Our Parish History
Meeting in a blacksmith shop.
In late 1908, a small group of dedicated men from the town of Bethlehem met to explore the possibility of establishing an Episcopal mission in the town. Through the efforts and faith of these leaders, and with the help of lay readers from the Cathedral, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church was established in 1909 in temporary quarters, under the guidance of the Rev. Walker Gage, Rector of St. Paul’s, Albany. The congregation worshiped in an unused blacksmith shop that was located at the present site of the Veterans’ Park next to Stewart's. An early attempt to build a church was thwarted by bad weather and high debt, so the early families decided to sell the uncompleted church, property, and materials. Refusing to be discouraged, these 20 families continued to make improvements to the former blacksmith shop. A new church was finally completed in 1926 at the corner of Elsmere Avenue and Poplar Drive. The church hall was in much demand as a place for local events and by the school district, which helped support building maintenance. St. Stephen’s was family-oriented from its earliest days, and these families knew how to persevere!
One hundred years later we continue to make families welcome, and our recent addition provides wonderful space for our church school and visitors. We continue to provide meeting space to community organizations. Our clothing ministry is a source of clean, quality apparel for all ages, given at no charge through a variety of social agencies. As we continue to define our mission, our challenge is to find creative ways to help people achieve a nourishing sense of connection with God and with each other, within the very real constraints on their time.
One hundred years later we continue to make families welcome, and our recent addition provides wonderful space for our church school and visitors. We continue to provide meeting space to community organizations. Our clothing ministry is a source of clean, quality apparel for all ages, given at no charge through a variety of social agencies. As we continue to define our mission, our challenge is to find creative ways to help people achieve a nourishing sense of connection with God and with each other, within the very real constraints on their time.
