St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church

The history of the parish dates from 1957, when Miss Ida E. Baumgartner of Forest Park wrote to The Right Rev. Randolph R. Claiborne, Jr., Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, requesting that a mission church be established in the Clayton County area.  An organizational meeting was held on January 15, 1958 at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Forest Park, and the Diocesan Council approved the formation of a mission.

The first service for St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Mission was held February 2, 1958, at the home of Mr. Guy Chunn in Forest Park.  The Rev. H. Augustus Sheppard, Jr., first deacon and vicar, served from July through December, 1958.   The first church home was a chapel prepared in 1958 in the home of Miss Ida Baumgartner.  Members of the congregation gathered to clean, paint, and furnish the chapel.  Gifts of furniture were received from other churches and the Diocesan Department of Missions.  Music for church services was provided by an Army field service organ.  Lillie Brown became the first organist and choirmaster in May, 1958.

On January 11, 1959, the Vestry petitioned Bishop Claiborne to purchase the present church property for construction of a permanent facility.  Construction began on St. Martin’s Founders House on June 12, 1960.  The first service was conducted here on September 11, 1960.  Bishop Claiborne made his first visit to St. Augustine’s on December 20, 1959, when five people were confirmed.  On January 11, 1961, he confirmed eight parishioners on his second visit.

The second and third vicars at St. Augustine’s were The Rev. James L. Johnson and The Rev. Norman Siefferman.  The Rev. Peter Calhoun became the fourth vicar in 1962.  From 1961 through 1962, the membership continued to grow, and there was need for a second church building.  A building fund campaign was established, and a second building, the present Nave, Canterbury Hall, was started on March 10, 1963.  The Nave was dedicated on August 11, 1963.

The Rev. Harry Tisdale served as assistant vicar until the installation of The Rev. Robert Bailey as the fifth vicar on September 18, 1966.  The Rev. Bailey served until April, 1971.  A third church building, the Hall of St. Peter and St. Paul, now known as the Parish Hall, was completed in 1967.  The Rev. Ronald Gibson became the sixth vicar in 1971.  In 1974, Mrs. Grace Caudle became the first full-time organist and choirmaster.

St. Augustine’s achieved parish status in January, 1977, and The Rev. Thomas M. Stubbs served as the first rector from 1974 until 1982.  A Service of Consecration and Confirmation was held November 21, 1982, with The Rt. Rev. Charles Judson Child officiating, and The Rev. Jerry Zeller as celebrant.  At this service the church buildings and grounds were blessed and dedicated.

The Rev. John R. Stanton served as rector of St. Augustine’s from 1983 until his retirement in the Fall of 1993.  A chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew was formed on November 30, 1984.  During the period of time from 1974 to 1993 many other ministries were initiated, including the Episcopal Church Women, Trinity Towers, and the Airport Chapel.  Extensive renovation of all church property was completed in 1992, following repairs of damage sustained to the Parish Hall by an electrical fire.  The three buildings were connected by a breezeway, and the driveway and parking lots were rebuilt.

The Rev. Barry Quentin Griffin arrived in August of 1994 to serve as the parish’s third rector.  Experiencing continued growth, in 2000 the first parish administrator was hired, the nave was renovated, the parking lot expanded, and a garage building added to accommodate grounds equipment.  In 2001, St. Augustine’s had its first seminarian, Terri Tilley, enter General Theological Seminary.  A Natural Spirituality/Dream Group was formed in 2002, and a local chapter of Daughters of the King was commissioned in 2003.  The year 2004 saw the formation of a Verger Guild and two milestones were celebrated:  Father Barry Griffin’s 10th Anniversary as Rector, and Grace Caudle’s 30th Anniversary as Organist and Choirmaster.

Today St. Augustine’s remains the only Episcopal Church in Clayton County.  Its membership reflects the diverse community it seeks to serve.