Parish History

“Why isn’t there an Anglican parish in our area?” This question was asked of Fr. Kite-Powell, still a deacon, while visiting his aunt in Melbourne in April of 1994. Shortly after that he met with Virgil, Virginia, Jay, and Debbie Schenck and their children to discuss the viability of starting an Anglican mission. An informational meeting was scheduled, and with the help of word-of-mouth and advertisements placed in local papers, 34 people attended the meeting. The next step was to find a suitable location for the new mission, which was accomplished with the leasing of a 4500 sq. ft. building at 21 Suntree Place.

The first celebration of Holy Eucharist at St. Paul’s Mission was on Sunday, April 17, 1994 with Fr. Clayton Bullock as Celebrant. Throughout that summer visiting priests celebrated some of the Sunday Masses and, from the Sacrament reserved, Deacon Kite-Powell officiated at so-called “Deacons’ Masses” until he was ordained priest in September of 1994. Fr. James R. Daughtry arrived in late 1994 and early the following year began to assist Fr. Kite-Powell, eventually becoming Assistant to the Rector. In 2001 Fr. Richard Blyth came to us by way of the Anglican churches in South Africa and Canada and has been assisting at St. Paul’s.

In June 1995, the mission became St. Paul’s Parish. “Angels in the Attic” thrift shop was started that same year. The property at 7200 N. Wickham Road was purchased in late 1995 and the parish moved to this location in the summer of 1996. The inside of the Church as well as the Lady Chapel were renovated in 2002. Expansion of the Parish Hall and the construction of the Bell Tower, Portecochere, and Colonnade were completed in 2003.

After moving into the “new” buildings in 1996, St. Paul’s became an orientation center for newly ordained clergy as well as priests received from other Communions. Fr. Paul Blankinship began the Parochial School which operated through the Spring of 2004, was ordained priest at St. Paul’s and served as Curate, followed by Fr. Richard Bruton, who was Received from an Eastern Orthodox jurisdiction and served as Curate before becoming Rector of a parish in Mississippi. Fr. Raymond Unterburger was ordained to the priesthood at St. Paul’s just months before he left for his next cure. Fr. Mark T. Grant served as Curate from February through December 2003.

Fr. Rufus Kite-Powell, our founding priest, retired at the end of January 2004. Our new Rector, Fr. Douglas J. King, whose biography appears elsewhere on this website, arrived in January 2004.