“C” is for Church of England

  “C” is for Church of England. The beginning of the church in England can be dated to the consecration of Augustine as archbishop of Canterbury in 597. Under Henry VIII, the Church of England separated from Rome and under Elizabeth I was defined and established as catholic and reformed. The first Anglican church was established in Charleston about 1681. In 1706, the Church of England became the official or established church in South Carolina. Once established, the church was supported by public monies, with provisions made for clergy salaries and the erection of churches and rectories. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer became the official liturgy for the province. Although the colony now had an official church, other denominations were tolerated. During the Revolutionary War, the Church of England was dis-established in 1778.