The annual celebration of Absalom Jones Day in the Diocese of South Carolina is NOT just for African Americans. It is the celebration for all members of the Diocese to commemorate the life and accomplishments of a great man of God, an orator, an abolitionist, a dynamic preacher, and a great pastor. Absalom Jones was a man of conviction. Through his faith in God, he paved a way for African Americans to worship with dignity. He was born a slave in 1746 but bought his freedom and that of his wife, Mary, by 1778.

He became a lay minister for Black members in a Methodist church and later founded the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. After the church was granted parish status, Jones was later ordained as the first African American priest in the Episcopal Church. He is listed on the Episcopal calendar of saints and blessed under the date of his death, February 13, in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

As we honor the memory and spirit of Absalom Jones, we will gather at Calvary Episcopal Church, 106 Line Street, Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 11:00AM to celebrate in song, word, and praise.

We will be honored with the presence of our Bishop-Elect, The Very Reverend Mark J. Lawrence who will be the Celebrant. Our speaker for the occasion will be Lt. Col. (Ret.) Charles Bolden, a native South Carolinian (Columbia). He is a former Astronaut and a member of St. James Episcopal Church, Houston, Texas.

A celebration will also be held in honor of Absalom Jones on Tuesday, February 12 at Voorhees College.

An Absalom Jones essay contest is open to all high school students in the Diocese of South Carolina. Details are listed in the bulletin insert below.

Please use the attached, double-sided bulletin insert to announce the two upcoming celebrations and the essay contest.