Christ Church is the oldest Polk County church building still in use.
Photo: Christ Church, Fort Meade

Christ Church, Fort Meade, celebrated its 135th anniversary on Sept. 26 with a traditional Morning Prayer service led by Junior Warden Russell Hancock. During the service, he read an abbreviated history of the church.

On Sept. 26, 1886, a missionary priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida led a small group of Christians of the Anglican tradition in the celebration of Holy Communion within the parlors of the Bullock residence in Fort Meade. In addition to new residents from the northern states, many in this young congregation were new to the United States, coming from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Canada. They brought with them the Anglican tradition of their homeland as the focus of life in their new country.

Early parishioners Luke and Alicia Flood, grandparents of church organist Marjorie Flood Hancock and great-grandparents of Jr. Warden Russell Hancock
Photo: Christ Church, Fort Meade

Among the first parishioners were Luke and Alicia Flood, Hancock’s great-grandparents. “They were my mother’s grandparents,” he said. “Luke was on the building committee and an original vestry member.”

The Rt. Rev. Edwin G. Weed, then bishop of the Diocese of Florida, made his first visit to Fort Meade on Dec. 22, 1886. He appointed The Rev. George S. Fitzhugh, missionary to South Florida, as priest-in-charge, making the church a mission of The Episcopal Church. The new congregation rented space from Fort Meade Methodist Church for $4.00 per week. The congregation grew rapidly and, by early 1887, began to consider building its own church.

Weed revisited Christ Church in March 1888, bringing $1,000 toward the new building. Designed by The Rev. J.H. Weddell in the Gothic Stick Style, construction of the church was completed in 1889 at a cost of $1,600.

The church bell, ordered, cast and hung in 1891, is roughly 2 ½ feet tall.
Photo: Christ Church, Fort Meade

The church bell was ordered in 1891 and hung later that same year. “Today, every Sunday morning at 9:45 and 10:00, that bell can be heard throughout Fort Meade,” Hancock said. “It is the only church bell in Fort Meade to ring every Sunday.”

Weed dedicated Christ Church on June 7, 1891. The service included two confirmations and an offering of $14.00, donated to the diocesan mission fund. The parish consisted of 30 families and 20 single individuals.

Throughout its history, Christ Church has seen years of growth and years of decline. The congregation flourished until the early 1900s, when economic and political conditions forced many businesses and people to move away from Fort Meade. After World War II, membership declined further, and the congregation decided to close Christ Church and sell the property to an Assemblies of God congregation in 1948.

That new congregation failed, so a few local families banded together in 1962 and rededicated the site as Christ Episcopal Church. By 1998, the congregation had dwindled again, and plans were made to move the building to All Saints Academy in Winter Haven.

The parish waited and prayed. That summer, the congregation grew to 50 members, so the people decided Christ Church would remain open in Fort Meade to continue God’s work. Today, Christ Church is the oldest church building still in use in Polk County, with an average attendance of eight.

The Rev. Dr. Wally Reynolds, former supply priest at Christ Church, along with faithful parishioners
Photo: Christ Church, Fort Meade

But the small numbers don’t dampen the church’s joy. “We will have a year-long celebration of Christ Church Episcopal’s 135-year history in Fort. Meade,” Hancock explained. “To celebrate the milestone, we have launched our website,  ChristChurchFortMeade.com. We’ve also produced a new brochure about Christ Church and its ministry, and a video about the church bell.”

The congregation also looks forward to Advent and is making plans for December. “We are planning the annual open house on the first Saturday in December,” Hancock said. “We’re also making plans for a Christmas Eve Morning Prayer service. If we have a priest by then, we’ll have a traditional Christmas Eve Service. We also hope to have the Fort Meade Community Choir perform its Christmas cantata at Christ Church again this year.” The church will also hold other special events in 2022.

“Throughout the years, God has always been with us,” Hancock said. For now, he and the rest of the parish will continue praying and waiting to see what the Lord will do.