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The original St. Alban's Church
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In 1960 a seven and a half acres tract at the
corner of St. Joe and Flutter Roads was purchased for $9000 by Trinity
Episcopal Church, 611 W. Berry St. Fort Wayne.
The rector Fr. George B. Wood and the vestry had decided to build the
first parochial mission in the North East of the city.
In September 1961 the Reverend John B. Hills accepted the call to
be vicar of the new mission named Saint
Alban's. Father Hills was the Director of Christian Education at
Trinity.
The first organizational meeting of the new congregation was held at
Trinity Church January 28, 1962 with sixty-one people present.
On February 4, 1962 the first service was held in a temporary
quarters at Bojrab Club House, 5258 Lahmeyer Road. There were 114 persons
present, 35 families and 58 children. The clubhouse remained their church
home until May 5, 1963.
An annual birthday celebration was held on the first Sunday in February.
The first vicars committee appointed by Father Hills met in Jan. 1962.
The members were Richard C. Matz, Earie Rabus, Darrell B. Hedrick &
John L. Diver. Fr. Hills further appointed Gertrude Miller as directress
of the Altar Guild. Bernard Lewis, acolyte warden, Anne Miller president
of the Women's Guild. William Smith conducted chapel for the Kindergarten
group
Further appointments were, Robert Belcher, superintendent of the church
school. George Fuzzy, director of the Mens' Club, Douglas and Irene Lewis
& Nancy Miller advisors to Saint Alban' s Youth groups. Maurice
Bonjour headed the Ushers. John Diver was property chairman.
Ground breaking for the St. Alban' s Church began on November 7, 1962.
The nave would seat 170. The building was completed in May 1963 at
a total cost of $114,672.
The congregation held the first service on May 5, 1963. They joined
in a procession from the clubhouse with cars loaded with everything that
was used at the clubhouse. Fr. Hills lead the procession driving his red
Volkswagen with the processional cross protruding from its sunroof.
The comer-stone laying ceremony took place on May 10, 1963. A time
capsule was placed in a copper box which contained a number of momentos,
including a stone from the original St.
Alban's in England.
By 1964 the congregation had doubled with eighteen persons
confirmed.
In the spring of 1964 a vicarage was built at a cost of $ 25,000.
Later in the same year Fr. Hills married Gwen Hughes, a Fort Wayne native.
The first six clergy at St. Alban's were hired by the rector of Trinity
Church.
In 1969 Trinity parish changed their bylaws to assure that St.
Alban's congregation would have at least one representative on the vestry.
This person to serve a three-year term.
In 1970 a petition for enlarging the church school and a plan for
financing the same signed by sixty-two families was presented to the
Vicars committee at their February meeting by Fr. Smellie. An expansion
fund was started.. Two mobile trailers were purchased for five hundred
dollars each for extra classrooms.
In 1971 Bishop Klein consecrated St. Alban's on February 7th to
signify the end of the church indebtedness. The paid-up mortgages on both
the church and the vicarage were by Fr. Wood. The church had tripled in
size, now numbered 112 families. Fr. Smellie resigned in September 1971
Father William Martin supplied through February 1972. In March
1972 Father Howell Anderson was appointed St. Alban's new vicar by
Father Corydon Randall, Trinity's new rector. Father Anderson was a
volunteer fireman and became chaplain of the St. Joe Township Fire
Department. He died suddenly of a heart attack while on duty as a fireman
on November 1,1972.
On December 1,1972 Father Kenneth Williams an associate rector at
Trinity was anointed St. Alban's new vicar.
On January 1, 1973 St. Alban's hired a fund raising company to
launch the campaign. By May Fr. Williams reported having collected $
110,000 for the expansion. The expansion cost was estimated at $ 234,00 In
the meantime Brookside Evangelical Mennonite Church at 7308 St. Rd. was
listed for sale for $ 190,000.
The Vicars committee determined that buying the Brookside church was then
best option. This plan was presented to Trinity's vestry and approved.
Moving date was scheduled for September 1974. The congregation borrowed $
200,000 for the new mortgage and $ 40,000 for improvements. The' old
facility was sold to the Church of the Brethren on September 17, 1974
for $147,000.
So St. Alban's made one more move, and were welcomed by the Mennonite
Minister Lorene Pine. The procession to the new St. Alban's was led by
Bishop Sheridan, clergy, vicar's committee, combined choirs and the
congregations of the three Episcopal altars of Fort Wayne.
During the sixth vicar's term, the Rev. Todd Smelser 1976-81,
St. Alban's became a Diocesan Mission in 1979, making Fr. Smelser
its first rector. |
