By Communications Team
Members of Grace Episcopal Church gathered this year to celebrate a legacy that stretches back 150 years in Goochland County.
On May 3, 1876, a half-acre of land was deeded to Bishop Francis Whittle of the Diocese of Virginia for the purpose of building a new church in the Courthouse village. Grace Episcopal was constructed the same year, later consecrated in 1882, and has been serving the greater Goochland Courthouse community ever since.
Exactly 150 years later, on May 3, the parish gathered on the Courthouse Green to honor its founding before walking to their current sanctuary nearby.
Caption: The earliest known exterior and interior photos of Grace, likely taken between 1905 and 1912. The Priest’s and Bishop’s Chairs behind the altar, and the lectern on the left facing the altar, are still in the same spots today.
Liturgy Across Time
The first part of the service was an outdoor liturgy that drew directly from the 1789 U.S. Book of Common Prayer, incorporating a classic form of prayer and thanksgiving. This was to honor Grace’s legacy as a direct descendant of historic St. James Northam Parish, established in 1744, and the old Beaver Dam Church, completed in 1764 several miles northeast of the current Courthouse and in use until around 1865.
The congregation gathered in front of the Goochland County Courthouse, which served as the meeting place for what would become the Grace Episcopal Church congregation, many of whom were prior members of the old Beaver Dam church. Monthly services were held here between 1867 and 1877, until land was provided and the new church building completed.
The Rt. Rev’d E. Mark Stevenson, the 14th Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia, stood on the same Courthouse porch where Whittle, 5th Bishop of this diocese, preached and confirmed parishioners in 1876.
The congregation then processed across River Road to the church building for Holy Eucharist Rite II. During the service, Stevenson confirmed candidate members into the Episcopal Church and formally welcomed new members into the Grace Church family.
In an online reflection before the milestone service, Rector Emily Dunevant reflected on her spiritual practice of beekeeping—a hobby she took up during the covid quarantine.
“You are God’s, and God has given you not only his love but a community of people around you to support and care for you. Your life is held lovingly by God and in response to that love, we lovingly hold one another in our own hands. That’s the lesson of the bee community.”
Following the morning service and confirmations, the parish continued the fellowship with a festive, celebratory lunch.
Resilience and Connection
Senior Warden and parish historian Will Henson helped organize the historical background for the anniversary. Henson moved to Goochland, about 30 miles northwest of Richmond, after retiring from a career in public history and archives. Only then did he discover generations of family ties to the parish.
“I have fourth, fifth, and sixth great-grandfathers that were members of St. James Northam,” he noted.
Henson’s research into the parish archives revealed a history of quiet endurance through periods of economic hardship, war, and shifting demographics.
“One of the things that really struck me is just the resilience of such a small parish,” Henson noted. “For so many years of its history, [it] has hung on by a thread… But there have always been dedicated people to that parish that have kept it going.”
For Dunevant, who has served as rector for 10 years, the sesquicentennial offered an opportunity to express gratitude for the congregation’s ongoing work in the community.
“Today we are standing on the good work of the previous generations that built Grace Church and built this ministry in Goochland County,” Dunevant said. “Grace has been a place of such incredible inclusion and welcome for generations, and we’ve just been fortunate enough to be here in this moment to carry that legacy forward.”
Today and Onward
Grace Church describes itself as “a welcoming Episcopal community rooted in worship, learning, and service. Together, we seek to grow in faith, care for one another, and share God’s love in the heart of Goochland.”
Dunevant noted that the parish focuses heavily on outreach, including its involvement in the new James River Area Ministry to support smaller area congregations like St. John’s Episcopal in nearby Columbia.
In August, Grace and St. John’s held a joint service beginning with a potluck breakfast at Grace, where the service started. Halfway through, congregants carpooled 17 miles on Route 6 to St. John’s for communion and the conclusion of the service.
“My folks have such a sense of establishing a healthy future and making sure that the ministry of Grace continues,” Dunevant said. “They’re just so outward looking. Who do we want to be in the future? How do we want to contribute to the community? They’re just not a church that wants to stay within their four walls.”
The past can provide a strong foundation for meaningful forward movement in a diocese where the mission is to love Jesus, embody justice, and be disciples.
“Tradition doesn’t have to be something that’s stuck in the past,” Henson said. “It’s something that can root you in looking to the future.”
View photos from the service:
150th Anniversary of Grace Episcopal Church, Goochland