St Paul’s Episcopal Church

Homeless people pee here. They fight, drink, and harass passerby’s. I can’t believe that’s how they want their church represented.

Episcopal churches are known for their beautiful music and excellent music, and St. Paul’s has both. I’ve been attending this church for seven years, and was married here last year. The rector, Melissa Skelton, is the most wonderful preacher you could ever hope for. She brings the Gospel alive every Sunday, and the assistant priests who also preach are equally good. The music, lead by Gary James, is sublime. St. Paul’s is a high Anglo-​Catholic church, which means «smells and bells” – a beautifully choreographed liturgy in which everything is treated with the respect and formality of a holy space. It is a thriving and growing church, so the pews are full of people of every age, persuasion, and ethnicity. A great aspect of this church is the Sunday School for children – they use the Godly Play method of teaching, which children love because it is based on story-​telling and arts.
If you are looking for a warm, intelligent, welcoming community of Christians who love music and liturgical worship, and who are open to all people of all kinds, give St. Paul’s a try. I did, seven years ago, and have never left.

I am going to come clean here. I am a Lutheran who has been attending St Paul’s on a pretty regular basis for the last 8 or 9 months. Being unfaithful to the ELCA isn’t something I am proud of… but who can help it with a church like this. St. Paul’s is a delightful church with a welcoming and growing congregation. From the outdoor labyrinth to the awe inspiring vaulted ceiling in the sanctuary, they have so much to offer.
While I agree that the high church ritual can be a little intimidating at first, it really invokes a sense of worship. The service is based on the Book of Common Prayer (which was nearly identical to my Lutheran service). The liturgy, genuflection and incense give you an opportunity to remove yourself from the familiarity of daily life and pause. It gives you a chance to connect to the mystery, depth and compassion of faith. If you want to hear acoustic guitar with a drum set in a warehouse chalk full of people, this is not the church for you. Might I recommend going to concerts?
For me, the best part is that along with all this formality and ritual comes a very liberal and accepting congregation. And if you get out the door without a warm handshake and welcome from Mother Melissa, you better go back and give it another try.