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About St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Saint Paul's Church was founded in 1827, when the growth of the City of Albany southward inspired a group of Episcopalians to begin a church in the Pastures neighborhood. The congregation struggled for several decades, and worshipped in two different buildings. In 1863, the congregation moved into a building on Lancaster Street, and for nearly the next century it thrived and grew. Eventually, it became one of the most influential congregations in Albany, with more than 1500 members, many of them distinguished personages in business and politics.

Beginning in the mid-1940's, the neighborhood around the church began a long period of decline. By the late 1950's, the congregation was again struggling and things looked bleak. Rescue came in a peculiar way. Governor Nelson Rockefeller announced his ambitious plan to raze over ninety blocks of blighted downtown Albany and build a massive government complex, the Empire State Plaza. "Old Saint Paul's" was right in the midst of this planned project. With money provided by the state, and land provided by the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, the congregation relocated a fourth time to Hackett Boulevard. The strikingly new/current sanctuary (modeled after Coventry's modern post-World War 2 cathedral) was consecrated in 1966.

The years since have continued to be mixed. There have been struggles and there have been successes. In 2002, Saint Paul's celebrated its 175th anniversary with a renewed sense of purpose, a growing congregation, and faith in God that we will again take our place as a strong source of Christian witness in the city of Albany.

With the current controversies in the Episcopal Church, Saint Paul's is committed to remaining an inclusive, progressive congregation. We use the best of our traditions while being open to the Holy Spirit's leading in new directions. In 2004 the congregation engaged in a multi-year process called "deep listening" discerning God's direction for us over the subsequent years of our lives.

 

Service at St Paul's Episocopal Church in Albany New York

Activites at St Paul's Episcopal Church

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