A History of the Church of the Good Shepherd

CHAPTER FOUR: Two Rectors Destined to be Bishops

"If a man desire the office of bishop, he desireth a good work" --1 Timothy 3:1

In September, 1914, Edwin Anderson Penick, destined to be a future bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina, became the fourth rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd. The son of an Episcopal clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Penick was a graduate of the Univeristy of the South at Sewanee, Harvard University and the Theological Seminary of Virginia. He was ordained deacon in 1912, and priest a year later serving St. Paul's, Bennettsville before coming to Good Shepherd. At St. Paul's the Rev. Mr. Penick built the first rectory becoming the first resident minister; he also was responsible for that church moving from mission status to a full-fledged parish.

The year 1914 saw Cole L. Blease governor of South Carolina, Woodrow Wilson president of the United States, and a great war developing in Europe. This was also the year that the question of division of the diocese was brought up again in council in connection with the Edmunds' property in Aiken , recently given to the diocese. It was resolved by convention that the proceeds from the sale of the property go to the Episcopal fund adding to the amount of $40,000 required for division.

Extracts from old church records indicate that when Mr. Penick, then only twenty-seven years old, assumed rectorship of the Church of the Good Shepherd only the 11:15 Sunday service was held, with Holy Communion being celebrated the first Sunday in each month. By the beginning of October, 1914, a month after Mr. Penick's arrival, he instituted two additional Sunday services -- an 8:00 a.m. service of Holy Communion and an 8:00 p.m. service of Evening Prayer. Records show that while at the early morning service there were seldom more than twenty communicants, the 11:15 service was well attended, the congregation often reaching as many as two hundred faithful souls. Surprisingly, at the service of Evening Prayer almost a hundred worshipped regularly. On November 5, 1916 records show that two hundred thirty-five attended the 8:00 p.m. service of Evening Prayer and Evensong.

At this time Mr. Penick developed the Every-Member Canvass, reorganized the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, and enlarged the Sunday School by the addition of an adult department.

Week upon week Mr. Penick labored expanding the Lord's work with a diversity of responsibilities. Regular Corporate Communions encouraged organization workers; prayers of intercession floated upward. Confirmations brought in new members -- adults and amazing number of young people. Saturdays featured organ recitals with Mrs. J. W. Haltiwanger, the new organist, at the organ. Groceries were bought for the poor; medicine aided the sick. Shoes were purchased for the needy. Diligently working, Mr. Penick ministered to the parish with steadfast devotion and shared a love with the entire congregation. (Mr. Penick kept detailed records and it is interesting to note that he frequently referred to " ...groceries for Miss Cooper...shoes for Jaggers ...food for Jaggers" Research has shown that " Jaggers" was a beloved old black preacher who was affectionately referred to by all Columbians as "Uncle Jaggers.")

There were wonderful teaching missions when the Rev. Albert Thomas came from Cheraw to be missioner. The church was filled for the evening services. Once, in December 1915, when Mr. Thomas came for a week, almost a hundred parishioners came each night for the 8:00 p.m. preaching service. Mr. Penick in turn went to Cheraw giving of his time and talent to St. David's congregation.

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The United States entered into the First World War in April, 1917. Immediately Mr. Penick set aside Friday afternoons at 5:00 p.m. for Litany and War Intercessions. He gave generously to the War Relief Society and worked with the soldiers at nearby Camp Jackson. The men came in numbers to see him; he provided services for those who desired the church. The Good Shepherd congregation engaged actively in work among the military; the parish entertained the khaki-clad men in the crypt of the church. Shortly after this country's entry into the war, Mr. Penick assumed the post of civilian chaplain of the Episcopal Church War Commission at Camp Jackson, S.C.

On June 20, 1917 while in the midst of war service and still rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd Mr. Penick was married to Caroline lnglesby Dial. From this union three sons were born.

Eventually, Mr. Penick felt the need to offer himself for the job of chaplaincy in the service of his country. On Sunday January 27, 1918 at 11:15 Mr. Penick held his last service for the Church of the Good Shepherd. He then became a chaplain in the United States Army with the rank of First Lieutenant, serving with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe.

Although Mr. Penick had officially left the Church of the Good Shepherd, he was evidently stationed at Camp Jackson during the next several months for old records indicate that on February 23, 1918 he officiated at a ceremony of Holy Matrimony and on March 31, Easter Day, he baptized an infant, Pierre Fabian LaBorde, Jr. During March Bishop Guerry came for a Confirmation service and Mr. Penick brought visiting clergy from Camp Jackson several times -- a Lt. Cotteril and an R. E. Browning, Chaplain of the Third Ordinance Battalion. But, evidently, Mr. Penick departed Camp Jackson shortly after Easter 1918 for records no longer list his name as officiating at services.

Upon his discharge from the Army in 1919 Mr. Penick was called to serve as rector of St. Peter's Church, Charlotte, N.C. He was serving in this capacity when in 1922 he was consecrated Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of North Carolina. Ten years later he became bishop of the diocese upon the death of the Diocesan. He was said to be the youngest Episcopal bishop in the country at that time.

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On April 1, 1918 the Rev. Albert Sidney Thomas became rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd. Although his rectorship of the Blanding Street church lasted only a very short time, one might say his ministry at Good Shepherd had begun before the turn of the century when, as a very young man, he taught Sunday School at Good Shepherd, worked in the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, taught in the parochial school and helped in the starting of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church.

The son of Colonel John Peyre Thomas and Caroline Gibbes Thomas, Albert Sidney Thomas was born February 6, 1873 in Columbia, S.C. at the northeast corner of Lady and Pickens Streets in what was known as the Nagle House. Young Albert was educated at Bennett School in Charleston and Laurel Street Public School in Columbia, graduating from the Citadel in 1892. After teaching five years at Laurel School he entered General Theological Seminary in New York in 1897. He was ordained deacon in Trinity Church, Columbia by Bishop Capers. The Rev. Alexander Robert Mitchell, first rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd and his brother-in-law preached the ordination sermon. While yet a deacon Albert Thomas was appointed vicar of St. Matthew's Mission, Darlington where he worked with the Rev. Charles W. Boyd of St. David's Cheraw exchanging Sundays in order to give the Darlington congregation a communion service.

On March 3,1901 Mr. Thomas was ordained priest in Trinity Church, Columbia by Bishop Capers. He continued his service at Darlington adding to his charge missions at Marion and Society Hill until September, 1908 when he accepted a call to become rector of historic St. David's Church, Cheraw. It was from this parish that he came to the Church of the Good Shepherd in 1918.

At Good Shepherd Albert Thomas continued the work Mr. Penick had started with the military at Camp Jackson -- welcoming soldiers to Sunday services, providing entertainment in the undercroft, and being available for counseling. Mr. Thomas kept the same schedule of services that Mr. Penick had instituted even to the Friday afternoon Litany and War Intercessions.

Twice during the war year of 1918 the church was closed by order of the Health Department. February 10 and 17, 1918 found no Sunday services -- old records indicate only quarantine; the complete month of October the church again closed -- records indicating influenza quarantine.

During the nine months that Albert Sidney Thomas served Good Shepherd, he was Secretary of Convention, editor of the Diocesan paper The Diocese. He was also one of the first twelve trustees appointed by Bishop Capers in 1906 for the Church Home Orphanage, serving with the Rev. Postell Witsell, then rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd.

Albert Sidney Thomas left Good Shepherd December 31, 1918 returning to St. David's, Cheraw where he continued to serve that congregation until three years later when he accepted a call to become rector of St. Michael's Church, Charleston. At a Special Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina meeting in St. John's, Florence on September 18, 1928, called because of the untimely death of Bishop Guerry, Albert Sidney Thomas was elected ninth bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina -- the only bishop elected by candlelight in the twentieth century. A severe hurricane had cut off electricity and candles were quickly brought in.

And so the Church of the Good Shepherd is distinguished by having had two rectors who later became bishops of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.