St. Andrew&8217;s Episcopal Church in Montevallo will host a groundbreaking celebration on Sunday, September 17, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. at the church on 925 Plowman Street.

Right Reverend Henry Parsley, Bishop of Alabama, Reverend Dr. James Tuohy, Rector, and Reverend Deacon Steve Shanks will bless the new addition.

A reception will follow.

The mission of St. Andrew&8217;s Episcopal Church, Montevallo, is &8220;By proclaiming the love of Christ around His table and in the world, we will build a stronger Church family through strengthening of the ministries to college students, youth, adults and the greater community.&8221;

The guiding principle of the church is &8220;God loves all who enter here.&8221; The addition of a new parish hall, nursery and Sunday school room facilities for children, youth and adults will help further that mission and reach out to the growing needs of the community.

With a generous donation in 2001, St. Andrew&8217;s formed a building committee to formulate an architectural design and layout to meet the needs of the parish.

Additional donations and pledges have come in over the past five years.

In July 2006, the Diocese of Alabama approved the construction of the 3,000 square foot addition, which will preserve the brick classical style of the church and is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2007.

On Sundays, Christian Education for children, youth and adults is at 10:15 am.

Holy Eucharist, Rite II, is at 11:00 a.m.;

and Children&8217;s Church is also held at 11:00 a.m.

On Wednesdays during the academic year, St. Andrew&8217;s hosts a dinner at 6:30 p.m. for the University of Montevallo students, followed by Holy Eucharist at 7:00 p.m. for the community.

The church is open 24 hours for individual prayer.

St. Andrew&8217;s Episcopal Church was founded in 1860 and is the oldest continuously operational Episcopal Church in the greater Birmingham area.

A cyclone destroyed the first church building in 1873, and the second church was destroyed by a storm in 1939.

After 1939, the congregation met in the concert hall of the Alabama College for Women (now the University of Montevallo) until the current &8220;neo-Gothic&8221; church was constructed in 1953.

The mechanical action Flentrop organ was purchased from the Netherlands in 1958.

In the 1960s, the Rev. Charles Kettler Horn served as part-time Vicar and Dr. Hendrick van Tuyll, a professor of philosophy and religion at UM, preached on Sundays when the Rev. Horn was not scheduled.

After more than 100 years in Montevallo, St. Andrews would finally get its first resident full-time Vicar, the Rev. Jack Keith Bush in 1971.

Over the next 30 years, the church would continue growing, moving from an Organized Mission to Supported Parish with more than 80 baptized members.

Worship schedule

10:15 Sunday School

11:00 Worship

Contact Information

928 Plowman Street

Montevalo, AL

35115

Phone: 665-166