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The History of Plymouth Congregational Church, Charleston, South Carolina
In the conflagration of 1861, Circular Congregational Church was destroyed. Prior to this event, the large congregation had comprised both white and colored members. Only freedmen, however, enjoyed the privilege of voting. This and the attendant issues of the Civil War caused the colored members to examine the possibility of establishing their own House of Worship.
From December 1861 until January 1867, the colored members held meetings at different periods in several different places. On the first Sabbath of 1867, they commenced worshipping in Military Hall, continuing there until May 1868. On the second Sabbath, which was the tenth of May 1868, they held their first service in the Chapel of Avery Institute, a building erected on Bull Street by the American Missionary Association.
During 1866, the membership of Circular Church held frequent meetings about the establishment of a new church by its colored members. On January 20, 1867, a letter containing the names of one hundred and eight of these members requesting dismissal from the mother church was drafted. It was signed by William Brodie, Peter B. Frost, and Peter B. Morgan, as a committee.
On March 25, 1867, a resolution signed by W. H. Adams, Pastor, and W. H. Mitchell, Clerk, representing Circular Church, was issued, granting the severance of the one hundred and eight members. On August 23, 1867, twenty-one other members were given letters of dismissal from Circular Church; all of these except one united with Plymouth Congregational Church. Until January 1867, these people were ministered to by the Reverend F. L. Cardoza, who was also the principal of Avery Institute.
The services of organization and recognition were held in the Military Hall on April 14, 1867. The Reverend E. Merritt, representing the American Missionary Association, assisted by the Reverend M. Corne and the Reverend Mr. Van Horn conducted the services.
The new organization now turned its attention to building a house of worship. Under the farsighted leadership of the Reverend James T. Ford, who was principal of Avery Institute as well as pastor of Plymouth Church, the congregation purchased a corner lot on Pitt and Bull Streets and erected a beautiful edifice, which was dedicated in a solemn service on March 10, 1872.
Six years later, the church appointed a Day of Fasting and Prayer to exalt the Christ in human relations, to deepen the spiritual life of the members, and to express renewed faith through good works. As a result of this, the church entered into a new covenant.
In 1884, under the leadership of the Reverend E. T. Hooker, the church voted to remove the old frame building which stood on the corner of Pitt and Bull Streets and erect a modern parsonage. It was not, however, until the time of the Reverend George C. Rowe that a three-story building was erected and equipped with modern conveniences. During Reverend Mr. Rowes tenure, the church was painted, a furnace was installed, and the Tradd Street Mission was established. The Tradd Street Mission became the Battery Congregational Church. In 1898, Reverend Mr. Rowe resigned the pastorate of Plymouth Church to become minister to the Battery Congregational Church, which he served until his death.
The next pastor, Reverend Mr. George Clark, was a man of deep religious conviction, who succeeded in reviving the membership. Mr. M. A. Holmes, principal of Avery Institute, was licensed to preach during this time, and on January 20, 1904, Mr. Henry S. Barnwell, a graduate of Talladega College, was examined and ordained by a Council of the Churches of South Carolina and Georgia. Mr. Barnwell was a faithful and zealous worker, ultimately serving as superintendent of Negro work in the south. It was during the pastorate of Reverend Mr. Clark that the congregation repaid the money borrowed from the Congregational Church Building Society to erect the parsonage.
On April 24, 1904, the church extended a call to the Reverend James P. Sims, who was pastoring in Montgomery, Alabama. During his ministry, while the church was being remodeled, the congregation worshipped in the Chapel of Avery Institute. On the First Sunday in May 1905, the church was rededicated. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Professor M. A. Holmes of Avery. The prayer was rendered by Bishop M. B. Salter of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. On the same day, the church received a new pulpit Bible from M. P. G. Chisholm of the American Bible Society and seventy-five dollars from Professor M. A. Holmes. Sister Octavia Corbetts bequest of two hundred dollars was used to erect an iron fence in front of the church.
The Reverend A. L. DeMond was called to the pastorate of Plymouth in December 1910. He was a very pleasing and popular speaker. During the ten years of his pastorate, the mortgage for the remodeling of the church was paid off, brick steps were built in front the church, and an electric chandelier and individual communion cups were installed.
Upon the recommendation of Dr. Alfred Lawless, then General Superintendent of Southern Work, a call was extended to the Reverend C. S. Ledbetter, who was at the time pastoring First Church of Augusta, Georgia. He accepted the call and reported for duty February 3, 1921. The church proceeded immediately to revise the manual and the Church Roll.
For some time a group of ladies had been engaged in raising funds for the installation of a pipe organ. On July 10, 1921, the Trustees were authorized to negotiate with the M. P. Moller Company for the purchase of an organ. Some of the ladies most active in this enterprise were Susan D. Butler, Fannie Conyers, Julia Evans, Mattie Hill, Susan Singleton, Grace L. Wainwright, and Josephine Frost Wilson. The work of installing the organ was completed on May 3, 1922.
The first hymn played on the organ was Art Thou Weary? and was sung by P. M. Frost. The organ was first used publicly in the funeral of Mrs. Georgia Green, May 9, 1922. It was dedicated on May 14, 1922.
In 1922, the Plymouth Brotherhood had the parsonage wired.
The Reverend Mr. Ledbetter was highly respected in the City of Charleston and by the denomination. He served the church faithfully and well until his death on June 8, 1946.
After months of discouragement, in January 1947 the congregation, with considerable hope, called to its pastorate the Reverend Jacob Dyer. His brief stay ended in December 1948.
Early in 1949, the Reverend John Thomas Enwright, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, was called. During his pastorate, it was decided that the church should move uptown in order to increase membership. The new edifice was erected on Spring Street and dedicated on Sunday, April 6, 1958. The former church building was sold to the Association for the Blind.
On June 25, 1957, by the union of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches of the United States, Plymouth became Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ.
On Sunday, October 27, 1974, a Service of Recognition and Appreciation was held in honor of Reverend Mr. Enwright, upon his retirement after twenty-five years of service. Reverend Mr. Enwright and his lovely wife Eula had served the church and the community well. After a period of illness, on November 15, 1975, the Reverend Mr. Enwright went to be with the Lord.
During the illness of Pastor Enwright, James Raymond Fields, his assistant, took on many ministerial duties. After the death of Reverend Mr. Enwright, Mr. Fields, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, became acting pastor. He was ordained on January 16, 1977. Reverend Mr. Fields served as moderator of the GeorgiaSouth Carolina Association of the Southeast Conference from 1974 to 1981.
The warm, charming personality of Reverend Jimmy Fields attracted many worshippers, some of whom became members. Under the leadership of the Reverend Mr. Fields, the sanctuary was enlarged and carpeted, ten new pews were added, and all the pews were cushioned.
During this refurbishing, an addition was madethe John T. Enwright Memorial Fellowship Hall, in memory of the former pastor. This edifice was completed in January 1982 and dedicated during the churchs 115th Anniversary Celebration on April 18, 1982.
The pastors study was added and furnished by Reverend Fields. Stained glass windows were installed and dedicated on Sunday May 24, 1987, and the iron United Church of Christ emblem was hung in the rear of the sanctuary; pew bibles and hymnals were also purchased.
Reverend Mr. Fields solicited and obtained a piano and secured furniture for the fellowship hall. The new kitchen was furnished, telephones were installed, a copier purchased, and the churchyard was paved and landscaped.
As part of our Christian outreach, we began the summer feeding program, providing midday meals to neighborhood children. Self-denial gleaners were initiated as a means of contributing to Our Christian World Mission (OCWM) at Easter. A yearly Revival Service and coffee-time fellowship after worship service were started. A scholarship fund was established to aid our high school graduates to continue their education.
In 1991 the church secured a loan of $32,000 for the major task of restoring the organ. On Sunday, May 26, 1991, the organ was rededicated. The congregation was able to pay off the loan in one year instead of four years, as had been originally negotiated.
On Sunday, July 19, 1998, the congregation honored Reverend Mr. Fields and Miss Edna M. Brown, our organist and choir director since April 1957, for their many years of dedicated service.
After some years under the guidance and mentoring of Pastor Fields, Deacon Kathy Robinson-Nelson received her license to preach the Gospel. In January 2001, she successfully completed the requirements of the program Theology Among the People (TAP).
Also in 2001, the congregation secured a loan of $50,500 for renovations. The money was used to paint the Fellowship Hall, repair the roof, and install energy-saving windows, a new heating and air-conditioning unit, and new entry doors.
On Saturday, August 25, 2001, the congregation paid tribute to its first President, Deacon Clarence L. Mays, Jr., with a musical program and roast. Mr. Mays served faithfully as president for over 10 years as well as leading the tenor section of the choir.
As 2002 progresses, the Plymouth Congregation looks forward to at least another 137 years of Christian witness, service, and fellowship in the Charleston community. All praise the power of Jesus name!
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