May 05, 2024
Virtual Eucharist: The Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 5th, 2024, is now available on Facebook, and by clicking the above video. The bulletin is available here
Bulletins for this service, and previous services are also available on the Virtual Eucharist page of the website, found under Our Common Life.
We encourage you to share services with your friends and family, bringing them love and hope during this uncommon time.
Thank you to Mark Leary, Joe Davison, Steve Getty, and Bob Irwin for their work in this ministry.
You can view our Virtual Eucharist and Sunday bulletin HERE.
Easter Lessons and Carols: Sunday, May 12th
4:00 pm - Please join us for this special Evensong service
8:00 a.m. - Said Eucharist
10:00 a.m - Choral Eucharist
1:30 p.m. - Virtual Eucharist
6:00 p.m. - Daily Mass with Unction
4:00 p.m. - October through May (Second Sunday of the month, excluding April 2023)
I hope that you are encouraged by what you see on our website and will plan on visiting Immanuel Church in the near future. We are sure to be enriched by your presence.
The Book of Common Prayer describes the mission of the Church in this way: "The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ... The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love... The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members." (BCP 1979 p. 855)
Immanuel’s worship, Christian formation programs, Outreach projects, and fellowship opportunities help to equip the people of this parish for the mission we share. And from that place of strength and encouragement the people of Immanuel on the Green move to care for others in our community and beyond. Inviting new people into this parish family to share in our hopes, dreams and endeavors is a pleasure and delight. As a sign of our welcome, the church is open every day from 9 to 5 for prayer and meditation. We invite you to come and experience the prayerful atmosphere of our beautiful and serene church building which has been hallowed by the prayers of the faithful and the searching for over 300 years.
We are honored by your visit to this site. Please know that you are always welcome at Immanuel. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, we invite you to consider this community of faith!
In Christ’s peace,
(Fr.) Chris Keene
Founded in 1689, Immanuel Church in New Castle, Delaware is one of the oldest Episcopal parishes in the United States. Immanuel's parishoners have been worshipping on the spot where the church stands for over 325 years. Our history and that of the town of New Castle have always been closely linked, and continue to be so today.
A Colonial Church
Immanuel Church was founded in 1689 and was the first parish of the Church of England in Delaware (then still part of Pennsylvania). Work on a church building began in 1703, and was mostly completed by 1708.
The Reverend George Ross was the first rector of Immanuel, arriving in 1705 as a missionary sent by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Ross served as rector for Immanuel parish from 1705 until 1708 and then again from 1714 to 1754. Much as we do today, Ross offered two services on Sunday, and administered Holy Communion regularly. He also served in other churches in the area, and was willing to travel to meet the needs of the colonial population.
Anglicans were a minority in the colony, which had been heavily settled by Presbyterians, Anabaptists, and Quakers. Ross felt a keen sense of competition, and made it his life's work to bring as many people in the village to Anglicanism as possible. Although he often grumbled about the lack of dedicated attendance, Ross was successful in his goal, and left a flourishing church behind him.
Revolutionary Times and Beyond
The American Revolution was a difficult time for the Anglican Church in the colonies. As the official state church of England, it struggled to find a role once the United States and England were no longer considered one nation. The church continued to exist and became self-governing as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America otherwise known as the Episcopal Church after the Revolution.
During the later years of the 18th century, the church, known as the "Old Church", had fallen into disrepair to the point where it was dangerous to be inside. The rector at the time, Robert Clay, himself "loaned" the parish 1600 dollars to perform repairs on the church.
Despite declining membership, in 1820 the parish decided to invest heavily in improvements to the church building. William Strickland, a noted American architect of the early 19th century, directed these improvements at his own expense, which included the addition of the bell tower and an extension of the transepts. Within a short time, the parish was among the leaders in the diocese and as the Episcopal Church enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-nineteenth century, Immanuel too grew and prospered.
Starting in the late 1850s, the interior of the church was changed to suit Victorian tastes. The interior was again altered around 1900, when Victorian elements were replaced with Colonial Revival architectural features. This style reflected an idealized vision of what Immanuel once was, but did not accurately reflect the way the church ever actually looked.
From the Ashes
On February 1, 1980, embers from a fire in the marsh by the river caught in the wind and landed on Immanuel's roof. The church was badly damaged in the ensuing fire, one of the more traumatic events in the town of New Castle's long history. Talk to any long-time resident of New Castle today, and they most likely will be able to tell you exactly what they were doing when they heard that Immanuel was on fire.
Although the building was heavily damaged, the spirit of the congregation remained strong and faithful. They resolved to rebuild the church and continue to worship on the same spot where Anglicans had worshipped for so many years. The church was restored to its 1822 William Strickland design, with modifications to the sanctuary to accommodate modern liturgical needs. The church was rededicated on December 18, 1982.
During its long history, Immanuel has had 29 rectors. Always mindful of our past, in the future the parish of Immanuel Church faces many challenges, including decisions about the maintenance of historic buildings in its care and the challenge of maintaining service and fellowship amid the business of modern life.
Like all Episcopal Churches, Immanuel is led by an elected governing body made up of active members of the parish. Called the vestry, this group of men and women helps the parish make decisions and oversees its financial and legal affairs.
The Vestry represents the parish and has the legal capacity to act on its behalf. Elected Vestry members serve 3-year terms and are led by a Senior and Junior Warden. Although the Senior and Junior Wardens can serve two consecutive terms, regular vestry members cannot serve consecutive terms. They can however, be off the Vestry for as little as one year and then be elected again for another term. There is no maximum number of times that Vestry members may serve.
The Vestry is divided into committees as appropriate, and oversees issues such as
• Setting the budget
• Overseeing upkeep of various church properties
• Hiring of staff, incuding the rector
• Developing personnel policies
• Overseeing management of various parish activities
including A Day in Old New Castle.
The Vestry meets once a month, on the third Wenesday from September to June, with the rector chairing the meetings.
Candidates for the Vestry are selected by outgoing members, the rector, and the wardens, and are invited to run as candidates. To be nominated for vestry, candidates must be members of the parish in good standing who pledge and attend regularly. New Vestry members are elected during the parish Annual Meeting held every January.
The Vestry of Immanuel Parish
Dr. Matthew Kinservik, Senior Warden
Mr. Robert Irwin, Junior Warden
Mr. Joseph Davison, Treasurer
Ms.Felice Jo Lamden, Clerk
Serving until 2025
Ms. Camille Foster
Mr. Hal Garber
Ms. Kylin Sheets
Serving until 2026
Mr. Jon Barrett
Mr. David Behringer
Ms. Liz Plant
Serving until 2027
Dr. Stephen Franklin
Mr. Thomas Tear
Ms. Judy Upshure
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| The Seal of the Episcopal Church |
The Episcopal Church is a branch of the one, holy, catholic Church founded by Christ in the Apostles. Its members are called Episcopalians. The primary unit of ministry in the Episcopal Church is a diocese led by its chief pastor, a bishop. In fact, the word episcopal means bishop.
Although Episcopalians are led by bishops, we are constitutionally governed by lay people and other clergy joining with the bishops in periodic meetings to order the church, plan for mission, set budgets and priorities, and pass legislation.
The Episcopal Church traces its origins through English Christianity, from Saint Alban in the third century through the Church of England planted in the colonies in the 1600s. The church is the American branch of Christianity in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury (also known as the Anglican communion). It became a self-governing, autonomous province after the Revolutionary War. Today, there are about two million Episcopalians in the United States, and about eight million in the world.
Like other Anglicans, Episcopalians subscribe to the two Testaments of Holy Scripture – the Old and the New, to the ancient Creeds of the church, and to the early councils as normative for our faith. For decisions in the present day about divine truth, moral living, ethical behavior, and prophetic action we bring a three-part discipline to bear: the use of Scripture, tradition, and reason enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
For generations, Episcopalians have been at the forefront of American national life, from the founding men and women of our nation, to leadership in government, in the arts and sciences, and in facing contemporary issues. We have not been, and are still not afraid to tackle controversial issues of human justice or to differ with each other charitably as we search for the will of God to be revealed.
Combining elements of both Catholic and Protestant traditions, Episcopalians have also been pioneers in ecumenical ventures, cooperating with other churches and traditions throughout the world to be more responsive to Christ's prayer "that we all may be one."
