The 2019 Unity Worship Service at St. John’s Church
Religion
DEEP R OOT S O F R E LI GI O U S E X P R E S S I O N Following the Civil War, many African Americans in Hampton received their education in concert with religious studies through the programs of the American Missionary Association, a philanthropic society dedicated to teaching people of color. But while the presence of the association brought new religious ideas to their communities, Hampton’s African American population soon broke away. Forming their own congregations, they were able to worship more inclusively. The churches were also the source of moral and social advancement, initiating and sustaining temperance organizations, fraternal groups, a YMCA, and a host of social gatherings. Membership in one of the eight churches operating in the 1880’s gave a stamp of social acceptability. The following churches are significant because they represent some of Hampton’s first African American sanctuaries. These are just a few of more than 100 Hampton churches existing today that we invite you to explore during your visit.
ST. J O H N’ S EPISCO PA L C H URC H The year 1610 is significant for Hamptonians for two reasons. It marks the time from which the first English-speaking settlement was established on land that would become Hampton. It also marks the year that Elizabeth City Parish was formed. The oldest English-speaking parish in continuous service in America, the parish that would become that of St. John’s Episcopal Church in 1728, helped other Episcopal parishes organize, including the first black Episcopal congregation in Hampton, that of St. Cyprian Episcopal Church. At St. John’s, look for the stained-glass window depicting the baptism of Pocahontas. It was given to the church by Native American students from the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in 1887. (St. John’s Church is located at 100 West Queens Way, Hampton. 757/722-2567. From Interstate 64, take exit 267 toward Downtown. Turn right onto Eaton Street and left onto Queen’s Way. The sanctuary is open to visitors year-round,
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