversy went on for months. An election was held among the congregation the results of which supported the vestry's position. Tyng still would not resign. Finally the Bishop agreed to allow a new church, Church of the Covenant, to be built for him in order to secure his resignation. Unfortunately, Tyng died as a result of a farm accident which nearly severed one of his arms. It is ironic that in his last sermon, he declared that he would rather lose his right arm than fall short of declaring God's word. Among his last words to his friends surrounding his deathbed were "Tell them 'Let us all stand up for Jesus -- let us all stand in Christ Jesus in prayer, -- accepted in Christ, having no other claims than His righteousness, that Christ may be glorified in us forever." Moved by these words, his friend the Rev. George Duffield Jr. penned the words that would become the popular hymn "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" which is #561 in The () Hymnal 1982.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/s/s333.html )〕 Determined to avoid a repeat of the unpleasant experience of Tyng's rectorship, a southerner and friend of the late Rev. Fowles was elected rector. The Rev. William Otis Prentiss was elected rector in 1857. He remained at Epiphany for only one year and then returned to his native South Carolina. The Rev. John Cracraft was called to be rector in December 1858 and assumed leadership of the parish in January 1859. Francis Wells, Church of the Epiphany's historian, noted "() occupied the Rectorship for a little more than 3 years ... it was the period of the Parish's greatest depression both spiritually and materially, and was terminated by (resignation on ) March 2, 1862." The size of the congregation dwindled and the resources of the Church were depleted by 1862. Under these dire conditions, The Rev. Dr. Richard Newton, rector of St. Paul's Church, Philadelphia, was called to be rector in 1862. During the nine years he served at Epiphany the congregation grew substantially and was put on a better financial footing. His greatest interest lay in the Sunday schools where he preached a series of sermons which were published in several languages and distributed worldwide. The Rev. Dr. Newton was also active in various institutions in Philadelphia, including the University of Pennsylvania's Board of Trustees. Interestingly in 1862, Episcopal leaders held a secret meeting at Epiphany where they decided not to recognize the split in the Episcopal Church caused by the Civil War and would only mark southern representatives absent at the upcoming general convention. This action helped ease the reunification of the church after the Civil War (which occurred at St. Luke's Church, Philadelphia). In 1881, The Rev. Dr. Newton retired due to illness and was given the title of Rector Emeritus and a small pension. By the fall of 1881, however, he had recovered and assumed the rectorship of Church of the Covenant, Philadelphia, where he served until his death. The Rev. George H. Kinsolving, rector of St. John's Church, Cincainnati, OH, was called to be rector in 1881. He was active in the work of the Diocese and was a trustee of the Philadelphia Divinity School. His rectorship was cut short when he was elected Episcopal Bishop of Texas in 1883.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fki30 )〕 At this time, the Church claimed 613 members and a value of $300,000.00. The Rev. Thomas A. Tidball was the last rector at Epiphany and also the first of the consolidated church. A scholar and author of a theological study, he was installed in 1884 and it was through his persistence that the merger was accomplished. In 1896, prominent Philadelphia merchant, John Wanamaker approached The Church of The Epiphany to purchase its property. The Vestry approved the sale for $600,000 with the intention of relocating the church farther west. They could not, however, get the required consent of the three closest parishes for the move. Bishop Ozi W. Whitaker suggested the merger with St. Luke's Church, Philadelphia, which occurred on April 6, 1898. The building was demolished in 1902. Upon the sale of the grounds, remains from 33 vaults in the church burial ground were exhumed and re-interred at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, South Laurel Hill Cemetery, Machpelah Cemetery, and Woodland Cemetery among several others. A large monument that stood at the corner dedicated to Rev. Fowles was relocated to West Laurel Hill. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Church of The Epiphany (Philadelphia)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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