Saint Paul's Church (Augusta, Georgia)

Saint Paul's Church
View of Saint Paul's Church from courtyard 2
Religion
Affiliation	Episcopal Church
District	Episcopal Diocese of Georgia
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	parish
Location
Location	Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
Architecture
Style	Colonial
Saint Paul's Church (Episcopal)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	6th and Reynolds Sts., Augusta, Georgia
Coordinates	33°28′33″N 81°57′40″W / 33.47583°N 81.96111°W / 33.47583; -81.96111
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1751
NRHP reference No.	73000642[1]
Added to NRHP	April 11, 1973
Website
Saint Paul's Church

Saint Paul's Church is a historic Episcopal church in downtown Augusta, Georgia, adjacent to Riverwalk Augusta. A member of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, Saint Paul's conducts its worship services using the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The church, located on the corner of 6th and Reynolds Streets, is the oldest church congregation in Augusta. It was established in 1750 by the Church of England at the site of Fort Augusta. There have been five churches on the site. The current church building, which combines features of Federal architecture with those of the Georgian and Greek Revival styles, was designed by Henry Ten Eyck Wendell and dedicated in 1920.^[2] It can seat up to 600 people.

Saint Paul's is an active congregation. Its three Sunday worship services at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5:30 p.m. include celebration of the Lord's Supper, known in the Episcopal Church as the Holy Eucharist. The 8 am service (no music) uses Rite I of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The 11 am choral service uses Rite II of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The 5:30 Celtic Communion is a meditative healing service that includes quiet music by local musicians. The nave is open to the public for private prayer from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m, Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to noon, Friday. A guestbook and historical brochures are available in the narthex. For additional information on the activities and history of Saint Paul's Church, see the church website at http://www.saintpauls.org/

Christian formation classes for all ages are held each Sunday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Nursery care is offered from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The 11 a.m. service is broadcast on local radio at WGAC 580 AM Radio and WGAC 95.1 FM Radio. Listeners can hear the service on-line at http://wgac.com/listen-live/

Saint Paul's has a long history of service and hospitality to the wider Augusta community and to the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. It is a member of Downtown Cooperative Church Ministries, a consortium of downtown Augusta churches which provides food, medical, housing, and financial assistance to those with limited means. The Saint Paul's Outreach Committee raises funds to support local charities. In cooperation with Golden Harvest Food Bank, the parish's bi-monthly Manna Pantry program provides nutritionally healthy foods to local residents dealing with food insecurity.

Through its River Room event facility, Saint Paul's provides a site for a wide range of community activities, including wedding receptions, concerts, school proms, training seminars, fund-raising galas, and meetings of local community and business organizations. Saint Paul's also hosts athletes competing in the Augusta Ironman Triathlon each September, providing a pasta dinner for competitors, a gear drop for the swim event, drinks and snacks for participants and volunteers, and a quiet space for spiritual preparation.

Since 1988, Saint Paul's has hosted Tuesday's Music Live, the nation's largest luncheon concert series, which brings nationally and internationally known musicians to perform for local audiences. From September to May, the 13-concert series annually attracts roughly 5,000 attendees with a variety of classical, jazz, soft pop, and choral performers. The free concerts are supported by a mix of business and foundation grants and individual donations.