St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia held a contemplative forum on Sunday, Oct. 2.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Sept. 29, the church said the forum started at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The church said it welcomed everyone to a new place and practice within St Luke's: The Contemplative Forum. It is done in response to the growing interest in what "Contemplative" means and to continue the waking of new ideas on Christianity, according to the church.

The church said exploration of all ideas, theologies, people, practices, and queries regarding what it means to be a contemplative or to live a contemplative life will take place in this space and over time.

Interested participants may visit this link to register and get more information: ow.ly/uN8p50KWcla.

They may also visit St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s Facebook post for additional information.

Outreach Initiatives

St. Luke's Episcopal Church's website said it is dedicated to acting as a pioneer in social justice and outreach in downtown Atlanta and beyond.

It claimed to be well-known for encouraging members to participate in a variety of outreach projects in order to fulfill their baptismal vows.

The Atlanta Cerebral Palsy School was founded at the parish house in 1949, according to the church, by parishioner Anne Lane and her friend Rebecca Frazer.

It is presently known as The Frazer Center and is situated on Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Cator Woolford Gardens, according to the church.

Since its inception as a soup kitchen in 1973, the organization has expanded to include daily meals, a career assistance program, health reference services, and a mailroom.

It is situated on the church's property and is currently known as Crossroads Community Ministries.

Church’s History

St. Luke's Episcopal Church was founded in the 19th century to offer a safe haven for people fleeing the horrors of war.

Nearly a century later, other churches moved to the suburbs, but the "small refugee church" purposefully decided to stay in the center of Atlanta, according to the church.

The communities in Atlanta that still gather for worship and service today, according to the church, were brought about by these two "births."

Although Dr. Charles Todd Quintard was born and raised in Connecticut, according to St. Luke's Episcopal Church, he went to school in New York.

The first bishop of Tennessee allegedly became his friend after he relocated to the south and started working as a professor at the Medical College in Memphis, according to the church.

He decided to pursue holy orders rather than a career in medicine, the church said. In 1856, after completing his studies, he received his priestly ordination, it added.

Despite formerly being a unionist, Dr. Quintard accepted a position as chaplain of the Tennessee Army when the Civil War began.

According to St. Luke's Episcopal Church, the Army of Tennessee fought Union troops in 1863 before retiring to Atlanta and carrying Dr. Quintard with it.