St. Thomas History
More Than 100 Years Ago ...
St. Thomas Episcopal Church was founded on Sunday, December 1, 1907, in Lyndon, Kentucky, as a mission of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Louisville, in the charge of the Rev. R.L. McCready.
In 1908, a parcel on Lyndon Lane was given by Mrs. Dudley, widow of Bishop Dudley. The church, dedicated in 1908, subsequently became a missionary appendage of the Church of the Advent in the Highlands.
The Early Years
Fire partly destroyed the church on November 6, 1929, and it was rebuilt in a colonial style. The new church was dedicated on November 3, 1935. During the Great Depression and World War II, rectors from St. Luke's in Anchorage and St. James in Pewee Valley conducted services.
In 1946 the Rev. H. Sheppard Musson was made priest-in-charge to help the struggling mission. The parish slowly grew, and by 1957, membership had grown to a total of 157. In the 1950's, the parish purchased an adjacent lot, enlarged the parish house, and purchased a new organ. In 1957, three Sunday services were conducted (8:00 a.m. Holy Communion, 9:30 a.m. family worship service, 11:00 a.m. Holy Communion.) St. Thomas obtained parish status at the Diocesean Convention in 1968.
In its Lyndon location, St. Thomas was a community center, accommodating a school of dance, Boy Scouts, and other groups. On weekdays, it was the only church in the Lyndon area available to groups for meetings. The Women's Auxiliary became an active and effective group, devoting time, raising money, and maintaining the facilities and furnishings at the church.
The parish also had a successful nursery school with an enrollment of some sixty pupils. By 1969, the parish had bought a two-story house adjoining the church lot in anticipation of its need for a rectory and for additional church school classrooms. Church school attendance had grown from zero to eighty pupils under the direction of Superintendent William M. Wetherton. Judge Charles Tachau's adult Bible class grew to more than forty-five members.
A New Location
The third, and present St. Thomas was built at 9616 Westport Rd. It was dedicated on March 3, 1968 by Bishop C. Gresham Marmion.
The Rev. Ken Thompson was called to follow Father Musson. The Rev. Bob Burchell was called in the late 1980's and was the first full-time rector of St. Thomas.
In 1991, The Rev. John Allen was called as rector. The Fellowship Hall was added in 1997-98. In 2018 it was renamed Robison Fellowship Hall in memory of long-time parishioner Linn Robison.
In 2000, the Rev. Michael Lager was called to St. Thomas and served the parish until his move to Arkansas in 2010. During his 10 years at St. Thomas, the parish enjoyed consistent growth, the renewal of the preschool, and the celebration of 100 years of serving the community.
The Rev. Anne Vouga joined the parish as rector in March 2011 and served the parish until November 2015. During her 5 1/2 years the preschool was closed, the offices were restructured, an endowment was established, and an ADA fund was started to begin to make St. Thomas more accessible.
The Rev. Katherine Doyle was called as Priest-in-Charge in March 2016 and was named Rector in May 2017 and served the parish until January 2022. During her 4 1/2 years as rector, St. Thomas added a lift to the sanctuary, increased our services to include weekly Compline services and Wednesday noon Eucharists, expanded adult formation offerings by hosting Sacred Ground and Lent and Advent studies, added Stephen Ministers, and expanded our pastoral care.
Today's Thriving, Loving Community
St. Thomas has seen a wonderful evolution from a small mission parish subsidized by the Diocese of Kentucky to a self-sufficient community of engaged parishioners. The Robison Hall and Community Building provide needed meeting space for groups throughout the Westport and Hurstbourne corridor, and the parish works with neighboring Zachary Taylor Elementary to reach out to students through tutoring, Thanksgiving baskets, a Christmas Angel Tree, and a summer Reading Camp.
St. Thomas considers itself a family church--people know one another's names, share in one another's grief and sorrow and celebrate with one another in joy. St. Thomas is a church with open arms, minds, and hearts.
Join us in worship and share God's love in this place.
