Who We Are: Our Story
A Brief History of Christ the King
Christ the King has been a worshiping community in Pawleys Island since 2004. The original congregation gathered in what is now the central Pawleys Starbucks. Not long after, the opportunity arose to purchase land just down the road. With faith and foresight, the church’s leaders seized the opportunity and laid the groundwork for our current campus.
Following the 2008 recession, Christ the King joined together with Grace Anglican Church of Litchfield. At the time, CtK was without a Rector, and Grace needed a place to worship. The partnership brought growth and shaped the church’s unique DNA: rooted in the riches of Anglican tradition and energized by a clear mission to reach those who have left the church—or never heard the Gospel.
After a few years of worshiping in the Old School House, the new sanctuary was completed, and the congregation moved into its permanent home.
For a time, our name reflected the merger: Christ the King–Grace Church Waccamaw (Anglican). But in 2023, the congregation voted to simplify it back to Christ the King.
One of the beautiful things about this church is the diversity of its people. We are not a “birds of a feather” congregation—and we believe that’s a gift. It gives us a small glimpse of the coming Kingdom of God, made up of all kinds of people.
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When you visit our campus, you’ll notice the front building near Ocean Highway—one of the oldest structures in Pawleys Island. Originally built in the 1930s, it served as a schoolhouse for local children. Since then, it has also been a community center, a restaurant, and even spent time on the All Saints campus before finally settling at Christ the King around 2016.
The building was fully restored through the generosity of Buddy and Marie Lindsay. Marie’s great-grandmother once taught in the schoolhouse, giving the project a personal connection and sense of continuity.
Today, the Old School House serves as our parish office and as a multipurpose space for gatherings, meetings, and ministry events. On Sunday mornings, it becomes the classroom for our Learner’s Exchange.
Our Values
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Biblical
We know that when you open your Bible, God opens his mouth. So we take God’s Word seriously.
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"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” [2 Timothy 3:16]
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Caring
We are called by Jesus to care deeply for others. We do this by supporting the church, showing compassion towards one another, nurturing our children in the knowledge and love of Christ, and serving our neighbors.
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"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” [Galatians 6:10]
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Prayerful
We don’t just talk about prayer; we’re committed to doing it. Because more important than anything we do is what God does for us.
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"Do not be anxious about anything, but in supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” [Philippians 4:6]
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Welcoming
We're fond of saying "Nobody’s perfect, everybody’s welcome!” And we mean it.
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"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcoming you, for the glory of God.” [Romans 15:7]
Our Beliefs
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We are a Gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered church.
We are here to become disciples of Jesus, patterned after the New Testament. We prioritize biblical preaching and desire to keep in step with the Holy Spirit.
Our beliefs are rooted in the historic creeds of the Church—specifically, the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed—and grounded in the authority of Scripture, which we affirm as the inspired Word of God.
THE TRINITY. God is one God in three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit (see the Athanasian Creed). The Trinity is a beautiful mystery of the faith, revealed plainly in Scripture.
INSPIRATION AND AUTHORITY. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God written and to contain all things necessary for salvation. The Bible is to be translated, read, preached, taught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the church’s historic and consensual reading.
THE NECESSITY OF THE CROSS. God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for us. The cross is the divinely appointed way for our sins to be forgiven, God’s justice to be satisfied, and for humanity to be justified and reconciled to God. As a result of Christ’s atoning death, we are saved by grace alone, and adopted as children of God. Grace is a gift we cannot earn but only freely receive through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
EMPOWERING PRESENCE. We affirm and rejoice that the Holy Spirit is alive and active today in the same ways we discover in Scripture. The Christian life is impossible apart from the Spirit’s ongoing and active work in our lives. In concert with the teaching of the Bible, the Holy Spirit affects our sanctification or renewal as persons. As disciples of Jesus, we are to cooperate in this renewal.
MISSION AND CHURCH. As God the Father sent his Son, and as the Father and the Son sent the Spirit into the world, so the church (the body of Christ, temple of the Spirit, and people of God) as a worshipping community gathers to be nourished through Word and Sacrament and is sent out into the world to bear witness to the gospel and embody the ways of God’s kingdom.
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We recognize that there are other aspects of our faith where we can disagree and where dialogue may even lead us more fully into Christ’s truth. Put another way, some theological commitments are written in blood, some in ink, and others in pencil. Our hope is to find joyful unity in historical Christian orthodoxy and to encourage dialogue on negotiable aspects of our faith (e.g., do you have to be sprinkled or dunked to be properly baptized?), so that we can grow in truth and love. This is because how we believe is just as important as what we believe.
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Christ the King is part of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), which is known as an Anglican Province. The ACNA is currently led by Archbishop Steve Wood. Our province is connected to others around the globe with whom we share a common cause for the sake of the Gospel. There are currently around 80 million Anglican Christians worldwide.
Though Anglicanism has its roots in England, it may come as a surprise that the majority of Anglicans today live on the African continent. For example, the Anglican Church of Nigeria has more than 17 million members.
Each Anglican province is divided into dioceses (or ministry regions).
Our diocese is the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, led by Bishop Chip Edgar, who is based in Charleston. Bishops are elected by the diocesan convention and serve until they reach retirement age. Every church, including Christ the King, sends a voting delegation to the annual diocesan convention.
Our province, diocese, and vestry all affirm the 39 Articles of Religion and the Jerusalem Declaration as statements of faith.
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As an Anglican church, our worship is shaped by the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Originally created during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, the BCP was designed to help everyday Christians worship in English (rather than Latin, which few could understand). It provided a clear structure for reading through Scripture, celebrating Communion, and offering prayers—some of which have been used by Christians for centuries.
Today, we still follow the BCP tradition of worship (in fuller and lighter expressions), even if we don’t always have the book in hand on Sundays.
I still have questions. What do I do!?
We would love to answer any questions you may still have. Send us an email to request a meeting with a pastor.
“In the attempt to be ‘relevant’ one may fall into syncretism, and in the effort to avoid syncretism one may become irrelevant.” (Lesslie Newbigin)
Our values are centered on welcoming everyone with open arms, fostering a strong sense of community, and sharing our joys and sorrows together. We hold dear our commitment to caring for one another, especially our children, our church, and our neighbors. We approach God's Word with reverence and sincerity, grounding our beliefs and actions in prayer, reflection, and the traditions of the church. Our community rejoices in times of celebration and supports one another through times of sorrow, striving to embody the truth, love, and compassion of the Triune God in all that we do.
