1929-1940: the Early History
The will of George Washington Nevil in 1929 included a bequest to the bishop
of Pennsylvania to build a church in memory of the Nevil family with
endowment income to keep the church in repair. The church, parish house
and rectory were built in the present location, even though Bishop
Thomas J. Garland did not want it so close to the existing Ardmore
church (St. Mary's).
Bishop Francis M. Taitt consecrated the church in
1932. Because it was self-supporting from the beginning, it was not a
mission - the bishop was
the titular rector and the ministers-in-charge were its vicars. Regular
services began with attendance exceeding expectations. With new families
moving into Haverford Township in the 1940s, the parish grew and prospered.
1950-1974: the Van der
Hiel Years
During the summer of 1950, Peter C. Van der Hiel arrived as the vicar
of St. George's. He felt it time for the church (known as "the Bishop's
Church") to change its unique status to that of a parish. The Court
of Common Pleas of Delaware County granted a charter in 1952. Van der Hiel
became the first rector, and the vestry members were those who signed the
charter.
A capital fund campaign in 1955 permitted the enlargement
of the church and the extension of the parish house. Outreach continued
during this
period with the parish meeting their contributions to the diocese and
the national
church.
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1975-1994: the
McKendrick Years
With Peter Van der Heil's retirement in 1974, the vestry for the first time had
to elect a rector. Chosen the following year, James F. McKendrick added family
services with the Eucharist every Sunday at 9:30 A.M. between the 8:00 A.M. Eucharist
and the 11:00 A.M. Morning Prayer. The new service attracted families who could
keep their children in church and those seeking a more personal or charismatic
style of worship. In time, declining attendance at the 11:00 o'clock service
led to its elimination and the family service was moved to 10:00 A.M. as the
principal Sunday worship service.
McKendrick also introduced the 1979 Book of Common
Prayer and the 1982 Hymnal to educate the parish toward Eucharistic
worship and living. Some parishioners disagreed and left the parish;
other parishioners stopped attending the services at St. George; but
other parishioners who appreciated the service changes became the core
of our present congregation. However, membership continued to decline,
and in 1994 McKendrick resigned.
1994-1996: a period of
reflection
The ice storm of January 1994 did extensive damage to the property
of the church. The proceeds from insurance, and funds from other sources,
helped repair the damages and to renovated the parish house to establish
a state-of-the-art day care center. Called the Children's Ark at St.
George's, this center operates at near capacity.
During this two-year interim, a period of reflection,
the parish reached a turning point. With new resolve and commitment,
the parish elected
William Duffey.
1996-Present: the Duffey Years
The new rector William Duffey, found a physical plant in good repair
and a congregation with zest for spirit-filled worship and mission. |
