Loading...Saint Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church, located at 1001 S. Goliad, will be celebrating our 140th anniversary as a parish and the beginning of the new ministry in Big Spring of our priest and rector, Father Christopher Simpson. This special event will take place at the church on Thursday, November 6th at 6pm. We will be joined by Bishop Scott Mayer and priests and deacons from all over the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas.
We at St. Mary’s in Big Spring are a traditional Anglican-Episcopal parish joining together the best elements of Catholicism and the Reformation: combining the faithful study of Holy Scripture with the rich symbolism of the Sacraments (like Baptism and Holy Eucharist/Communion) and representing both historical connection with the great common tradition of the Christian faith and a form of worship accessible to people today. Every Sunday we worship using an ancient, reverent, intimate, and beautiful liturgy in the Anglican tradition (from the Book of Common Prayer) that incorporates both Word and Sacrament in a classic form that Christians have used for centuries.
Our history starts in the 1880s on the plains of West Texas which was still the untamed frontier. When St. Mary’s was established in Big Spring, Texas, it was the western-most mission in the district of Northern Texas (later the Diocese of Dallas). Bishop Garrett conducted the first Episcopal church service in a school building in March 1885. Following a gift of land from a member family, the church was organized in November 1885. The donation of land that made the church building possible would begin a long history of generous contributions from parishioners that would have a great impact on the church and community.
This first structure was destroyed by a tornado in July 1897, only a year after the cornerstone was laid. But St. Mary’s members, then as today, would not give up and the cornerstone for a new building was laid in 1899 with the new church consecrated in July 1900. This building would serve the congregation until the 1950s when, having been given parish status in 1935, St. Mary’s found its current building too small to hold the burgeoning Episcopal population. The town of Big Spring was booming because it was the home of a U.S. Air Force base and the site of oil drilling. A seven-year fund-raising campaign and many generous gifts made possible the uniquely beautiful building still used today, designed by noted Dallas architect Harwell Hamilton Harris and modeled after monasteries of the Middle Ages.
The church was built with thoughtful consideration by Harris and the church’s Building Committee. In the words of the 1956-1961 Building Committee “given the sun-drenched brightness of West Texas, the complex should establish a transition to a darker more contemplative atmosphere, so that entry to the church would progress through a courtyard and terminate in the subdued light of the Nave [seating for the congregation] with a brightly lit altar claiming the focus of the journey from the street. [Harris] felt it important that one not enter directly from the street but be forced to walk through an atmosphere less harsh to permit time for composure and preparation for worship.”
In 1960 the church started St. Mary’s Episcopal School with a kindergarten program that grew into an elementary school residing until 1981 in the church building complex. Thanks to a parishioner’s donation, the school was moved into a separate location where it continued to thrive until the late 1990s. It closed in 2001 for financial reasons.
On August 7, 1966 the present Nave and Sanctuary were dedicated, representing the completion of the original architectural plans. A bell cast in 1899 was moved from the belfry of the old church and installed on the grounds of the current church.
In the 1970s St. Mary’s began a major mission for Big Spring in Canterbury Retirement Homes. The non-profit corporation still today provides within its 179 apartment units safe and affordable housing for the elderly and disabled under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Due to the escalation of complicated housing regulations, in 2013 the Canterbury Board of Directors, two-thirds of whom were required to be members of St. Mary’s church, made the decision to transfer the property assets of Canterbury to another non-profit, faith-based organization.
The city would see a major demographic shift as the Air Force base closed in 1977; soon the oil boom would turn to “bust” and Big Spring began to lose population. The church members did not escape some of the turmoil felt by the rest of the town with the airbase and oilfield exodus; this led to a decrease in church attendance.
Throughout the years, St. Mary’s parishioners have supported community outreach by celebrating the Blessing of the Animals each year in October, donating time and resources to the Happy Day Humane Society, and participating in the Salvation Army’s events during the holiday season. These are just a few of the contributions made by our members.
In the present day, St. Mary’s is led by the Rev. Dr. Christopher Simpson, who has brought new energy and ideas. Fr. Christopher was previously the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Lincoln, Illinois. Prior to entering the priesthood, he was a professor of theology and philosophy at Lincoln Christian University (in IL) for fifteen years. Fr. Christopher has also authored several scholarly books.
Every Sunday we welcome everyone—whether you are an Episcopalian, Christian from another tradition, or if you are seeking or just curious—to our 10:30 service at St Mary’s (at 1001 S. Goliad—just north of the high school). We welcome all baptized Christians to join us in partaking of Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We hope you can join us for this special celebration on Thursday, November 6th at 6pm! All are welcome to join us for this exciting event. If you can attend, please RSVP by November 4th by phone 432-267-8201 or email at stmarysbst@gmail.com.
