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St. Paul's Mission is to connect with God and each other through worship, prayer, service, and study. Our Vision is that we freely receive and give our gifts in faith, hope, and love.
St. Paul's is also home to the Bethlehem School, a non-sectarian preschool employing Montessori principles and the Best Practices
of Early Childhood Education.
The Parish of St. Paul’s was founded in 1918 as a community of faith in Lynnfield within the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. This small group of interested Episcopalians met in their homes, encouraged by the tireless zeal of Ms. Gertrude Emery and others.
In 1924, St. Paul’s was authorized as a mission church with Dr. Charles Lancaster, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Reading, in charge. Without a building to call home, worshipers met at the Center Congregational Church for the next six years.
In 1930, the home of Robert Rourke, located next to the present church, was purchased, becoming the congregation's first owned church building, where they worshipped for 20 years with the guidance of the Rev. Charles Charlton and the Rev. Stewart C. Harbinson, rector of Emmanuel Church in Wakefield.
Ms. Emery, a continuing champion for St. Paul's and its continued growth, turned the first spadeful of earth for the present church building in 1949. The building was dedicated in 1950.
In 1959, classrooms were added to accommodate our successful Bethlehem School. In 1985 even more classrooms were added to the Bethlehem School and a much needed and subsequently well-used kitchen was added for congregation gatherings.
Parishioners and friends of St. Paul’s purchased and installed our current cupola and bell in 1995, making the voice of St. Paul’s well heard. As we continued to grow, St. Paul’s completed a gathering space in 1997 and raised funds for a new organ, installed in 2011.
Although we don't know where God’s voice will lead us, St. Paul’s has always been ready to move with His leading, ready for growth, and ready to act both on behalf of and for the sake of others. As we continue this journey, we are eternally grateful to all those in our community and surrounding towns who have contributed so much to St. Paul's past.
Worship times
Ministries
Sacred Ground Race Dialogue Circles
Sacred Ground is dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race, racism, and whiteness while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. The 10-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories.
Sacred Ground is a resource coming out of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. This series is especially designed to help white people talk with other white people, while being open to all racial/ethnic groups. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love.
127 Summer St
Lynnfield, MA 01940
United States
