St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church

To Walk Patiently, Humbly, and Kindly Among Our Neighbors

WE, as members of St. Francis’ and Christ’s family, believe that we should all be one with our community and fellow parishioners so that we can live with love and patience for one another and strive to accept our fellow man regardless of our differences so that we may work together to spread the word and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

WE  work toward uniting our community not only through the message that the Lord has given us in his scriptures but also by spreading his word through our ministry, feeding his peoples through our Food Bank or coming to the aid to all who are in despair through our prayers.

WE hope that each and every one of us can take the time from our busy schedules to reach out to just one person a day to let them know that Christ has love and forgiveness for all of us.

Alta, Wyoming is located near the state line with Idaho, about 6 miles east of Driggs, Idaho, at an elevation of 6,440 feet. 

The idea of an Episcopal church in this valley began in September of 1992 when Bishop John Thornton invited other Episcopal clergy from Idaho to explore the possibility of establishing a church in the Teton Valley. The group spent four days exploring the area and concluded that a church was feasible here. Bishop Thornton decided to invite prospective members to a lunch at “Joe’s Place” in town. There were approximately 12 to 15 at the lunch including Toni Hill, Father Frank Johnson and Darrell Reinke. A discussion was held about establishing a church and a possible retreat center in Teton Valley. A list of possible communicants had been obtained from Father Lynn Wright (from St. John’s Church in Jackson), those people were then visited and an list of prospective members was developed for the new congregation. The first service of the young parish was held on Christmas Eve of 1992. Bishop Thornton held a 5:00pm service at the American Legion Hall and a 10:00pm service in a meeting room at Grand Targhee Lodge. By the spring of 1993 the church held it’s first regular services on Sunday mornings at the home of Ann and Bob Pickens in Victor. Father Elvin “Big” Gallagher, a retired priest from Boise, served the young congregation on a volunteer basis for six weeks that summer. By autumn the congregation was meeting at the American Legion Hall and sometimes at the Best Western Hotel in Driggs. Attendance during this time was approximately 12. At first the group of parishioners were known as The Teton Valley Episcopal Fellowship Mission. In September of 1993 Angela Remer (Warner) proposed changing the name to St. Francis, she thought it was fitting for the area where we live.