Bath, North Carolina
The stand-alone brick building that is St. Thomas Episcopal Church is the oldest church building in North Carolina. The church was built in 1734 in the state’s oldest town of Bath. The church congregation is even older, with the earliest records of meetings in local homes dating back to 1701. What’s amazing about this church? The church has an active congregation that has held regular Sunday services for the last 325 years.
I first came to St. Thomas Episcopal Church when I was a teenager. My family stopped in Bath on a trip to the Outer Banks, and I remember being amazed that there was a building this old in North Carolina. I’ve seen a lot of older buildings on my trips to Europe, but it was fascinating to see a functioning church this old in North Carolina.
On my most recent trip to Bath, I stopped in, and the church was open. I am very appreciative of the open sanctuary. I am a firm believer that the House of God should be available for His people. It infuriates me that people lock up church buildings without allowing access to their parishioners. The church I grew up in had an open-door policy, and there were times in my life when I needed to stop in the sanctuary. When traveling the globe, I have been able to walk into other churches like that, appreciative of finding a sanctuary to pray and worship. If you are in Bath, North Carolina, this little Episcopalian Church still has an open sanctuary for all of God’s people. It is a sad state of affairs when people care more about the building than the people it serves. St. Thomas is a special church, and I gladly donated money to help cover maintenance costs.
Stopping in at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bath, North Carolina, is a travel gem, and I strongly recommend a visit to this oldest church in North Carolina. I’m glad it is still home to a practicing congregation that demonstrates, through their actions, that a church sanctuary needs to be open to people. If you go, please be respectful of the building and the people who open it up to the world.
