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St. Peter's Episcopal Church
Redwood City
Our History
Our Past
St. Peter’s Church began its spiritual journey in September, 1864. Our founding rector was Father Giles Alexander Easton, who a few months earlier had led the first Episcopal service in Redwood City in a room at the first county courthouse. Father Easton named our congregation after St. Peter’s Church in Smyrna, Delaware, where he had been baptized and confirmed.
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St. Peter’s was the second church organized in Redwood City and the second congregation in Redwood City to construct a church building. In 1867 St. Peter’s built the “Little Red Church,” which was a familiar downtown landmark for six decades.
As Redwood City’s population expanded in the early 20th century, the parish moved to its present location on Clinton Street between Broadway and Brewster Streets, where in 1925 we built a parish hall that served as both church and meeting space for many years.
The present sanctuary was built next to the parish hall in 1952, and as the postwar Baby Boom reached its peak, classrooms and offices were added to complete the plant that stands today.
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Our Present
St. Peter’s Church has responded to the changing needs of a changing city with two consistent “character traits:” leadership and welcome. Among our founding parishioners were many of the people who helped shape the Bay Area in its early days: government officials, doctors, business owners. But our doors were open to everyone in the young town… and they still are.
Redwood City has changed dramatically since the days of the Little Red Church. The railroad turned the town from a logging port into a suburb, and the explosive growth of Silicon Valley turned the suburb into a home for many technology companies… and a hometown for more and more people who work at those companies.
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Dramatic change has brought dramatic challenges. Silicon Valley’s engine of wealth has enriched some, but has left many more families facing a skyrocketing cost of living, job insecurity, and increased income inequality.
Today our parishioners come from all walks of life. Some remember a smaller, quieter town; some have never known Redwood City when it wasn’t being transformed by the digital revolution. Some of our young people expect to see cars that drive themselves; some of our older parishioners look back fondly on the days when hats and white gloves were de rigeur.
Our congregation has served Redwood City in many ways since 1864. One of our most active ministries in recent years has been guiding young people to contribute to those in need in our community. We’ve delivered loads of supplies and hundreds of backpacks and uniforms to local schools, and we’ve served many meals and filled countless Hope Bags for the homeless.
Our congregation is as diverse as the community around us, and we cherish that diversity. Since 1864, we’ve welcomed our neighbors and visitors. Our history has been a spiritual journey… and you’re welcome here if your spiritual journey leads you to us.
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Our values
Several years ago, our vestry adopted that statement to describe our belief as a congregation, and we continue to live out that statement and include it as part of every worship service:
"No matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here."
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St. Peter’s Church in Redwood City, California is a parish that strives to respect and celebrate God’s gift of the wonderfully diverse peoples in our city and the surrounding Bay Area. Since we were founded in 1864, we have a rich history going back to the very founding of Redwood City. As our town has changed throughout the years, so has St. Peter’s. But in the spirit and tradition of the Episcopal Church, we have always sought to welcome all newcomers to join us on the journey of faith.
Today, we are a small congregation by former standards. But we are filled with joy that wants to share its blessings with others. It is also a congregation that wants to serve God by the way we live every day of the week in the real world.
If you live in or near Redwood City, or are just passing through, come visit us on a Sunday morning. If you want to know more, drop us a line at office@stpetersrwc.com or call us at 650-367-0777. In the meantime, we invite you to explore the rest of this website so that you can get a better glimpse of who we are and what we proclaim.
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