Another Beginning
Next week, our parish will celebrate its 178th birthday. On May 23, 1848, after the congregation had worshipped together, the first official meeting of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was called to order for the purpose of electing wardens and vestrymen and formally organizing the congregation into a parish. But that is not how the Episcopal Church in Fayetteville began
Last Saturday, during the rogation procession, participants paused on the north side of First Security Bank on College Avenue to read the historical marker affixed to the wall facing Meadow Street. That plaque marks the place where the first St. Paul’s church building stood. It was a white, wooden structure that, according to several sources, burned down after being struck by lightning in 1863. It would take the members of our church nine years to start over again in our present location, and it would take another twelve years after that before a roof was put on the church.
In an apparent contradiction with our records, however, that historical marker states that St. Paul’s was founded in 1840. Are we mistaken? Should we be celebrating our 186th anniversary? Are there competing records upon which that historical marker is based? Not really, but the reason is more complicated than an inaccurate date.
Back in 1840, a congregation of Episcopalians was formed in Fayetteville under the leadership of the Rev. William Scull, a U.S. Army chaplain at Ft. Gibson. At first, everything was going well. According to a parish history compiled by the Rev. James J. Vaulx, a subsequent Rector of St. Paul’s, “the prospect [of that first congregation] was most flattering.” Then, however, “a revulsion took place.”
To my knowledge, no one has been able to determine what that revulsion was—Vaulx recorded that the divisive events are “therefore passed by as things best to be forgotten”—but records show that the congregation dwindled until hardly anyone was left. Unable to redeem his reputation, Mr. Scull resigned, and the parish remained vacant until 1847, when the Rev. William Stout was sent to Fayetteville to try to revive the Episcopal congregation. It was under his leadership in May 1848 that our congregation was officially founded (or, in a sense, re-founded), and we have carried on as St. Paul’s ever since.
Although there have been difficult moments in the life of our parish since then, thankfully, we have never experienced that level of division—the sort of rancor that would cause us to close up shop, lay fallow for years, and then start all over again. But that does not mean that we have not started over more than once. In fact, I believe that we repeatedly begin again, and, right now, we stand on the cusp of yet another starting over.
Every May, as the school year comes to a close, we say goodbye to graduating seniors as we welcome rising third graders into the full experience of Sunday worship. Each time we have a funeral or a baptism, the part of Christ’s body that is manifest at St. Paul’s is diminished and then is renewed. This Sunday, at the Parish Picnic, we celebrate the transition from our usual programming to a slightly more relaxed summer schedule as we let go of another academic year and begin preparing for the one ahead.
At this year’s picnic, we are also celebrating the end of our capital campaign and the beginning of its implementation. Throughout our 178-year history, St. Paul’s has held numerous capital campaigns. When the church burned down in 1863, it took the substantial generosity of our parishioners to build our current church, and, more than a decade later, St. Paul’s solicited donations from the entire Fayetteville community to finally put a roof on the structure. In the late 1990s, we raised money for our parish hall, kitchen, and welcome center. Each time, the members of our church—often with support from other friends of St. Paul’s—have given above and beyond their regular generosity so that we can start again—in a new building, with a new ministry, with renewed focus, or alongside a new partner.
The “Rooted in Faith, Growing to Serve” campaign has much in common with previous capital campaign efforts. This campaign focuses on three areas: ministry, inclusion, and history. First, we seek to pay off the $2 million debt we took on in order to purchase the former Bassett law firm buildings that face College Avenue. Once the note is paid off, we can use those buildings or the rental income we receive from them for ministry. Second, we need to make our facility more accessible in order to fulfill our mission. Sidewalks, steps, and the parking lot need some work to make them safe for everyone, and we need a new handicapped-accessible van that can bring more people to church. Third, many of our roofs, kitchen appliances, and HVAC units have reached the end of their useable life. We need to replace them in order to take care of this church, which has stood here for more than 150 years.
To accomplish those three goals, this campaign will cost $3.5 million. As of today, we have received 175 pledges for a total of $2.55 million. That is a substantial amount from a great number of households, but we need everyone to take part in order for this campaign to be a success. For 2026, we received 376 annual giving commitments. By that measure, we are not even halfway to full participation. You may have noticed that we have already begun using capital campaign gifts to replace roofs. We have also used some to pay down the debt. But we will not be able to complete this effort without additional support.
At this Sunday’s Parish Picnic, we want to celebrate the conclusion of this capital campaign. We want to report to the parish that every household that thinks of St. Paul’s as its church has made a commitment--no matter how big or small it is. And we want to share that we have reached our goal and will be able to implement every part of this campaign. To do that, we need your support.
If you have not yet turned in a capital campaign pledge, I encourage you to do so. Pledge cards are available in the narthex and welcome center, and you can place it in the offering plate this Sunday. You can also turn in your pledge digitally here: https://tinyurl.com/stpaulsfay-ccpledge. Because we are asking for you to give over and above your usual generosity, we invite you to take up to three years to complete your pledge.
If you want to know more about the campaign and why this is critical for the future health and vitality of our parish, read about it on our website (https://www.stpaulsfay.org/capital-campaign) or reach out to me or any member of the campaign committee.
It has been almost thirty years since our last capital campaign. Now is the time for us to contribute in order to help our church continue to grow as it seeks to welcome and serve more people. Thank you to everyone who has made a commitment so far, and thank you to those who will turn in your pledge before the picnic this Sunday.
Yours faithfully,
Evan D. Garner
