Our Mission

We at St. Paul's church proclaim the joyous news of Christ, and invite all to belong to God and each other through loving fellowship and glorious worship. Illuminated by the Holy Spirit and Scripture, we become servants of Christ through study and prayer in order to serve the world in Christ's love.

History

St. Paul's Church, organized in 1740, is the birthplace of the American Episcopate. On March 25, 1783, ten Connecticut clergy met in the Glebe House (St. Paul's rectory at that time) and elected the Reverend Samuel Seabury to be the first Bishop in Connecticut. Bishop Seabury was consecrated Bishop in Aberdeen, Scotland on November 14, 1784 and thus became the first American Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

The Parish called John Rutgers Marshall as its first rector in 1771. The Reverend Mr. Marshall organized a vital, active parish despite the great difficulties faced by a Church of England clergyman during the American Revolution.

In 1785, St. Paul's Parish voted to begin construction of "a worthy edifice for the conduction of services." After much travail, the building was consecrated in 1822. The main church building has undergone several renovations. In the 1950s, it was returned to its original colonial elegance under the direction of Reverend Nelson Pearson, who in addition to being Rector, was also an architect. The Reverend Mr. Pearson also designed the adjoining Parish House, which was built in 1960 and incorporated the former Woodbury Probate Court building. In 1987, a major renovation of the parish House was completed.

In 1990, St. Paul's celebrated its 250th year of ministry in Woodbury. In 1994, the church interior was renovated and freshly painted, giving new brilliance to its historic grandeur. In 1995, we dedicated a wonderful new instrument to the glory of God, the Walker Organ, a traditional English tracker action pipe organ.