Where we worship
Church of the Holy Comforter
The Rev. Cynthia Taylor, the pastor of the Church of the Holy Comforter, sits with children from her parish in the church's office. The church is known for its annual Blessing of the Animals.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
Address: The church doesn't have a building yet. Worshipers meet Sundays at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion, 3300 Evans to Locks Road. The office is at 1105 Fury's Lane, Suite C.
Telephone: (706) 210-1133
Fax: (706) 210-1133
Affiliation: The church is a member of the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion
Web site: holycomforter church.org
E-mail: Mailbox@ holycomforterchurch.org
Services: Sunday - Christian education for all ages at 9:30 am.; worship at 10:30 a.m., with a service devoted to healing held quarterly; a nursery is available for worship and Christian education; Wednesdays - a Bible study is offered at noon and in the evening.
Pastor: The Rev. Cynthia Taylor
Congregation size: 300
Membership: Members come from a five-county area: Columbia, Richmond, Aiken, Lincoln and McCormick counties.
Founded: Christmas Eve, 1999
Known for: The church has sent teams to minister to terrorist attack victims in New York and medical teams to the Dominican Republic. The church holds an annual Blessing of the Animals event and Fourth of July band concerts.
Music: The church offers a blend of traditional and contemporary music with a pianist and a wind and brass section called The Rapids Ensemble, made up of several school band directors.
What would you say to someone who's thinking about giving your church a try? "At Holy Comforter, you will find a warm group of people, ready to make you feel at home and share the good news of Jesus Christ," Taylor said. "We believe that at Holy Comforter, you will find that you are 'no longer strangers ... but citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.'" (Ephesians 2:19 - also the church's founding Scripture).
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing the faithful today? "Estrangement, isolation and loneliness,'' Taylor said. "Whether you're single or married, our schedules today are so packed that we can feel estranged from our God, our families, estranged even from ourselves. Mother Theresa once called loneliness the greatest disease affecting Americans, and I see signs of that in our community. Too many people feel like they have no one or no place to turn to when life is hard or, just as important, no one with whom they can share a special joy. Jesus said, 'I came so that people may have life and have it abundantly.' People need to experience the abundant life that Jesus speaks of ..."