Torresdale, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

All Saints' Episcopal Church

Denomination: Episcopal

Organ: Teller Pipe Organ (German Pedal-Board)

Last Service:  ---

Presider: Rev. Edward Chinn / Multiple Interims

All Saints - Torresdale, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Founded in 1772, All Saints Torresdale was an historic church. Its first rector was also the provst of the University of Pennsylvania. Walking through front doors, the weight of history could be felt. The organ sat in the loft, All Saints Torresdale had a full professional choir(not a volunteer/professional mix). Although volunteers did come to sing occasionally, they were never encouraged to do so. The organ was a Teller Pipe Organ with a German pedal board (German pedal boards are non-radiating, completely flat pedal boards so the organist must stretch while playing to reach the far ends). A nice clear, crisp sounding pipe organ but not large. All Saints had also completely run carpet throughout their sanctuary destroying the accoustics. The sound when the sanctuary was full was awful!

I had taken the post at All Saints for a few reasons, I was excited about the pipe organ, and the fully professional choir. All Saints was in the northeast section of Philadelphia where Trinity Lutheran had been - where all of my organist friends were. And the church was led by Rev. Dr. Edward Chinn. Dr. Chinn had been at All Saints for 35-plus years. An eternity for rectors. He was credited with keeping All Saints going when they had been in trouble. He was a writer of Episcopal books on basic theology. The Episcopal diocese was requiring that Dr. Chinn retire (The Episcopal Church has a mandatory retirement age for priests and Dr. Chinn had reached it). The congregation and vestry of All Saints saw this as the diocese forcing their beloved priest to leave. My second Sunday on the bench, Dr. Chinn made an announcement. He had been diagnosed with cancer and would be taking a few weeks off to undergo treatment. He promised, though, that he would return before his retirement dinner scheduled in 3 months time (the week after Easter). He did return and did Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter services looking frail and not well. Then the Tuesday after Easter, Dr. Chinn passed away. The people of All Saints saw it as the Diocese had not succeeded in forcing Edward Chinn from them. The retirement dinner became one of the grandest funerals I have ever seen.

The Diocese assigned an interim priest to All Saints. The interim was an elderly gentleman (at that age one cannot be a priest-in-charge, but can serve as an interim. So, most interims are retired priests). This gentleman came in and immediately started doing very odd things which I will not outline here. But after three weeks of the odd behavior the vestry of All Saints went against the wishes of the diocese and dismissed the interim. For the next three years, there was a cavalcade of guest priests. During these three years, I continued to perform my duties, but also planned the services using the Episcopal lectionary and resources. I instituted my first concert series and brought in performers to give concerts. But after three years, of the relative chaos it was time to move on.