St. Alban's Episcopal Church
Spirit Lake, Iowa, USA

History

St. Alban's Episcopal Church has a very special history. The original core was a group of seven Spirit Lake women who formed the Church of the Good Shepherd in 1886. The first church was built by these families on the northeast corner of Hill Avenue and 16th Street in 1894 and served the community until 1914.

Communication and transportation were difficult in those days, and the Episcopal Diocesan Headquarters was in the opposite corner of the state - Davenport. Participation and activity were dwindling in the small mission, and the distance from the diocesan office was too great to be of much help. Thus, in 1914, the Church of the Good Shepherd was officially closed, the altar and other consecrated items were ceremoniously burned, and the building was sold.

After World War II there was a resurgence of interest in the church among Episcopalians in Spirit Lake and the surrounding area as well as in the summer residents. In the summer of 1949 David Ainsworth invited Father Edwin Bowyer from Grace Church in Estherville to come to Spirit Lake and hold a service in the library. Among the interested "summer people" was Elvene Jackson. She persuaded her sons Bill and Robins (then living and lay-reading in Emmetsburg) to lead morning worship services in the borrowed Baptist Church for the remainder of the summer. That winter Father Bowyer held services regularly in the Spirit Lake Library, and the nineteen members of the congregation began to think about and plan for a building of their own. They also elected to name the new church St. Alban's, after England's first martyr. Included in that group were David and Elizabeth Ainsworth (from whose generous foundation St. Alban's continues to be a beneficiary) and Alfred and Sheila Klein.

With the help of a parcel of land offered by Fred and Louise Cole and the Diocesan Trust Fund from the sale of the Church of the Good Shepherd, the group voted to buy a country schoolhouse that was being auctioned. That building was remodeled four times; parishioners designated Thursday nights as work sessions. They paneled the walls, sought and brought and installed gifts from other churches (an altar, pews, an organ), and eventually added a parish hall for Sunday School classes. The entire building was moved in 1978 to the present site east of the hospital. With Father Roy Welke as priest, Bishop Walter Righter consecrated St. Alban's on April 21, 1979.

For many years, St. Alban's shared clergy with other Episcopal churches in the area. By the time Father Gatrel arrived in 1985, St. Alban's had become larger, stronger, and more viable than the others. With the closing of Grace Episcopal Church in 1986, St. Alban's gained active members from Estherville. In 1993, St. Stephen's in Spencer elected to join the congregation in Spirit Lake. The beauty of all this is that St. Alban's gained not only loyal and energetic members but many of their ecclesiastical treasures.

Father Welke retired in 1985, and a dedicated and efficient joint search committee went to work to find a replacement. They succeeded in finding Father Larry Gatrel who brought new life and energy to a warm and receptive congregation. The church prospered to the point of needing more space for the Sunday School and other parish activities. So after a successful fund-raising drive, the present parish hall was designed and built and furnished.

When Father Gatrel retired in 1999, another search committee was formed. How fortunate that St. Alban's was able to attract The Reverend Martha Rogers who, with her delightful family of husband David and teenagers Katrina and Kevin, arrived in August 2000. The new era of church life with Martha has brought excitement and enthusiasm and many innovations. The Sunday School and Youth Group are growing in numbers and in activities. A summertime weekly Bible Study class has been instituted. A biweekly lunch program for any interested high school students has been organized and well supported. And, of course, our spiritual life is being well cared for and nurtured. St. Alban's flourished under Martha's guidance. We are a busy, happy, energetic, outreaching congregation. We thank God for all our blessings.

Martha's departed for Greeley, Colorado, at the end of January, 2006, following her husband, Dave, as he pursued a career opportunity. With the arrival of Carl Mann in June of 2006, we look forward to even more opportunities for growth, outreach, and loving service to Spirit Lake and the surrounding communities. With the transition of St. Alban's to "parish" status (a formality, as St. Alban's has long been self-supporting, and the Diocese of Iowa no longer canonically distinguishes between parishes and missions) Father Carl was formally installed as rector on June 22, 2008, the feast of St. Alban.

If you have questions or suggestions about this web site, please contact the Web Steward