Who We Are

 As an Anglican church in downtown Charleston, the Cathedral Church of St Luke and St Paul exists to worship God through beautiful, accessible Anglican worship. As we are formed in the gospel, we seek to love our neighbors, communities, and city. This is where the heart of God meets the heart of Charleston.

Mission

Leaders

Beliefs

Tradition

Our Mission

To be the Heart of God for the Heart of Charleston.

Our Vision

The Cathedral is a diverse, urban, Anglican church that, being formed in the beauty of the Gospel, exists to worship God and love our city.

Our Values

Worship that is beautiful, historic, and accessible.

Discipleship that is rooted in community and commitment in the gospel.  
 Mission that employs our time, talent, and treasure for Christ’s Kingdom.

Worship

Through beautiful music, engaging liturgy, gospel-centered preaching, and weekly Communion, we glorify God as we are transformed by our encounter with him. 

 

Discipleship

We are committed to growing more into the likeness of Christ as individuals and a community. To that end, we study Scripture, join in prayer, and gather in homes to share meals and our lives with one another.

 

Mission

Because the gospel is good news for the whole world, we seek to join God in his mission of renewal in our neighborhoods, city, and throughout the world. 

 

Our Leaders

Dean and Rector

Peet Dickinson

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Peet Dickinson serves as rector and dean of the Cathedral. His role involves leading, preaching, and shepherding the people of the church. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Peet has degrees from Wake Forest University and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Before being called to the Cathedral in 2009, he previously served as youth minister at Church of the Redeemer in Orangeburg and as associate rector at St Michael’s in Charleston. Peet is married to Jenny, and they have two daughters, Mae and Ellen, and a son named Bo.

Executive Pastor

Ryan Thompson

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Ryan Thompson oversees the staff,  administration, and ministry of the Cathedral. Hailing from Greenville, SC,  he later attended Furman University. After graduating from Southern Seminary, Ryan moved to Charleston where he has served various churches before coming to the Cathedral in 2010. Ryan is married to his high school sweetheart, Heather, and they have seven children: Ben, Eden, Sarah Brooks, Leilani, Judah, Eve, and Sam.

Associate Rector

Patrick Schlabs

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Patrick Schlabs leads in the areas of worship and community. He grew up in the Texas Panhandle and later led musical worship in a large non-denominational church. After moving to Charleston in 2011, he attended Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and was ordained as a priest in 2015. He joined the staff of the Cathedral in January of 2016 . Patrick is married to Meg and they have two children, Judah and Bridget.

Choral Ministry Director

Larry Speakman

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Larry Speakman oversees our Cathedral Choir. Originally from Philadelphia,  Larry holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and East Carolina University. Before accepting the call at the Cathedral, he led the Concert Singers of Cary, NC and the progressive Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham. Larry and his wife, Ingrid, live in North Mt. Pleasant.

Building and Grounds Manager

Anthony Royal

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Anthony Royal is responsible for all the buildings and grounds of our historic church. He is a native of Charleston, South Carolina where he graduated from Burke High School. Since accepting the call to serve  at the Cathedral in 1995, Anthony has worked hard behind the scenes as our sexton.  Anthony is married to Stacy, and they have six grown children and 2 grandchildren. .

Ministry Assistant

Annie Kate Barr

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Annie Kate serves as the administrator of the Cathedral. She is originally from Clemson, South Carolina and attended the College of Charleston where she graduated with a bachelors in Art History. After serving for three years as an intern with Reformed University Fellowship, she joined the staff of the Cathedral in 2018. She and her husband Thompson live in downtown Charleston. 

Scholar in Residence

David Barr

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David Barr serves as the scholar in residence at the Cathedral. A South Carolina native, he holds degrees from Covenant College and the University of Virginia. He is soon to finish a Phd in theology via the University of Toronto and was recently ordained as a transitional deacon. David is married to Caroline and they live in downtown Charleston with their sheepadoodle Lillooet.

Our Beliefs

The Gospel

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We believe that our Triune God is bringing salvation and restoration to his broken creation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everyone who trusts in the finished work of Christ is made righteous in Christ and invited to join God in his work of renewal in the world.

The Creeds

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The Cathedral of St Luke and St Paul is part of the historic, orthodox Christian Church and holds to the beliefs as outlined  in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. These creeds serve as the touchstones for all faithful Christians and we affirm this through our weekly confession of the creeds in our Sunday worship gatherings.

Our Tradition

Heritage

Anglicanism originated during the English Reformation, but its roots can be traced back to the early Church. Because of our unique history, Anglicans are a blend of several great traditions of Christianity. Anglicans are Reformed, Catholic, and Evangelical. At its best, Anglicanism can hold these three streams in a healthy, beautiful tension.

Distinctives

The two foundations of Anglican belief and practice are the 39 Articles and the Book of Common Prayer. Emerging from the English Reformation, the 39 Articles serves as the primary doctrinal statement for Anglicanism while the Book of Common Prayer provides the shape and substance of public and private devotional life. 

Association

The Cathedral is a part of  the Diocese of South Carolina and a member of the Anglican Church in North America. We are committed to an episcopal form of church governance and are submitted to the leadership of our bishop, Mark Lawrence and our Archbishop, Foley Beach. Our church is a member of the Gospel Coalition fellowship of churches. 

Anglicans are Reformed

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As a church birthed out of the Reformation, Anglicans acknowledge that the Scriptures contain everything necessary for salvation. In them, we discover our need for the redemption that is only offered by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The church is always called to be reforming in light of Scripture, as we seek to submit our traditions and beliefs to its authority.
 

Anglicans are Catholic

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The roots of Anglicanism stretch back to the first centuries of the church. For this reason, we seek to maintain our identity as catholic Christians through our robust commitment to historic liturgy and regular practice of the sacraments. Anglicans seek to embrace elements of worship and theology that have been practiced throughout the history of the Church while while continuing to seek fresh ways in which that truth can be expressed in our day.

ANGLICANS ARE EVANGELICAL

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 Evangelicalism traces its roots to the First Great Awakening. The movement stressed the importance of personal salvation and the ongoing work of the Spirit in the work of sanctification. This evangelical heritage continues to play an important role in Anglicanism in America and throughout the world. At the Cathedral we cherish these roots and seek to maintain an emphasis on personal transformation while being open to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our church. 

39 Articles of Religion

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This historic document, finalized in 1571, is the clearest doctrinal formulation found within Anglicanism. They were originally penned by Thomas Cranmer, the father of Anglicanism, to outline the doctrine and practice of Anglicanism over and against Roman Catholicism and other churches of the Reformation.
 

The Book of Common Prayer

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Since the earliest days of the Anglican church, we have been united by a common order and form of worship, outlined and prescribed by our Book of Common Prayer. Although this book has undergone various changes and adaptations through the centuries, its familiar rhythms and language bind Anglicans together in common praise of our Triune God.

Cathedral history

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Since 1816 the Cathedral has sought to bear witness to the gospel on the corner of Coming and Vanderhorst streets in Charleston. Though the church was founded by planters and built by the hands of slaves, God has mercifully allowed the church to bear witness of Him through sin and despair, through grace and hope. Despite a past marred by sin and a present mired in change, we believe that God has called the Cathedral Church of St Luke and St Paul to continue this witness as the heart of God for the heart of Charleston.