Our History
HISTORY
From Wareham's formation in 1739 until the 1820's, the Congregational Church was the only church in town. The growth of the local iron industry in the 1820's provided an economic base which attracted many new people of diverse religious preferences, and new churches began to be formed: the Baptists in 1830, the Methodists in 1831, and the Roman Catholics in 1865. Immigrants from England and Canada, as well as people who came from nearby communities, wanted a local Episcopal church, and in 1867 an organizational meeting was held. This group chose the name of the Church of the Saviour, and on April 26, 1868 the first service was held in the Methodist church building, with three adults being baptized, one of which, Mrs. Susanna K. Tobey, was to become a great benefactor of the Church. Subsequently, services were held by various visiting clergy, but it was not until 1882, when Maj. James Edmondston came to town, that the Episcopal church became firmly established.
In 1883, it was voted to purchase the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, together with the organ in it, and have it dismantled and transported to Wareham. The chapel was built in 1871, as a mission of Christ's Church in Springfield. Upon arrival in Wareham, it was erected at its present site on land donated by Mrs. Tobey, and was consecrated on September 20th. The parish then became the Church of the Good Shepherd.
Over the next ten years, several rectors served the church, with the continued support of Major Edmondston, as layreader. In 1893, the Rev. Samuel S. Spear was called to be rector, and was to fill the pulpit at Marion on one Sunday per month, at which time Major Edmondston would conduct the services at Wareham. However, fate proved unkind in regard to the arrangements with Mr. Spear, for within six months the church in Marion had made other plans, and Major Edmondston had become incapacitated due to illness. Loss of his leadership, combined with a downturn in the local economy, resulted in serious problems for the church. In 1894, a standing committee of lay people was appointed, which became involved in the church's finances, Sunday School, and music program, and served until about 1900. Workable, if not perfect, solutions to the problems were found. By 1900 a decline in the iron industry, was paralleled by decreasing membership and support for the church. The population of Wareham actually declined as many people moved away to find employment. By late 1903, Good Shepherd had become essentially a summer parish. From this time until July 1904 the church remained closed except for Easter and Ascension Day celebrations.
In 1904, Archdeacon Babcock appointed the Rev. James P. Hawkes as minister-in-charge at Wareham and the neighboring church in Sandwich. His vigorous efforts to revive the parish met with remarkable success, and within two years the church enjoyed regular well-attended services once again. A mission to the community was also developed, and by 1911 weekly chapel meetings were being held in various parts of the town, attended by about twenty people of different religious affiliations. A new women's group called St. Agnes' Guild was formed, and the parish acquired a rectory. The area's economy was rebounding, as the local bogs, depleted of their iron, were converted to the cultivation of cranberries.
Following Mr. Hawke's untimely death in 1913, the Rev. Arthur L. Fenderson became rector, and served for the next 31 years. Although Mr. Hawkes had returned the church to its former level of success, Mr. Fenderson soon doubled this, and in 1921, parish status was obtained. The town was growing, as improvements in transportation allowed more and more people to take advantage of the favorable climate of the area around Buzzards Bay, while commuting to jobs in the nearby cities. In 1933, the 50th anniversary of the church's consecration was celebrated with much acclaim. In 1939, Mr. Fenderson became the first chairman of the Tobey Hospital Board of Trustees, when initial construction began on this landmark of Wareham.
After Mr. Fenderson's retirement in 1945, several rectors served the parish for relatively short periods, until the Rev. G. Raymond Shaffer became rector in 1950. He encouraged Alcoholics Anonymous to meet at the church, providing a service to the community that extends to the present time. In 1961, Mr. Shaffer formed the Chapel of the Nativity in the left transept of the Church, and actively sought memorial donations which were used to procure the beautiful Italian Nativity Set, which is displayed at Christmas each year.
In the early 1960's internal parish problems brought about another decline, finally resulting in Mr. Shaffer's termination and the parish's reversion to mission status in June 1964. In 1966, the Rev. J. Samuel Stephenson, rector of St. Peter's Church in Buzzards Bay, was appointed vicar, with a newly ordained deacon, the Rev. John A. Griswold, as curate. On May 6, 1967, Mr. Griswold was ordained to the priesthood at Good Shepherd, the only ordination ever held in the church. Mr. Griswold then became vicar. Mr. Stephenson had encouraged the church to seek to regain parish status, and in 1969, this goal was realized, with Mr. Griswold being immediately called as rector. During his pastorate, he encouraged members to take a more active part in the services, instituting the layreader and chalice-bearer program and inviting girls as well as boys to serve as acolytes.
In late 1971, the Rev. Lawrence Estey was called as rector. In 1974, Mr. Estey accepted the position of Director of the Wareham Area Counseling Service on a part-time basis. The laity was encouraged and challenged to increase their participation in parish life to complement his now part-time pastoral schedule. Mr. Estey left in 1977, and a year of self-evaluation and search for a new rector ensued, culminating in January 1978, when the Rev. Stephen Ankudowich became rector on a full-time basis. A new pipe organ was acquired in 1982, a gift of Mrs. Eloise Choate, making possible an expanded music program, featuring concerts for the community as well as music for our own worship services. In late 1989, Mr. Ankudowich resigned, and was succeeded by the Rev. John Jackson in December 1990. The grand piano was donated by Mrs. Phyllis Upham in 1991, further expanding the musical capabilities of the parish.
In July 1997, the Rev. Cuthbert H. Mandell was called as the 17th rector of Good Shepherd. He encouraged an increase in the level of outreach ministry, and willing lay leadership became available to make this happen, culminating in the "Good Shepherd Table", which provides weekly free suppers to those members of the community in need of food and fellowship. At the January 2001 Annual Meeting, Rev. Mandell announced that he had accepted a call to a parish in Virginia, thus leaving the Church in the position of searching for a new rector once again.
The work of the church women has been a valuable asset throughout Good Shepherd's history. The first women's group, the Women's Auxiliary to the Branch of Missions, was formed, in 1885. St. Agnes' Guild, formed in 1904, worked for the local parish, thus complementing the Women's Auxiliary. Through the Guild's efforts, funds were raised to finance various interior and exterior renovations and improvements. In 1958, St. Agnes' Guild, the Women's Auxiliary and the Altar Guild were combined to form a single group called the Church Service League, which served the church until 1973, when it was disbanded. In 1977, a movement to form a new women's group resulted in the formation of the present ladies group, the Good Shepherd Guild. This group provides valuable social and service work as well as generous financial support.
PHYSICAL PLANT
The exterior of the building acquired in 1883 was wooden, and had a tall slender finger spire at the main entrance, which was the door behind where the organ now stands. The stone bell tower was erected in 1915 as a memorial to Mrs. Tobey. The church exterior was stuccoed at this time. The Palmer Room (the present office) was added in 1929, a gift of the Misses Maude and Marguerite Palmer. In 1956 the dream of a parish hall became a reality, through funding donated by various benefactors, raised by the efforts of St. Agnes' Guild, and augmented by Mr. Theodore H. Barth, whose many philanthropic activities benefited both the church and the wider community. This hall is the bottom floor of the present parish hall complex. In 1994, a generous anonymous gift was received, which sparked a desire to undertake a substantial expansion of the parish hall, adding the upper two floors in order to provide a rector's office, a larger, more conveniently located sacristy, and significantly more meeting space. An ambitious capital fund drive was initiated, which resulted in pledges of approximately $250,000. Unfortunately, the Rev. Jackson was forced to retire, for health reasons, before the building project was actually launched, placing the parish in the difficult position of completing an aggressive building project while simultaneously initiating a rector search. When detailed plans for the addition were finalized, it was realized that a shortfall in funding of almost $200,000 existed. The Church was fortunate to obtain, as interim rector, the Rev. William Eddy, whose spirit and leadership provided an essential element in balancing the two major efforts of building and searching. A significant part of the needed funding was obtained via a Stoke's Fund Diocesan loan and through sale of the rectory. A $50,000 renovation of the Bell Tower was completed in 2000, with funds raised from the parish and various members of the community-at-large. Another project in 2000 was the completion of the landscaping and planting phase of the Memorial Garden.
Over the years, the Church has owned various houses which served as rectories. The last one, at 100 High Street, was sold in 1996, thereby providing some funding for the parish hall project, and also bringing the parish into line with the current trend whereby clergy purchase their own homes, enabling them to build the equity which is needed at retirement.
SUMMARY
As has been seen, the various highs and lows in the history of the parish have been influenced greatly by the clergy leadership, available lay talent, and the local economic conditions. The extreme diversity of the town is reflected in the present composition of the parish, with significant numbers of young families and retired persons, the locally employed and those who commute considerable distances, long-time residents and those who have recently moved to Wareham, the very well-to-do and those on public welfare, life-long Episcopalians and recent converts from other denominations. The continuing development of the Wareham area promises further changes for the town and a continuing challenge to the parish to respond to the needs of such a diverse and dynamic community. As we look forward to the year 2001 and beyond, it is with the prayer that we may continue to grow in the love and service of Our Lord and to minister effectively in His name, in our parish family, the community, and the world.
