В Южной Каролине воссоздали церковную службу времен Американской революции

Historic Charleston church recreates 1776 service during America's 250th anniversary CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — For one Sunday morning, worshippers at First Scots Church in downtown Charleston traded modern traditions for those of the Revolutionary War era. As part of South Carolina's commemoration of America's 250th anniversary, the historic congregation recreated what a worship service may have looked and sounded like in the summer of 1776. The service featured period clothing, traditional psalm singing, historical worship practices and a sermon inspired by Charleston during the American Revolution. For Associate Pastor Rev. Dr. Peter Sutton, the challenge wasn't simply recreating history, it was making sure the service remained exactly what it was intended to be. "We had to make sure that it reflected what went on in the past, but was also relevant to the present," Sutton said. "I mean, this was true worship." Sutton said he spent weeks researching what Charleston would have been experiencing that Sunday in 1776. His research led him to the days following the Battle of Sullivan's Island, when smoke from the battle would have still lingered over Charlestown and residents were facing an uncertain future. "I wanted to bring that a bit into the worship," Sutton said, "but I didn't want to make it a theater performance either." READ MORE | Charleston’s Waterfront Park draws thousands for daylong Fourth of July celebration While the service included traditions from the 18th century, Sutton said organizers also wanted it to resonate with today's congregation. "I think faith became more important because people were very uncertain about their futures and what was going to happen," he said. "I think it's the same today. As soon as we become more uncertain about our lives, then faith seems to feature more." The service included details inspired by colonial worship, including standing for prayer, opening the church doors as congregations once did before air conditioning, and handing out communion tokens similar to those used centuries ago. Many members also dressed in colonial-era clothing. For congregant Debbie Rice-Marao, the experience was unlike any other. "This was absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime affair," she said. "We had all generations attending today from small children to elderly people. It was just a fantastic coming together to celebrate generations of faith, hope and America." Rice-Marao said the atmosphere inside the sanctuary became especially emotional during parts of the service. "It was absolutely chilling, especially during certain parts of the sermon and when we had the singing," she said. "It was chilling to think that we were actually reenacting part of what our faith, our church here at First Scots, did in 1776." READ MORE | Mayor honors historic Georgetown Post Office The event was one of several organized through SC250 Charleston, which is helping coordinate local events commemorating the American Revolution. Brett Bennett, president of SC250 Charleston, said organizers encouraged historic churches and synagogues to develop commemorations that reflected their own unique histories. "We encouraged all houses of worship that predated the American Revolution to participate in the commemoration of the founding of the nation," Bennett said. "Most were able to do a range of programs that were very diverse, but also very meaningful." Rather than prescribing exactly what each congregation should do, Bennett said SC250 wanted churches to decide what made the most sense for their communities. "Not everyone's a history buff," Bennett said. "Sometimes people are interested in the music of the period. It could be foodways, it could be material culture. We want there to be something for everyone, and this is a great example of that." South Carolina's 250th anniversary commemoration will continue through 2033, marking milestones throughout the Revolutionary War. Bennett said the goal is to help people connect with history in ways that go beyond textbooks. For First Scots Church, Sunday's service was one way to do just that, inviting worshippers to experience not only what church may have looked like in 1776, but also how faith helped shape everyday life during the nation's earliest days.