A History of the Church of the Good Shepherd

CHAPTER TWO: Alexander Robert Mitchell

"There was a man, called of God… And from his ordination he had been filled with a missionary spirit." --Bishop Albert Sidney Thomas

When Alexander Robert Mitchell assumed his duties as vicar of the young church, Good Shepherd's cup indeed runneth over. This new young deacon, vibrant with faith and enthusiasm, was full of promise for the parish, for the Diocese of South Carolina and later, when it was formed, for the Diocese of Upper South Carolina.

A young man in his first twenties, he was tall and slender of build. His eyes under well-shaped brows above high cheekbones sparkled with enthusiasm and yet grew serious with the responsibility that loomed ahead. Day upon day he would be part of the joys and sorrows of his people. He would hear the prayers of the penitent and rejoice with the glad of heart. He would soothe the growing pains of a young congregation. His sermons would reveal the truths of the gospels; hymns of his choice would ring out majestic and triumphant. People would appear from beyond the limitations of the parish; the concerns of all would be his.

Alexander Robert Mitchell was born in Charleston, South Carolina on September 1, 1860, a son of Ann Rebecca Magill Mitchell and Alexander Robert Mitchell. His grandfather on his father's side was an Englishman who had come to Charleston as a youth and had built the first cotton compress. On his maternal side his grandfather, Dr. John Daniel Magill, was one of the large rice planters of the Waccamaw. Young Alexander attended Professor Sacklaben's school for boys, and then the Holy Communion Church Institute, later changed to Porter Military Academy. Following graduation he was in business a year, after which he taught for a year at Porter and then entered the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. Completing his college course, he continued his studies at Sewanee in St. Luke's Seminary from which he was graduated in 1885. In the fall of that year he was ordained to the diaconate at Rock Hill, South Carolina by Bishop W. B. W. Howe, with Dr. A. Toomer Porter presenting him as a candidate and the Rev. John Gass preaching the ordination sermon.

From the moment Alexander Robert Mitchell became vicar of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd his days were filled with a diversity of duties. The work of the mission church encompassed him. Early morning often found him at his desk; when evening shadows fell he'd still be at the church. For the first several months he spent his time in fruitful labors among his people -- he visited in homes, called on the shut-ins, comforted the sick -- all in addition to regular services. He worked with heart and soul to guide the young church's growth.

By the beginning of 1886 he had organized a Ladies' Guild, the Guild of the Good Shepherd -- and what church can work without the help of the faithful women -- to plan suppers, to teach Sunday School, to paint, to refurbish? The first meeting of the Guild was held in January 1886 at the Seibels' residence on Richland Street. The work of the ladies included contributing appropriate altar cloths and assisting in placing stained glass windows in the rear of the chancel. Within a year a becoming Bishop's chair was added to the sanctuary.

By the spring of the year 1886 the mission had grown so as to become independent of the fostering care of Trinity Church. Application was made to the Bishop according to the preliminary measures provided for in the canons of the diocese. Signing the necessary papers of separation with Mr. Mitchell were the Rev. Peter J. Shand, rector of Trinity and the Rev. H. 0. Judd, assistant at Trinity and the founder of Good Shepherd. The following laymen added their signatures to the impressive document: George R. Talcott, Joseph H. Green, Thomas Bernard, Joseph H. Gay, R. A. Southgate and a Mr. Gordon. Bishop Howe thereupon approved the organization of the mission into a parish. On April 16, 1886 the Chapel of the Good Shepherd under the leadership of the young deacon became the Church of the Good Shepherd. The first vestry consisted of: Wardens, George R. Talcott, Senior; Joseph H. Green, Junior; Vestrymen, Thomas Bernard, Joseph H. Gay, R. A. Southgate and Mr. Gordon. The number of vestrymen being incomplete, at a meeting held on October 4, 1886 A. M. Richardson and T. H. Gibbes were elected vestrymen; at a meeting held January 17, 1887 Dr. P. E. Griffin and Charles 0. Brown were added to the vestry. The infant church now took its place as an integral part of the diocese.

On September 19, 1886 the young deacon was ordained to the priesthood in Greenville, South Carolina. He was then elected first rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd on a salary of $45.00 a month with $100.00 annually from the Board of Missions.

That same year a communicant of the church donated a bell which, according to Christian tradition, is an echo of the voice of God. Within the next two years a bell tower was built with money raised by the Ladies' Guild, together with other members of the congregation. Now, chimes rang out calling the Good Shepherd people to worship and prayer. God was indeed speaking to the people of this parish.

At this time, because the church building was small and inadequate for a growing congregation, the seating capacity was doubled at a cost of $750.00. A house was built for the Industrial School. Quite a tribute to a young priest still in his late twenties.

The Church of the Good Shepherd was admitted into union with the 98th Diocesan Convention meeting in Grace Church, Anderson, South Carolina on May 3, 1883. The first deputies were George R. Talcott, Joseph H. Green, Thomas Bernard and Charles 0. Brown.

On October 1, 1889 in Trinity Church, Columbia, Alexander Robert Mitchell was married to Harriet Couturier Thomas, sister of Albert Sidney Thomas who would later become the ninth Bishop of South Carolina. From this union three sons and five daughters were born before Mrs. Mitchell's untimely death in 1906 at which the time the Rev. Mr. Mitchell was rector of Christ Church, Greenville to which he was called in 1900 after fifteen years of service to the Church of the Good Shepherd.

In 1889 with his eyes on advancement Mr. Mitchell built the first room for a parochial school and in October 1890 the parochial school was organized with Miss E. L. Blythewood as principal and Miss Caroline Elizabeth Thomas, sister of Bishop Thomas, as assistant. Fifty pupils were enrolled -- quite a large enrollment for a small church. During the winter the school grew to such an extent that a room had to be added and in 1891 a third room was built. One-fourth of the pupils were beneficiaries.

Miss Nell Mellichamp (1890-1981) a communicant of Good Shepherd and a beloved music teacher in the city of Columbia, once spoke with an old lady's recollections of having been a member of the parish, of having attended the parochial school, and of having known Mr. Mitchell. "I was too young to read the words, but old enough to love the music," she said of the life of the day school. She went on to say of Mr. Mitchell that he too loved the hymns and would move up and down the center aisle of the church with a burst of his own melody, encouraging the congregation to sing with richness and volume.

In 1890 the rector organized a guild for young women, the Guild of St. Agnes, and in 1891 a chapter in the Brotherhood of St. Andrew for young men. Both groups were eager and enthusiastic young people, soon becoming a vital part of the church ministry.

The young church was growing and the city of Columbia was experiencing a period of industrial progress. By 1890, the same year the young people were organized into groups, the city of Columbia had become the hub of nine railroads and the radial point of three others. The city's rail transportation activity was unequaled in the southeast. That year the church purchased a lot for a rectory opposite the church for $1500.00 and two years later in 1893 the rectory was completed at the cost of $1800.00. When the Mitchell family moved into their new home, the Church of the Good Shepherd had a resident rector for the first time in its brief history.

In 1892 the Rev. Alexander Robert Mitchell turned his eyes westward looking in the direction of Arsenal Hill where a number of Episcopal families dwelled. Because of the meager transportation of the day, these families found it difficult to get downtown to Trinity Church or across town to Good Shepherd. The Rev. Mr. Mitchell saw this as a day of opportunity. He began with a Sunday School held in the home of a parishioner of Good Shepherd , Mr. Benjamin Milligan, and a series of cottage lectures. Mr. Clarence N. Jordan of the Church of the Good Shepherd became superintendent of the Sunday School. Teaching at Arsenal Hill was Mr. Mitchell's brother-in-law, Albert Thomas (later Bishop Thomas) and his brother, Harold Thomas, who later became a priest of the church. Albert Thomas, Harold Thomas and W. J. Rice of the Good Shepherd Brotherhood of St. Andrew assisted in this mission from the beginning. Bishop Thomas often attested to the fact that it was through the influence of "Brother Alex" that he made the decision to enter the ministry.

With this small beginning of Sunday School and lectures the Church of the Good Shepherd established its first mission, St. Timothy's, founded as a memorial to Bishop Howe and built as an exact copy of Good Shepherd. The mission was named for St. Timothy's Chapel at Porter Military Academy where Mr. Mitchell attended school as a boy.

In January 1883 Albert Sidney Thomas was confirmed at the Church of the Good Shepherd by Bishop Theodore B. Lyman of North Carolina who, because of the illness of Bishop Howe, diocesan bishop, had come to Columbia for an area confirmation of candidates from surrounding churches. In the years following, Albert Thomas assisted his brother-in-law teaching in the Sunday School at Good Shepherd and working in the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. When, in 1895, a Boys Department of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew was formed, Albert Thomas became the director.

In the year 1893 a beautiful chancel window of leaded stained glass depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd was given to the glory of God and as a memorial to Julia L. Gernand, young daughter of Edward L. and Sally L. Gernand, born January 19, 1884 and died April 5, 1890. Later this beautiful window would be moved to comfort and inspire worshippers at the church on Blanding Street.

At the Diocesan Convention of 1893 meeting in Grace Church, Charleston the Rev. Ellison Capers, D.D. was elected Bishop Coadjutor and the Rev. A. R. Mitchell, rector of Good Shepherd secured passage of a resolution to interest the children of the church of this diocese in raising funds for diocesan missions. Thus came into being what was known as the Sunday School "Advent Offering," through which most of the Sunday Schools contributed to this object substantial aid to the diocesan board. The Rev. Ellison Capers was consecrated in Trinity Church, Columbia, where he had served as rector from 1887 to 1893. It was the first consecration of an Episcopal bishop in Columbia.

The parochial school was growing under Mr. Mitchell's supervision. By 1894 another room was added; the school now had three teachers and an enrollment of eighty-five pupils. Quarterly parish meetings were held in the school house, a feature of parish life at the time. Mr. Mitchell's love for church music was evident once again when on Easter Day 1894 he instituted a chorister choir -- one of the first in the diocese. The Christmas 1894 offering of $5.00 and the New Year's 1895 offering of $1.70 was given to the building of a robing room. This room and an annex were added when the chancel of the church was remodeled.

In April 1896 the Rev. Mr. Mitchell along with some of the faithful women organized a chapter in the Order of the Daughters of the King, the Bishop Howe Chapter, named in memory of Bishop Howe under whom Good Shepherd was founded. The Order of the Daughters of the King is a lay organization of women who commit themselves to prayer, service and evangelism, helping the clergy and lay officers of the church.

During the summer of 1897 a coaching school was opened in the schoolhouse. The future bishop, his father and two sisters tutored children making them ready for the fall semester of the parochial school. The funds from this endeavor netted Albert $100.00 along with a $50.00 gift from the Diocese and a $200.00 scholarship enabled him to get through the first year at seminary in New York.

In 1899 a question arose as to the rights of the parish to the church lot, for the site on which the building stood was involved in legal obstacles in the will of Colonel Thomas Taylor which affected title to the property. It appeared that the Church of the Good Shepherd did not have clear title to the Barnwell Street property and a lot was purchased on the 1500 block of Blanding Street for $1500.00. Coinciding with the buying of the new property came the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Mitchell who had accepted a call to become a rector of Christ Church, Greenville in February 1900.

The beginning of Lent 1900 saw Mr. Mitchell leave the Church of the Good Shepherd after fifteen years, during which the church grew from a weak mission to a vigorous parish. Moving to the piedmont section of South Carolina this great missionary priest would expand the church through numerous missions in Greenville and in the outlying areas beyond.

In the early summer of 1913 while still rector of Christ Church the Rev. Mr. Mitchell visited the small town of Greer and saw the need for the services of the church. He affected a tentative organization of a mission with the name Church of the Good Shepherd in honor of the first church of which Mr. Mitchell was rector -- the Church of the Good Shepherd, Columbia. With a succession of ups and downs the Columbia church's namesake is today a thriving parish.

Alexander Robert Mitchell ranks as one of the great missionaries of the Church in South Carolina -- in the class of those men who contributed most to the building up of the Church in this state.

Many years ago Alexander Robert Mitchell committed to his mind and to his heart these words of the Scottish philosopher George MacDonald: "If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman I shall feel that I have worked with God." Through the years his useful life has been devoted to that aim.

When Mr. Mitchell left the Church of the Good Shepherd after fifteen years, he had organized the mission into a parish, built the first church, built a parochial school and rectory, organized St. Timothy's mission on Arsenal Hill and the church had purchased the site and was raising money for the present church. The Rev. Alexander Robert Mitchell had truly worked with God.