St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia held Pride Sunday and a special forum on Sunday, Oct. 9.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Oct. 7, the church said the activities were held on the same day at different times.

The church invited the public to join at 9 a.m. for a discussion with The Rev. Shaneequa Brokenleg, the staff officer for racial reconciliation in the presiding bishop's Office of Reconciliation, Justice, and Creation Care.

After the forum, a 10 a.m.-service was held, the church said.

Other Church Activities

The Atlanta Cerebral Palsy School was founded in 1949 at the parish house by two parishioners, Rebecca Frazer and Anne Lane, according to St. Luke's Episcopal Church.

According to the church, it is situated on Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Cator Woolford Gardens and is currently known as The Frazer Center.

The nonprofit organization, which started out as a soup kitchen in 1973, has expanded to currently provide daily meals, a mailroom, a career assistance program, and health reference services.

It is located on the grounds of the church and is presently known as Crossroads Community Ministries.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church is dedicated to setting the bar for social justice and outreach in downtown Atlanta and beyond, according to its website.

It claimed that in order for members to uphold their baptismal pledges, they were often persuaded to participate in a variety of outreach programs.

Church’s History

The life of St. Luke was marked by vision, renewal, and service, according to the church's website.

As a haven for people escaping the horrors of war, the church was established in the 19th century, the church said.

The church said nearly a century later, while other churches were moving to the suburbs, the "small refugee church" made the deliberate choice to stay in downtown Atlanta.

It said communities that continue to worship and serve in Atlanta today owe their very existence to these two "births."

The church said its history started with Dr. Charles Todd Quintard, who was educated in New York after being born and raised in Connecticut.

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

He decided to give up medicine and pursue holy orders, becoming a priest in 1856 after completing his studies, it added.

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

It added that the Army of Tennessee launched a defense against Union forces in 1863, and after a while it withdrew to Atlanta, taking Dr. Quintard with it.

The church advised that to know its full history, people may visit its website.

With around 2,000 members, St. Luke's prides itself on being a vibrant religious community that works to apply the Gospel in the middle of Atlanta, the church said.