ST. PAUL'S
HISTORY
The beginning of our church’s story can be traced back to the early history of the country, but St. Paul’s was not an independent and continuously operating parish during this time.
It took almost 100 years for us to grow and become strong enough to be a separate parish with our own rector.
Early History: A Struggle to Put Down Roots
During the Colonial Period and in the years following the American Revolution, Southington Episcopalians made several attempts to organize and worship together. We were at various times affiliated with or served by priests from parishes in Meriden and Cheshire.
Throughout this period, until 1818, the Congregational Church was the
established church in Connecticut supported by taxes. In addition, many Episcopalians had been Loyalists during the Revolution. In 1840, the Southington parish was dissolved and its building sold. Between 1862 and 1864, an attempt to form a new parish failed.
1876 -1919: From Mission to Parish
St. Paul’s in its present form, was organized as a Mission Parish in 1876 - first under the Church of Our Saviour, Plainville and later under St. Peter’s, Cheshire. In 1892, the current church building was built, at a reported cost of $5000. On November 29, 1892, the consecration of St. Paul’s ”new” Episcopal Church took place.
The Southington Weekly Phoenix described the “appropriate and impressive services” in great detail, and included “a review of the work of the parish here through a period of many vicissitudes.” In 1905, improvements were made to the church, and St. Paul’s was the first church in Southington to be lighted by electricity. In 1919, the members voted to apply to the diocese to become an organized parish, listing the following to support their case: increase in the number of communicants, generous bequests, and “evidence of permanency and spiritual efficiency among us.”
20th Century
Changes in the parish during the first half of the 20th century reflect many of the
changes and conditions in the country as a whole. The 30’s and 40’s were years of
financial struggle for the parish. During this time, women began to take on new roles
as members of Vestry and delegates to the diocesan convention. The 1950’s saw
growth and increased financial stability. In 1955, the parish hall was built with funds
from a major capital campaign.
In 1960, St. Paul’s received a major bequest from Bertha Buell Wheeler. These
funds were used for both major improvements to the church building and community
outreach. The church interior was redesigned with a forward-facing altar, hanging
cross, spotlights and a new electronic organ. The Wheeler Bequest also provided
matching funds for the establishment of Wheeler Village Moderate Income Housing
which opened in Southington in 1968.
St. Paul’s was also affected by some dramatic – and sometimes very divisive – changes in the wider church and many of these still reverberate for us today. During the 1970s, women’s roles in the church were expanding. The first women priests were ordained and, at St. Paul’s, women begin to serve as lay readers, chalice bearers, and acolytes. In 1979 the current Book of Common Prayer was adopted, but not without controversy.
In 1985, St. Paul’s played an active role in the founding of the Bread for Life Community Meals Program in Southington and this meals program was housed in our building for the next twenty-two years. In 2015, the parish continued to support this community program by voting overwhelmingly to sell a portion of the Vermont Avenue property to Bread for Life for their new building, and was a partner in starting their Common Good garden.
1990s – 2020: Recent History
In 1992, St. Paul’s celebrated the 100 year anniversary of our current church building with a rededication service and opening of the 1892 time capsule. During the 1990s, the parish grappled with building and property issues, including the decision to sell the rectory and establish a housing fund and allowance for the rector. In 1991, the Memorial Garden was established. In 1995 major building repairs, including barrier-free access, were undertaken, funded by a capital fund drive. In 1998, the parish called its
first woman priest.
The parish hired its first paid Christian Education Director in 1985 and made acommitment to growing the Christian Formation program. The Godly Play curriculum was adopted in 2001 and the Journey to Adulthood curriculum in 2004.
These programs grew over the years and helped attract young families to the parish. Support for these programs and the focus on nurturing young people through many mission trips and pilgrimages has been central to St. Paul’s identity and mission.
Our recent history has been defined by our responses to change and the challenges it presents. In 2004, St. Paul’s and the Diocese of Connecticut were at the center of the controversy surrounding Gene Robinson’s ordination as Bishop of New Hampshire, which led to significant divisions within the church. In response, St. Paul’s embraced an identity as an open and affirming community, culminating in the Vestry’s decision in 2021 to fly the pride flag as a public affirmation of this commitment.
The lasting effects of the Covid pandemic continue to influence our parish life in various ways. We have adapted by utilizing technology to livestream services and programs, broadening our reach. With strong and talented lay leaders actively involved in many areas of ministry, we had successfully transitioned to a half-time priest. As we look to the future, we remain filled with faith and optimism.
