Christ Episcopal Church, completed in 1843, holds the status of oldest church building in Vicksburg. But the Rev. Sam Godfrey wants people to know the church also has a thriving, vibrant and contemporary congregation who continue to worship in the historical building.

Christ Episcopal is noted for the continuation of services, even during the Siege of Vicksburg.

“The church has changed a little bit over the years,” Godfrey said, adding that, originally, the organ and choir were located at the back of the church.

“The chancel was added in the 1860s and when they did that, they eventually moved the organ and choir to the front.”

The pipe organ was shipped from Maryland and installed in 1922.

“It’s a Moeller pipe organ. It’s 103. It was shipped from Hagerstown, Maryland. It is still in working order. We use it every Sunday morning,” Godfrey said.  “The organ chamber has 950 pipes and 21 chimes.”

Christ Episcopal largely survived the Siege of Vicksburg in 1863, but lost the rectory and most of the windows to cannonball attacks.

Much of the history surrounding the stained-glass windows has been lost, but two windows are thought to have survived. Godfrey said a comparison of one of the windows to identical windows in an Episcopal church in St. Francisville, Louisiana led church officials to believe the window is original.

“They know they have original windows,” Godfrey said.

The other, made in Germany in the 1850s, features a traditional depiction of Christ exiting the tomb.

“Losing the windows was the main damage done to the church during the Siege,” Godfrey said. “For 90 years we thought the church had not been hit. Then, when the tornado hit Vicksburg in ’53, it hit our belfry, and when they went up to inspect the belfry, found a cannonball.”

A church as old as Christ Episcopal is also steeped in stories of the people who attended services there.

The rectory of the church was hit by a projectile as the rector and his family were preparing to eat, Godfrey said. 

“They had the dining room set up to eat. Right before they sat down, it came through the roof.”

Others stories speak to the politics of the day.

“After Vicksburg surrendered, there were both Confederate sympathizers and Federal troops in the congregation. Part of what we do in our service is pray for those who hold the authority of government, including the president. The reverend thought it appropriate to start praying for Mr. Lincoln. Several of the ladies in the church were angered and got up and left. They were apprehended, arrested and banished to Bovina until the end of the war,” church member Jim Miller said.

Another interesting story is that of the Rev. Lord, who left the church during the Civil War to become a chaplain for the Confederacy, Miller said. In his absence, the church appointed another rector. Upon Lord’s return, he asserted his leadership at Christ Episcopal. For a time, there were two rectors, but Lord eventually left and began Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

One of the Tiffany windows features an angel holding a scroll, dedicated to Annie Lake Green by her mother. 

“The story we’ve been told is that Annie Lake Green got up one morning, put on a hat and stuck herself in the head with the hat pin. The wound became infected, and she died,” Godfrey said.

Godfrey has been rector at Christ Episcopal for nearly 14 years. 

“June 1 I will have been here 14 years,” Godfrey said, adding he is excited to see the church’s 200th anniversary in 2028.

Serving the Episcopal church wasn’t Godfrey’s first occupation. 

“My wife and I met in law school. We got married halfway through law school and practiced law together in Natchez for 11 years. Then I went to seminary.” 

Godrey spent 14 years at a small church in Como, Mississippi before coming to Vicksburg.

“It’s not that unusual,” Godfrey said, of lawyers becoming clergy. “At one time in Mississippi, I think we had ten former attorneys who are Episcopal priests. In fact, our new bishop is a former attorney. I’m just enjoying the daylights out of it.”