An excerpt from

Grace Church-First Decade 

by

Mrs. Henry F. Arnold

Published by Women of Grace Church

December, 1958

     In the early summer of 1949, the Rev. Eugene Marsden Chapman, rector of St. John's Church in Decatur [AL], "heard by the grapevine," that a small group in Cullman was interested in the Episcopal Church.  He came down to Cullman on Monday, July 10th, 1949 and Dr. M.S. Whiteside took him over to meet Henry F. Arnold, one of the interested. 

     Strangely enough, the Carl S. Arnold family had gone to Lineville the day before and enroute stopped by St. Michaels and All Angels in Anniston and attended their first Episcopal service. They were so impressed that as they came home on Monday they stopped in Birmingham, dropped by Bishop Carpenter’s office and asked him the question (often quoted by the Bishop), How can we get an Episcopal Church in Cullman?”

     Several families began going regularly on Sunday mornings to St. John’s in Decatur.  Mr. Chapman began spending at least a half day a week in Cullman during that summer.  

     Then on September, 15^th, 1949, the first public announcement was made that “the Rev. E.M. Chapman, rector of St. John’s in Decatur, had been appointed minister-in-charge of a proposed mission of the Episcopal Church in Cullman.  On the following Sunday, September 18^th, we met at the home of Mrs. H.C, Arnold for Evening Prayer and our first confirmation class.  This continued until fall.  We would go to Decatur for the morning service, then have Sunday School (6 pupils and 2 teachers) at 6:30 p.m., followed at 7:30 p.m. by Evening Prayer and confirmation instructions.

     Finally, the big day came.  On December 13^th, 1949 ten of us (Dr. M.S. Whiteside, Mrs. H.C. Arnold, Mrs. Elizabeth Schaefer, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Arnold and Carlene, Mr. and Mrs. Henry F Arnold, Henry Frank, Jr. and Ann) were confirmed.  Before the service the Chapmans entertained at St. John’s Rectory for Bishop Claiborne and the confirmed members.

     December 18^th, 1949 after Evening Prayer the Episcopal mission in Cullman was formally organized.  The ten persons confirmed earlier in the week along with Mrs. M.S. Whiteside, Mrs. Avery Land, Henry Stahmer, Scarbrough Whiteside, and Roberta Whiteside, confirmed members, and Charles and Philip Arnold, baptized members, became the charter members of the mission. 

     So with little money but plenty of faith in the Grace of God, we voted to proceed with the building plans.  Bishop Claiborne gave a personal gift of $100.

     Mrs. Elizabeth Shaefer gave the three lots on which the church now stands.  Architect Allen Bartlett, churchman from Birmingham, was employed to draw plans for a church “that looked like a church, had at least a nave and a sanctuary, with also Church School rooms, a parish hall, rest room, office, and vestment closet – a mighty big order for a tiny church.

     When the first plan of Grace Church was submitted, it had a belfry – but we had no bell.  We almost suggested the removal of the belfry, until along came the gift of a bell, which calls us to church for service.  This bell was given [to] grace by Mrs. James Darwin, Jr. of Huntsville, from an old plantation in Madison County.

     All went to work, digging down deep into their savings.  Some even borrowed money to give.  By July 1st the church was completed and the first service held that day.  We used the small portable altar, the little reed pump organ (Mr. Cook had given it to the church) and chairs borrowed from the Health Center.  Of course, the processional hymn was “Faith of our Fathers,” and with Mr. Cook leading it, as only he can do, my, how we sang out!

     The subject of Mr. Cook’s first sermon on that first service in Grace Church was “Humility.”  This was very fitting since all of us were so happy about having the lovely little building that I’m sure our “pride was showing.”

   The building, which cost approximately $14,000 was paid for by the time it was finished, except for $3,000.   This was “borrowed” from the various church members with notes coming due at intervals over a 10 year period.  (They were all liquidated within a couple of years.)