St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, located next to the creek on 50th and Wooddale in Edina, has spent the past 75 years successfully bridging what some people see as a gap between “scripture, tradition and reason.” The church has welcomed all who enter, so that everyone feels at home.
While the church, a replica of the Old Radnor church in Wales, may look imposing from the exterior, but once inside parishioners feel a “community church” ambience.
“There’s a vibrancy here, an openness to the spirit that is refreshing,” explains Rev. Neil Willard. “People are rooted in tradition, and they worship as they have through the centuries, yet there is also an openness to expressing that faith in new ways.”
Some of that community church feeling stems from the history of St. Stephen’s. Founded in 1937 by Clint Christopher, who persuaded Bishop Stephen E. Keeler to establish the church, services met for the first three years at Wooddale Elementary School in Edina. Many attended chose St. Stephen’s because it was within walking distance of their homes, and the neighborhood atmosphere has remained throughout the decades.
“Some of the best times were with the youth group on Sunday nights,” recalls longtime parishioner Jane Parry. “We had a jukebox, and kids from all over town would come to St. Stephen’s and hang out together.”
The view outside Rev. Nancy Brantingham’s office window reveals the memorial garden and the creek. She doesn’t take this view for granted. “To have the symbols of baptism and the end of life brought together, that communion of saints, along with some of the dearest members of this congregation buried beneath my window—it holds the whole of life together,” she explains.
Baptism plays an important role at St. Stephen’s. As a small but significant part of its 75th birthday celebration, the church moved the older baptismal font to the narthex (entry of the church). “This is to serve as a reminder that the Christian journey begins with baptism,” explains Willard.
St. Stephen’s also offers baptisms at the creek. “To have the whole congregation gather at the creek for the baptisms—it’s just a wonderful reminder of the Christian journey,” says Brantingham, who jokes, “it was the first congregation I was ever hired at where they said ‘You have to buy your own water shoes.’ ”
The church has a traditional-, a jazz-based, a contemplative- and a contemporary-music-style service, but the liturgy remains the mostly same. In addition to the Sunday services, many concerts and special services are held each year, including the Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols held during Advent season.
“It’s a long-standing tradition to read nine lessons from scripture in preparation for Christmas,” explains musical director Larry Reynolds. “It is a service with scripture, music and carols ”
Ultimately, the church’s inclusiveness may be the biggest reason St. Stephen’s has succeeded in bridging the gap between tradition and innovation, youthfulness and wisdom. In the church’s 75th anniversary commemorative DVD, the late Rod Hardy, a longtime parishioner at St. Stephen’s, summed up that sentiment when he said, “If you are lucky, the church is a place that will need you as much as you need it. No matter how you feel going in, it’s when you finish that you will feel very highly rewarded.”
