[Magdalen] Update (was Prayer request)

[Jay Weigel]

Somewhere down around Rockwood, TN, is St. Mary's Baptist Church. That one
has always given me pause.

On Wed, Jan 7, 2015 at 2:29 PM, Joseph Cirou <romanos at mindspring.com> wrote:

> Well there is Warner Robbins, Georgia.  Yes my neighbor at work goes to
> Greater Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church.
> He is a very good man and gave me a religious gift for Christmas.
>
> Joe
>
> On Wed, Jan 7, 2015 at 11:31 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > That is a strange name! A little out of character for TEC, but not for
> that
> > part of Virginia, I guess. Odd/unusual church names in my experience are
> > more likely to be found in other denominations. In east Tennessee, both
> > Baptist and especially Methodist churches are often "so-and-so's chapel"
> > <denomination> <church>. I think those names may stem from whoever gave
> the
> > land the church stands on. However, in the county next to the one I lived
> > in, there are two little Methodist churches that are "Martha's Chapel"
> and
> > "Mary's Chapel". I never could find out where those came from! Then
> there's
> > the African-American custom of naming churches "greater" this or that. My
> > favorite is a big Baptist church in Milwaukee, Greater Galilee. They used
> > to have a really superior choir, don't know if they still do. And in
> > Knoxville there is a COGIC that is Greater Warner Tabernacle; no idea who
> > or what Warner is/was.
> >
> > On Wed, Jan 7, 2015 at 9:10 AM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Oh, that's the same church! I read the historical marker the day I saw
> > the
> > > church, but it didn't appear that the church was being used anymore.
> That
> > > would have been more than ten years ago...
> > > I'd forgotten you were in that area.
> > >
> > > > On Jan 7, 2015, at 4:55 AM, Kristin Rollins <kristin at verumsolum.com>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > This is in Virginia Beach, on Witchduck Road, just east of
> Independence
> > > > Blvd. The origin of the name appears to be pretty simple. The land
> for
> > > > the church was donated...and eventually it was an old church (the
> first
> > > > use of the phrase, according to a history linked from their web site
> > was
> > > > from the 1820s). Old Donation was the first church in Virginia Beach,
> > > > and in 2012 celebrated their 375th anniversary with a visit from the
> > > > Presiding Bishop.
> > > >
> > > > One of the links to that past is the baptismal font, which is a very
> > > > heavy thing that was from the original 17th-century church building.
> It
> > > > was apparently recovered in the early 20th century from the bottom of
> > > > the Lynnhaven River. To quote a parish history linked from their web
> > > > site: "Broken places remain from the time it served as a boat anchor
> in
> > > > the river. There is great symbolism in a baptismal font going under
> the
> > > > waters and raised to provide new life!"
> > > >
> > > > Nowadays, it is a very active parish, with four services each Sunday
> > > > morning, three in the historic church and one in the parish hall
> > (8:00,
> > > > 9:15, and two simultaneous services at 10:30). And they are busy
> > through
> > > > the week as well. It is the largest parish I have ever attended. I
> > > > visited there several times when I was down to see Heather, and we
> > > > continued to attend until after I took the job in Portsmouth. In
> fact,
> > > > the last time I was at the Sunday 10:30 service in the historic
> church
> > > > would have been for the blessing of our marriage...it was only a week
> > or
> > > > two after I started playing for St John's, because I remember needing
> > to
> > > > arrange that Sunday off when I began to work there.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > >  Kristin Rollins
> > > >  kristin at verumsolum.com
> > > >  Portsmouth, VA
> > > >
> > > >> On Tue, Jan 6, 2015, at 11:57 PM, Grace Cangialosi wrote:
> > > >> "Old Donation"??  I passed a church with that name once a few years
> > ago
> > > >> somewhere in Virginia, I think. Strangest church name I've ever
> heard!
> > > >> Only in VA, I thought, where there is also the Robert E. Lee
> Memorial
> > > >> Chapel, also known to the locals as "St. Bobby's"
> > > >> Where is your Old Donation Church, Kristin?
> > > >
> > >
> >
>