Shelbyville
Texas
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Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church
History
The history of St. Stephen's dates back to 1852, when the Episcopal diocese of Texas established a mission in Liberty. Eventually, plans got underway for a church building and George W. Davis and William F. Hardin donated a prime downtown lot in 1896. After raising money for the new church building, a wooden structure was completed in 1898, with the first worship service being held in January 1899. The Church of the Intercession was composed of a few families and did not have a vicar until 1949 when the Rev. Bob Greene arrived. The church was renamed St. Stephen's in honor of the Church's first martyr and to alleviate confusion with the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church of Liberty. The congregation soon had become self-supporting and was admitted as a parish in the Diocese. Rapid growth of the congregation made the worship space to become inadequate to meet the needs of the people. Visions for a new and larger building were made a reality by the generous gifts of James B. Sterling, III, with the help of Henry Lewis and others. The first worship service in the new building was the Community Thanksgiving Service of 1995. The first public prayer was offered by a hospital chaplain and the first sermon was delivered by a Methodist pastor. The new Church building was dedicated and consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Leo Alard on June 25, 1997. In 2002, the Vestry recognized the need to move from a family-oriented congregation to a community-oriented congregation. To accomplish this transition, the Vestry began to develop a strategic plan. Through several Vestry retreats and various parish gatherings, the plan was developed. St. Stephen's mission statement is: "St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is a fellowship of Christians always seeking to love Jesus and one another while growing as his disciples." Our objective is to involve more people with our Christian fellowship so that can do more to serve others in His name. Service Area St. Stephen's serves the needs of Episcopalians in southern Liberty County. The Church itself is located off Highway 90, east of the Trinity River, approximately midway between Houston and Beaumont in the city of Liberty, which serves as the county seat of Liberty County. Parishioners come to worship from the surrounding communities of Liberty, Dayton, Kenefick, Hardin, Moss Hill, Moss Bluff, Raywood, Devers, Crosby and Atascocita.
The history of St. Stephen's dates back to 1852, when the Episcopal diocese of Texas established a mission in Liberty. Eventually, plans got underway for a church building and George W. Davis and William F. Hardin donated a prime downtown lot in 1896. After raising money for the new church building, a wooden structure was completed in 1898, with the first worship service being held in January 1899. The Church of the Intercession was composed of a few families and did not have a vicar until 1949 when the Rev. Bob Greene arrived. The church was renamed St. Stephen's in honor of the Church's first martyr and to alleviate confusion with the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church of Liberty. The congregation soon had become self-supporting and was admitted as a parish in the Diocese. Rapid growth of the congregation made the worship space to become inadequate to meet the needs of the people. Visions for a new and larger building were made a reality by the generous gifts of James B. Sterling, III, with the help of Henry Lewis and others. The first worship service in the new building was the Community Thanksgiving Service of 1995. The first public prayer was offered by a hospital chaplain and the first sermon was delivered by a Methodist pastor. The new Church building was dedicated and consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Leo Alard on June 25, 1997. In 2002, the Vestry recognized the need to move from a family-oriented congregation to a community-oriented congregation. To accomplish this transition, the Vestry began to develop a strategic plan. Through several Vestry retreats and various parish gatherings, the plan was developed. St. Stephen's mission statement is: "St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is a fellowship of Christians always seeking to love Jesus and one another while growing as his disciples." Our objective is to involve more people with our Christian fellowship so that can do more to serve others in His name. Service Area St. Stephen's serves the needs of Episcopalians in southern Liberty County. The Church itself is located off Highway 90, east of the Trinity River, approximately midway between Houston and Beaumont in the city of Liberty, which serves as the county seat of Liberty County. Parishioners come to worship from the surrounding communities of Liberty, Dayton, Kenefick, Hardin, Moss Hill, Moss Bluff, Raywood, Devers, Crosby and Atascocita.