On the first Sunday of January, 1990, St Alban’s in Bolivar Missouri began with evening prayer at Lee and Joyce Schmidt’s home. There were 12 individuals at that first meeting. After several years of meeting together, they determined that there was enough interest in an Episcopal church in Bolivar, that they needed to search for a site for a building. On March 9th, 1996 the first fundraiser was held to benefit the St. Alban’s building fund. In 1998 the land that the church sits on now was purchased, and a ground-breaking ceremony was held on March 29th, 1998.
On Easter Sunday, 1999, services were held in the partially constructed building. At the time the roof was not yet on the building and at one point there was a short pause in the service until the whine of a jet airplane disappeared into the distance! The service then continued with just the sound of the wind blowing around the building. By September, 1999, the roof was on, and the altar was being erected.
By Christmas, 1999, the building was complete except for the pews. In the meantime we used chairs, and it was a couple of years, and numerous fund raising projects later before we raised the funds to purchase the pews.
St Alban’s is considered by some to be the “crown jewel” of the Southern Deanery of The Diocese of West Missouri. It is the newest church building, and really is beautiful! We love all the natural light from the huge windows and the high, vaulted ceiling in the nave.
Still, we are a small, energetic and not very formal congregation! We’re actively engaged in serving the community of Bolivar and the surrounding counties. Our children participate fully in all activities of the church, from education to service and outreach. You’ll find a real welcome here, whether you are simply visiting or interested in becoming a part of our life together.