Life-long Member Reflects on Church Home During Final Service on Property
During the final service on the historic campus of Christ Church Anglican, Mt. Pleasant, Florrie Sloan spoke to the congregation. The following is the text of her comments.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Florrie Sloan and I am a lifelong member of Christ Church, as was my mother, Sarah Gregorie Miller, and many generations of our family before us.
I have been asked by Ted (The Rev. Ted Duvall, Rector) to reflect on a lifetime of growing up here at Christ Church and watching it grow, as well.
We were certainly a much smaller congregation in the 1970s and 80s. The historic church had more than enough room to hold us. At one point there were very few of us to be acolytes. If our family arrived early enough, Billy Mitchell would press us into service by simply nodding his head and pointing at the sacristy.
I got a call a few months ago from Frank Collins asking if I knew what year the oyster roast started. The only answer I could give was that I remember there always having been one. It wasn’t always at Oakland. In the 70s it was held in the space behind the historic church and Porcher Hall. It was at night with lights strung. I remember my grandmother, mother, aunts, and the other ladies of the church would sell homemade crafts while we kids played hide and seek in the graveyard.
Porcher Hall is where the Tea Room ministry started. I have so many fond memories of working alongside my aunts, Mary and Bibba Gregorie, in the take-out kitchen and beside my mother at the ham biscuit station. We worked hard and laughed hard as well. I see so many faces here today who know exactly what I mean!
Christ Church is where I learned about our loving God and where my faith has deepened as an adult, through study groups taught by Joyce Harder and Marcia Slott.
Chip and I have been blessed to have our three children, Florence, Allan, and Eliza, baptized and confirmed here at Christ Church, setting them on their own course for a personal relationship with the Lord.
Our campus has grown so that we could welcome more people into our church family. It has sheltered us as we have bonded with each other, served each other, and worshipped our Lord together.
As we now say goodbye, the Holy Spirit has made something very clear to me. This campus and these buildings, as thankful as we have been for them, have been merely the backdrop for all my memories.
Who has made all of my memories come alive are the people in them. All of you, my church family. This is what has given me peace, hope and joy as we begin our new journey with God as our faithful guide.
By Florrie Sloan, Christ Church Anglican, Mt. Pleasant
