We would like to welcome you to the web site of St. Luke's Episcopal Church located in Manchester, Missouri.  We are a congregation that affirms the historical teaching and faith of the Anglican tradition.  We hope that as you explore our web site that you may be encouraged with the love of God and be strengthened in your spiritual journey.  As you learn about the ministry of St. Luke's it is our hope that you will visit us on Sunday morning for worship and share in the celebration of Christ's empowering love and hope.

ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

MANCHESTER, MISSOURI

CELEBRATES ITS 100^TH ANNIVERSARY

St. Luke’s was founded in the community of Valley Park in 1904 by the manager of the local glass factory.  He began by reading Morning Prayer with a small group of people.  The first church was built in 1908 located at 5^th and Benton.  Priests would come from the Emmanuel Church, Webster Groves, or Grace Church, Kirkwood for occasional celebrations of the Eucharist and other special services.

            For years, the Public Library in Valley Park operated out of the parish hall.  The hall was also busy during the Great Depression as a place for distributing food and clothing under the direction of Sister Heatherington of the Church Army.  Though the congregation was never large in those days, the Sunday School enrollment reached 250 at one time, and was one of the largest in the Diocese.

            During World War II, a lack of money and clergy made it seem likely that St. Luke’s would close.  Then Bishop Cadigan asked the Rev. W. W. S. Hohenschild, recently retired rector of the Church of the Holy Communion, to be Vicar of St. Luke’s.  By that time, the church in Valley Park was run down and located in an industrial area.  The parish decided to sell the property and move out of valley Park.  Money from the sale made purchasing the present site possible in 1966.  The first part of the present building was completed in 1968.

            Fr. Hohenschild was succeeded by the Rev. James Armstrong from June 1974 until July 1975.  After that time, St. Luke’s operated with the help of bi-vocational clery.  In May 1977 the Rev. Wayne Carlson was installed as the first Vicar.  During the next several years, growth was substantial, paralleling the growth of the Manchester-Ballwin area.  A new parish hall and educational facility was blessed by Bishop Jones on St. Luke’s Day, 1979.  St. Luke’s became a full parish in 1980 and Wayne Carlson became its first Rector.  Our music program was strengthened by installing a pipe organ in 1984.  Fr. Carlson left St. Luke’s at the end of October 1994, after having accepted a call to become Rector of the Church of the Holy Family in Park Forest, Illinois.

            In September of 1996 Fr. William Luley became rector of St. Luke’s.  Before arriving at St. Luke’s, Fr. Bill served several congregations in the dioceses of Western Michigan, Iowa, and West Missouri.  During his time here, the church has seen its interior and exterior renovated as well as substantial growth in St. Luke’s Preschool.  In the Fall of 2002 a new Contemporary Worship Service was started in an effort to draw new families to the ministry of St. Luke’s.