Rectors of the
Church of Our Saviour
I. George W. Gasque 1924-1927
II. Joseph William Gubbins 1927-1928
III. Woolsey Couch 1929-1932
IV. William Stephen Turner 1932-1935
V. Charles Frederick Schilling 1936-1941
VI. Samuel Chew William Fleming 1941-1945
VII. Roy Pettway 1945-1984
VIII. Thad Benedict Rudd 1984-1988
IX. Warren Verze Tanghe 1990-2005
John Bolton (Priest in Charge) 2006-2014
X. Zachary Thompson 2014-2017
XI. Christopher Miller 2017-2022
XII. Melanie Gibson Rowell 2023-
A History of the Church of Our Saviour
The Church of Our Saviour was founded in 1924 to provide more fully “the Catholic worship and traditions of the Episcopal Church” than was then provided by the other parishes of the city. The parish first met in the home of Mr. H. S. Bartlett at the corner of Ponce de Leon and Moreland Avenues. The bishop at the time, Bishop Henry Judah Mikell, insisted that the name be “The Church of Our Saviour,” specifically noting that “Saviour” be spelled with a “u.”
In 1925, the original wooden building was constructed. This structure was subsumed by the current brick structure.
Under the rectorate of the Rev’d Samuel C. W. Fleming in 1941, and with about 1/6 of the membership serving in the armed forces, the Mass was instituted as the main service of worship and daily mass was begun. In 1945, the Blessed Sacrament began to be reserved perpetually in the church (and a cross in the Parish Hall marks the spot where it was reserved for the first time).
The structure that now houses the parish offices was built in 1948 as a rectory. In 1952 the Lady Chapel and the two rooms above it, as well as the belfry were constructed. In 1953 the parish adopted the Right Reverend John Kudo to support as parish missionary. Bp. Kudo was a missionary to a T. B. and Leper Colony in Tokyo. We supported them financially and helped rebuild their church, the Chapel of our Lady in 1957 after the previous chapel burned to the ground.
In 1955, the nave of the church was extended, the narthex was built, and the church was covered with brick. In 1959, the first of the current stained glass windows was created and installed. In the 1960s, there was an intense effort to move the parish to Tucker, which the rector, Fr. Pettway, opposed. Many families left the parish over this debate, but other families replaced them. It was also in the 1960s that Randolph Hall (now Garrison) after the church acquired the lot next door to the church. By 1964 Kendall Dane completed the carved crucifix, which still hangs over the altar. He also made the shield on the exterior of the building on Garrison Hall and also the brass dove which used to hang over the altar. The dove signified the charismatic or Pentecostal renewal which occurred in the church starting around 1970, continuing well into the 1980s.
The last stained glass windows were installed in 1977: Crucifixion, Last Supper, Transfiguration, and Baptism/Epiphany. These were created by Patrick Mizzell from Laurens Studio.
In the 1980s under Fr. Rudd, a significant renovation was completed: the altar was brought forward, the choir screen was built, and the windows inside the parish were re-framed to the gothic shape we see today. Andrew Mangione, architect and parishioner, oversaw this project.
Fr. Warren Tanghe was the rector in the 90s and early 2000s, and under his leadership Our Saviour increased its emphasis on scholarship, church history, liturgics, and Christian formation through quiet days and retreats. Fr. Tanghe was very active in the campaign to get the Archbishop of Canterbury to create a second Anglican province in the United States for conservative Anglicans.
COOS enjoyed a period of growth and renewal in the 20-teens under the vision of Frs John Bolton and Zachary Thompson. The church’s membership became more diverse, including decades-long members and newer members to the parish. The church became known as a community church in the Virginia Highland area.
2020 was a landmark year for everyone, and the Church of Our Saviour was no different. Live-streaming Holy Mass became the norm during this time, a method of outreach that no one would have planned or expected. Fr. Chris Miller brought this parish into the technological age, and we still stream our masses. COOS’s membership and attendance still continue to increase as we recover from the pandemic, and it is our hope that we continue with our many outreach ministries, find new ways to serve the community, and become known as the community church for Virginia Highland.
