HOW OUR CHURCH GOT IT’S NAME
Recently, I was asked how our church got its name of St. Andrew’s. At the time I used my stock answer of how John Clifford Phillips after looking at several choices choose St. Andrew’s in honor of the many Scotch-Irish that lived here. Afterward I started thinking that wasn’t a very complete answer there had to be more of a reason than that. Just what was John Phillips thinking about at the time? So I decided to dig a little deeper. I started my research the old fashion way, I dug through a pile of old newspaper clippings, skimmed though old books at home and the library and finally a visit to the historical society. Trouble is I came away from that with more questions than I had answers for and I still did not know what John Phillips was thinking.
My next step was to go to the internet and ask my friends at Google, Foxfire and several other search engines what John Phillips was thinking. I was disappointed to find out that they did not know either but I did come away with a lot of interesting facts and for each bit of information another question.
Did you know that in the United States there are about 7500 Episcopal Churches and 311 of those are named for St. Andrew? It’s the fifth favorite name for an Episcopal Church. Just in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania there are seven Episcopal churches named St. Andrew’s. There is St. Andrew’s Shippensburg, St. Andrew’s in the city and St. Andrew’s in the Valley both in Harrisburg, St. Andrew’s Lewisburg, St. Andrew’s State College, St. Andrew’s York and St. Andrew’s Tioga. So then I asked how many churches of all denominations are named St. Andrew’s and the number 789 came up. That could be fifteen in every state with eight more scattered around.
With those numbers I began to think that St. Andrew’s must be a really cool name for a church. I looked on several lists of cool names for churches and St. Andrew’s was not on any of them that was very disappointing. Then I remembered that most denominations do not name churches after saints that is left to Anglican and Catholic congregations. So what was on that list that John Phillips had? So I typed in how to name a church, maybe that would give me a hint. I found out numbers were poplar, we could have been The First Episcopal Church of Shippensburg, but that is a little long to fit on a sign. Geographical names might work, something like Cumberland Valley Episcopal Church or Shippensburg Episcopal Church that has a nice ring. Could you imaging naming a church after the town if you lived in Boring OR., Looneyville TX or Hell MI., I don’t think you would get to many newcomers. Then there is the new age names like One Love, Restorer, Defender, or Rescuer, maybe a little too new for 1906.
Then I thought, who are these Scotch-Irish and why name a church to honor them. Come to find out that this is an American term that become poplar around 1744. A more correct term would be to call these people Ulster Scots since that is where they lived before coming to America. Some were native to Scotland and Ireland but most were English who moved to Scotland to get away from the Church of England. These Ulster Scots were a hearty bunch, who were responsible for settling most of the Cumberland Valley and beyond. Most were Presbyterian who started many of the early churches in this area and always around a stream or spring, think Middle Spring, Big Spring, and Falling Spring. I remember my early history lessons at Middle Spring Presbyterian Church. They told us how the men, including the preacher would come to church with a rifle in hand to protect against wild animals and Indians. Maybe they were worthy of the honor.
I still do not have a good answer to why the small stone church on the corner of Prince and Burd was named St. Andrew’s. It would be nice to be able to talk to John Phillips or see what other names were on that list but that is not possible. Let’s just assume that the best name was chosen, the right people were honored and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church will be here for several hundred more years to do the work it was meant to do.