Sanctuary Services:   8:00AM and 10:30AM Sunday mornings
                                      *6:30PM on Wednesday (check FB page, may be offsite)
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Online Services          10:30AM Sunday mornings
                                      6:30PM on Wednesday

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  • Each Sunday, Prelude begins 5 minutes before the start of the service, with service following the ringing of the Church Bell at the stated Service time.
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  • Evening Prayer is livestreamed at 6:30 each Wednesday evening. In person participation is also welcomed when service is streamed from the Sanctuary. If you. wish to attend/participate in person, contact Erin or Fr. Patrick to verify location.​
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Fr. Patrick leads Sunday Service in the Parish Hall at St Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
​​St. Mary Magdalene Updates and Announcements

  • Sunday, Sept. 5th, 2021, worship services returned to two services (8:00AM and 10:30AM) in the Sanctuary. Livestream of the 10:30 Sunday services on StMM FaceBook page begins at 10:25 with musical prelude.
  • Please remember the Rector's Discretionary Fund, collected monthly on first Sunday to support whose seeking assistance from the Parish.
  • 6:30 PM Wednesday Evening Prayer livestreams to StMM's FaceBook.
  • Please sign up for your Altar Flowers donation for the remainder of 2021 on the chart posted on the bulletin board outside the kitchen.
  • Weekly altar Flower donations are posted in the Bulletin when available.
  • Fr. Patrick Soule became Priest-in-Charge effective June 1, 2021. He is always available for parishioner visits, concerns and needs.
  • Details of his schedule are being established. He plans to be in Fayetteville to lead evening services on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month.
  • The ECW is working with Hands of Mercy to collect food items for Bags of Blessings (BoB) as children return to school this Fall. The bags distributed on Fridays to provide food for the weekend and contain nonperishable food and snacks. Monetary donations are welcomed.
Items for BoB include Individual fruit cups, cheese crackers,
Granola Bars, Fruit Snacks, Snack-size Chips, Jell-O cups, and Pudding Cups.
  • StMM plans to participate in the November 13th Fayetteville-Lincoln County Annual Host of Christmas Past. ECW plans a Baklava and Blessings sale.
  • Other potential items include Wayfarers Rest, Changing Stations, Nursing Mom Privacy, Clean Restrooms, Coffee/Water, Sanctuary Tour and 1882 Steeple Bell Ringing. We are looking for volunteers.
  • The HOCP event gives an opportunity to welcome the community in service to our facilities and communicating who St. Mary Magdalene Parish is.
  • Parishioners and visitors are encouraged to attend services in person or participate online.
  • As an alternative to donating at a service, you mail your donation directly to the church at St. Mary Magdalene, Attn: Treas., PO Box 150, Fayetteville, TN 37334, or you can use your own banking institution’s online Bill Pay (which typically charges no fees either to you or the church). Please designate as for Pledge, plate, flowers, Rector's Discretionary Fund, Hands of Mercy, Good Sam, etc., as appropriate
  • 6:30 PM Wednesday Evening Prayer livestreams to StMM’s FaceBook page from the St.MM Sanctuary.
St. Mary Magdalene Parish Prayer List
  • Please join us in praying for:
    • Those on our prayer list, (listed in our weekly bulletin or provided in weekly newsletter)
    • Our country & our President,
    • Pray for all the departed,
    • Pray for our church leaders: Justin, Archbishop of of Canterbury; Michael, our Presiding Bishop; John, our Bishop, and Patrick, our Priest
  • Our Parish Prayer List is coordinated and published weekly. ​​
  • Regular Vestry Meetings, are shown on the church calendar posted on this web page and are open to parishioners interested in attending. Please contact any vestry member for more information.
  • Weekly announcements are sent out to SMM parishioners. If you are not receiving the weekly announcement parish email and wish to do so, or if you are interested in becoming a member of the parish, call the church office and leave a message with your Name, phone number and current email address.
  • St. Mary Magdalene is priviledged to support Hands of Mercy and Good Sam(aritan). You may donate directly to either charitable group or bringing donations to the church.
    • Good Sam donations
      • Macaroni and cheese
      • Canned fruit
    • Hands of Mercy Donations
      • Individual Snack Items for Weekend lunches for children
    • Monetary gifts are graciously accepted as well by and for either.
      • ​Checks can be made either to Good Sam or to St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church and designation included on memo line. If you prefer to use direct deposit, please mark Memo line appropriately.
  • Rector’s Discretionary Fund: Your donations continue to aid those requesting additional assistance with food, housing, utilities, etc. For pledges/donations, please use direct bank deposit or mail checks to: Treasurer, St. Mary Magdalene EC, PO 150, Fayetteville, TN 37334. The plate offering on the first Sunday along with your designated gifts supports this fund.​​
  • Thank you for your gifts of time, talent, goods, or funds!
Picture
Behind the steel beam framework, StMM’s white two-story rectory with gingerbread sat near the current Columbarium. The original church building, which also faced Elk Avenue, rested between the rear of new structure and the rectory. The white house w chimney in the distance still stands, our current neighbors to the North.- JR

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All services are currently being livestreamed to our FB page @smmepiscopal to meet the needs of the Parish and accommodate social distancing needs.

Personal altar visits are easily scheduled, as is access to the Sanctuary or Parish Hall.  Please contact the Clerk of the Vestry (Jim R.), either directly, or leave a message on church office phone (433-2911).


Any additional updates and plans for in-Church or alternative worship with appropriate precautions will be posted as available. 

Please Check our Facebook page, @smmepiscopal, for more opportunities to interact, including online Evening prayer and other resources.
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(Please contact thru phone or email.)
Office Hours:
​ by appointment only.
Phones and email are monitored on regular basis.

Church Location*:
​106 E. Washington Street
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Parking lot is adjacent to Parish hall on Washington.

Mailing Address**
(Please send donations by banking bill pay or check to this address:
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
P.O. Box 150
Fayetteville, TN 37334

​Office Phone: (931) 433-2911
​Email: office@smm-episcopal.net

* UPS and FedEx deliveries should be addressed to the physical location, not US Mail.
**for US Mail. The Post Office only delivers mail for PO Box users addressed to that box.


Daily Community Worship
All members of our parish are invited and encouraged though physically apart, to pray together daily at 8 AM, Noon and 6 PM for solidarity, to fortify our sense of community and to counter the uncertainty of these times. Let’s begin that today and do so whenever we are able.

While we are unable to all meet together for public worship, each of us can continue to draw strength through our individual and family prayer life.

Join us in prayer wherever you are as we continue to pray for our community, country, and world as together we fight the pandemic and the turmoil it is causing. Take part in an on line service to join your voices with others. And, don't forget to reach out to someone else with a call, a text, or message during this time of physical social distancing

The Book of Common Prayer is a rich resource, including Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Daily Devotions. ​​

Resources for personal worship, including links to on-line Book of Common Prayer, the Lectionary Page, and the Diocese website, are found in the Resources section at the bottom of this page.

Suggestion: The Supplication, BCP p. 154 and Prayers and Thanksgivings, BCP p. 814-841.
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Individuals are encouraged to attend on-line streaming worship while unable to attend in person.
  • StMM is currently streaming Sunday morning Holy Eucharist Services at 10:30AM each Sunday and Evening Prayer Wednesday evenings at 6:30PM to the St. Mary Magdalene Facebook page, @smmepiscopal
  • Links to other​ Churches in our Diocese currently offering streaming of their services can be found at:
https://edtn.org/worship-resources/

  • Our transition to resume Regular Weekly Services began with ​Limited In-Person Services at an outdoor location on Sundays and Wednesday Evening Prayer at 6:30 PM each Wednesday live on Facebook @smmepiscopal.
  • Later, ​due to colder weather and health concerns, all St.MM services  transitioned to online with very limited in-person attendance.​
  • Services continue to be provided on line, but are now available for in-person attendance on Sundays and most Wednesday evenings.
  • Various groups and activities, including Church organizations such as Vestry, DOK, ECW and ECM continue to meet monthly or as scheduled. Most currently meet by video, and some by teleconference in respect of social distancing. Contact the church office for more information.
  • Other uses of Parish Hall or Sanctuary should be scheduled in advance.

​ Additional Resources for personal worship, including links to on-line Book of Common Prayer, the Lectionary Page, and the Diocese website, are found in the Resources section below.

​Reminders:
  • St.MM office can be contacted by phone or email. Office hours are by appointment only. but phones will be monitored. Please work with Jim or email office@smm-episcopal.net for additions/changes to calendar, administrative items and/or bulletin.
  • Note: St.MM uses only PO Box 150 for US mail delivery. The mail is picked up at the main Post Office, not delivered directly to the church. FedEx and UPS can deliver to our 106 East Washington Street address, but USPO regulates postal patrons with PO boxes to only receive mail addressed to that box. Mail addressed to the street address will not be delivered. Please coordinate before sending anything directly to the church building to make sure someone will be there to receive it.
  • Please verify Community meetings & events schedule with Sponsors.
  • Normally recurring meetings include:
    • Alcoholics Anonymous meets 7:00 PM in the Parish Hall on Mondays and Thursdays.
    • Cub Scout meetings (currently suspended)
  • Reminder: Last person leaving the building is responsible for ensuring all unneeded lights are turned off and all exterior doors are locked. This includes both side and front doors of church, and all three exterior doors at parish hall! You may not have opened it, but someone else may have.
Opportunities
  • Photos needed! If you have digital photos of recent StMM events (or take any pics in the future), please forward to StMM email: office@smm-episcopal.net to possibly be included on our St.MM FaceBook page.
Other
  • Rector’s Discretionary Fund is supported by the First Sunday plate offering. While many in our community are experiencing additional economical impacts, plate offerings are limited due to service limitatioms. Checks are appreciated and may be mailed to St.MM's postal address. Designated donations to the Discretionary Fund are always welcome and may be given at any time.
  • The Fund supports local assistance to individuals for grocery, gasoline and heating bills. Two primary methods currently used are:
    • 1. St.MM also provides Outreach funding to Hands of Mercy, primarily for assistance with utilities. (During this period of unusual need and very limited resources, SMM is providing additional funds to Hands of Mercy for food distribution as well.) Hands of Mercy has the resources to review applications and qualify requesters based on income and actual need.
    • 2. St.MM has been a long time supporter and staffer of Good Sam (currently closed) which provides grocery staples and utility assistance. Cash and checks are welcomed in addition to allow bulk purchase of foodstuffs, including our assigned Mac&Cheese and canned fruit! ​Volunteering opportunities also exist, as Hands of Mercy continues their efforts.

 OUR HISTORY The first congregation was organized by A. S. Thomas, a banker from Columbia, Tennessee.  Early communicants were confirmed by the Rt. Rev. Charles T. Quintard.  For a time, services were held in various homes and at the courthouse.

The cornerstone of the church was laid on September 22, 1881 and that first Eucharist was celebrated in the unfinished Church of St. Mary Magdalene on May 4, 1884. The minutes of the Guild of St. Mary Magdalene (the forerunner of the current Episcopal Church Women) state that the church was dedicated on St. Mary Magdalene's Day, July 22, 1884 and in 1890 the mission became a parish.

The building was destroyed in 1952 as the result of a tornado.  Following the tornado, the nine families with 33 active members, who were the church family of St. Mary Magdalene, rebuilt the church on the same spot but rotated 90 degrees to the south. A FAITHFUL CONGREGATION REBUILDS...Bishop Barth officiated at the laying of the cornerstone of the present church on June 7, 1953.  The first parish hall was built in 1960; it was divided into Sunday School rooms in 1985 when a new parish hall was added.  In 1982,  St. Mary Magdalene celebrated its Centennial, and buried a time capsule to be opened in 2007.
At the regular meeting of the Mission Council on December 11, 1991, the members voted unanimously to apply to the Diocese of Tennessee at the 169th Convention for parish status.  In the calendar year 1991, the church became financially independent of the Diocese of Tennessee.   In January 1992, it obtained parish status.

CLERGY From the time of its founding until about 1920, the church was served by full-time resident clergy.  From 1920 to 1955 it was served by seminarians and supply clergy from the University of the South at Sewanee.  During these years without a priest, the church was forced to go from "parish status" (being entirely self-supporting) to "mission status" (depending on the diocese for financial support).  The church did not have a resident priest again until 1955.

Clergy Who Served St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church:
F.A Davenport, Prentice A. Pugh, Dr. H.R. Howard, James F. Plummer, Wm. G.G. Thompson, Henry James McGehee, Rowland Hale, Peter McKinnon Dennis, Francis R. Starr, Erle Homer Merriman, John Fernsley, E.P. Bartlam, B.B. Ramage, C.A. Cole , A. Bailey Hill, Sterling Tracy, A.C. Killeffer, George A. Fox, D. Troy Beatty, William Sanders, J.M. Northrup, Arthur Freeman, H.F. Keller, Sanford Garner, Ellis M. Bearden, S. W. Toal, Francis M. Osborne, Thomas E. Dudney, John T. Deforest, Jr., James R. Cullipher III, A.F. Schwenk, David H. Fisher, C.M. Galbraith, Robert L. Beasley, William A. Jones, Jr, Clark M. Baker, J.L. Postel, Charles W. Livermore, J.E. Waller, William T. Patten, Richard N. Walkley, Buckley H. Robbins, Henry W. Lancaster, Jr., Charles Randall Dunnavant, Ben H. Shawhan, William J. McNeely, Douglas Girardeau, James L. Rogers, Gerard S. Moser, Homer Le Grand, Al Scoggins, "Randy"  Hoover-Dempsey, Harry B. Bainbridge, III, William H. Ralston, Julie Anna Johnson, James C. Pappas, Jason S. Terhune
IVY FROM CASTLE The ivy which grew on the walls of the old church until it was destroyed was brought from Kenilworth Castle, the home of Sir Walter Scott, in England.  "Rev. Hale," the second Rector at the church was an Englishman and on various trips back to England he brought articles to be used in the church.  These items were slightly damaged in the tornado, but were restored and are still in use today.  A huge brass eagle, whose out-spread wings held a large Bible, was purchased by the Rev. Hale and is still in good condition.  Suspended from the exposed, aged, wooden rafters above, the chancel of the original church were seven brass lamps with red glass chimneys enclosing candles.  The lamps represented the seven churches of Asia.  They were demolished by the tornado and one was blown through the wall of the rectory next door.  Even before the disastrous tornado of 1952, another tornado had damaged the church slightly in 1890, but it was evidently not very serious.
ORGAN FROM MEMPHIS There was also a unique organ in the original church which came from Christ Church in Memphis.  During the War between the States, this organ was seized from Christ Church by drunken soldiers who took it into the streets of Memphis and danced by its music.  Later it was retrieved and sent to St. Mary Magdalene where it was used for many years.  The unusual feature of the organ was that it was pumped by hand, and a person had to be behind it grinding before it would emit a sound.  Early members of the church report that if a sound did not come from the instrument, it was usually found that the little boy organ grinder had fallen asleep. THE ALTAR
(THIS PORTION OF HISTORY WAS TAKEN FROM THE REV. ROWLAND HALE'S PERSONAL NOTES ON THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH, OF WHICH HE WAS THE SECOND RECTOR.)The current altar has been present in the church since its inception.  The altar is a memorial to the Rev. C.C. Parsons and the Rev. John M. Schwar who fell victims to the Yellow Fever in 1878.  This memorial was the gift of the mother of the Rev. Rowland Hale, Rector.  It is the work of Geisler & Co. of New York.  It is of oak with carved panels, the center one showing the "Agnus Dei" (Latin) for "Lamb of God."   The Rev. C.C. Parsons and the Rev. John M. Schwar are among the clergy remembered with Constance and her Companions as the Martyrs of Memphis on September 9th in the liturgical calendar.  

Resources
​Click on the following images to open a new page.
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