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Christ Church Celebrates Its 100th

With a Hand from Desmond Tutu

On Friday, June 4, 2010, Christ Church of Greenwich celebrated the 100th anniversary of the consecration of its magnificent landmark building on Putnam Avenue so familiar to generations of Greenwich citizens.

The occasion was marked by the visit of the renowned Desmond Tutu, Archbishop of South Africa, who delivered an inspiring and entertaining talk to a luncheon group of more than 200 faithful in a tent behind the Tomes Higgins House. Although the tent was heated to a broil by the noonday sun, the seventy-year-old archbishop spoke for forty-five minutes to an enthralled audience.

The weekend also celebrated the installation of the new rector of Christ Church, the Reverend Dr. James B. Lemler, who described Tutu’s sermon at services that Sunday as “wonderfully meditative and mystical.” There was nothing meditative, however, about the ceremonial African dance performed by the Archbishop. To everyone’s surprise and delight, he whirled down the center aisle in his purple robes to the traditional African music of Syshanba, a word meaning “marching in the light of God.”

No question—Archbishop Desmond Tutu won the hearts of the Christ Church congregation. It was easy to see how his modest, indomitable spirit and self-deprecating sense of humor helped him in the long battle against apartheid.

Although Tutu retired from chairing South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1996, he continues to campaign for human rights such as the plight of Zimbabweans under Robert Mugabe, lack of progress on treating HIV/AIDS in Africa, and the treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli government.

Christ Church could, in fact, be cele-brating its 261st anniversary. Its roots in Greenwich go back to 1749 when its first church, Horseneck Chapel, was built on Putnam Hill. When the parishioners were celebrating the 150th anniversary of this first church, they recognized the need for much larger quarters, and the building of the present church was undertaken. But, it has become painfully obvious today that the beautiful hundred-year-old edifice is in critical need of major repairs and renovation, and a capital campaign will soon be launched to raise the necessary funds.

Christ Church has had distinguished and capable rectors over the years. Brad Hastings led the church for many years, and more recently Jack Bishop and Jeffrey Walker served shorter terms as rectors, assisted by the beloved Reverend Canon Sidney Wood-Cahusic. However, it is a large and complex parish in which divergent views within the congregation have at times made the administration
of church affairs challenging.

Considering the current pressing needs of the church, the congregation is most fortunate in obtaining Dr. Lemler as its new rector. His curriculum vitae is impressive: He served as the Director of Mission for the Episcopal Church, USA, and was Dean of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, an internationally recognized source of theological thought; he has been a university chaplain and served in major Episcopal cathedrals; as a nationally know religious leader and educator, he is often called upon as a teacher, writer, conference leader and preacher. Most importantly, Jim Lemler is a wonderful human being who, we believe, has the ability to bring people together to dedicate themselves to a common cause.

We asked him about his objectives and the challenges he faces in his new position. Upper most in his mind was stewardship of the Christ Church facilities, not just for his congregation, but for the entire town of Greenwich. Citing the great number of outside events scheduled in its buildings every year, he considers Christ Church a town legacy that must be preserved and protected. There appears to be little doubt that a major restoration effort is needed, and if anyone can marshal the necessary resources, we believe it will be the Reverend Dr. Jim Lemler.

—Jack Moffly