About St. Jude's

Situated in the beautiful low country of South Carolina, St. Jude's Church has been a fixture in the friendly town of Walterboro for generations. Today, St. Jude’s Church, along with 49 others churches, is a member of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, a vibrant community of 23,000 Christians under the leadership of Bishop Chip Edgar. Additionally, St. Jude's is a part of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).

History

St. Jude’s Church has deep roots in Colleton County that go back to the founding of St. Bartholomew’s Parish by the Colonial Assembly in 1706. The first chapel in the Parish (Pon Pon Chapel, Jacksonboro) was established in 1725 and then a second chapel (Edmundsbury) was established in 1745. In 1822, a third chapel was established in Walterboro to provide a place for worship during summer months and then in 1832 the worship services at Pon Pon were transferred to Walterboro. As the Walterboro community grew the lot that St. Jude’s stands on today was purchased in 1850 and a large gothic church was built under the direction of architect Edward B. White. St. Jude’s Church was consecrated in 1852 and became an independent parish in 1855.

A tornado destroyed St. Jude’s along with three other churches in Walterboro in 1879. Through the generous help of many people and their contributions, the present St. Jude’s sanctuary was built and then consecrated by Bishop Howe in 1882. St. Jude’s was especially blessed with the leadership of two rectors, The Rev. Edmund Bellinger (1857-1897) and The Rev. Alvin Skardon (1925-1952) who served a combined 77 years in ministry. In 1996, a major expansion to the parish hall was completed. The original wing of the structure was named Bellinger Hall and the new addition named Skardon Hall to honor the two beloved rectors for their years of dedicated service and also their families who continued to love and serve the church through the years. In 2008, the pipe and digital Wicks organ was installed.