History
Our Church
Our Grounds Now
Christ Church IU at Worton Parish is a spiritual haven for its congregation. We have a vestry but virtually no committees, a church family but no Sunday School, though we do have several young families with young children and infants, who play happily at the back of the church and in the vestibule during the service.
We come together every week in peace and mutual support to worship. Our members are teachers, writers, readers, musicians, professionals of all stripes including sailors, mariners, and skilled laborers, both retired and still in the active work force. Many are activists and volunteers in a wide range of community organizations. Our congregation is interesting, fun, caring, and enjoys a sense of rootedness in community and spiritual life. We keep in touch by phone and email, and the entire congregation is generally party to all major decisions. We welcome all newcomers with pleasure.
The church itself, an unobtrusively elegant mid-19th century brick sanctuary, is on the historic registry as is its 18th century sexton’s house. IU stands for Isaac Usilton, who gave both the land and the money to build the original sanctuary. It’s been Christ Church IU (IU to those of us who love it) since the first church was built in mid-1700’s. The sexton’s house, which we restored with our own backbreaking labor and sweat (along with several generous donations), is the last surviving piece of the early 18th century village of IU Crossroads. The churchyard holds the graves of some of Kent County’s earliest movers and shakers, but sadly its white oak (243 years old) second only to the Maryland’s Old Wye Oak in age and size, had to be taken down due to disease and lightning damage.