St. Paul denver

We are a United Methodist, Reconciling, and Buddhist Christian InterFaith Community.

We believe that love and compassion are the essence of Spirit.
We explore Life with open hearts and open minds.
We cultivate personal transformation and committed activism . We welcome individuals of every race, faith, culture, status, ability, orientation, and identity.

We nurture the Sacred within us all.

 

St. Paul’s History

ST. PAUL CHURCH TO CELEBRATE 150TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2009

• In the gold rush of 1859, when Colorado was still part of the Kansas Territory and Native Americans still defended their homeland, here on the banks of Cherry Creek, there was only a small settlement of shacks and saloons.

• Historian, William B. Vickers wrote: “While it cannot be said that Denver, in the earliest years of its history, was essentially a religious community, it is none the less true that, like all the great mining camps of the West, it always extended a hearty welcome to the genuine Christian minister. Even…the most notorious outlaws…(listened patiently) to the man of God, and in many instances business was suspended in bar-rooms and gambling saloons to give the preacher a chance…and more than once the wanton disturber of religious (services was silenced) at the muzzle of a revolver.”

• According to the Rocky Mountain News of July 9, 1859 -- the Rev. Mr. Porter decided to hold a preaching service at Gregory’s Diggings by Cherry Creek on July 3, 1859 (and some say Rev. Porter had already been preaching around these parts since June). The News also reported other events of the day: such as “a fine flock of sheep passed through here a few days since,” and “on the bachelor table (set up for the single men in the mining camps) a fine bottle of pickled gherkins as ever we tasted (was set out), a gift from our old friend Gen. William Larimer, Jr.”

• The Rev. Mr. Porter was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He was also the founder of what is today St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. He was one of many missionary preachers who traveled to this frontier territory. At the same time, there was an Episcopal preacher (who founded St. John’s), two Methodist Episcopal Preachers (who founded Trinity), and a Roman Catholic Priest (who founded the church that eventually built the Cathedral on Colfax). Luckily, the Rev. Porter, who was scheduled to preach in Central City on July 10th – withdrew -- when other Methodist missionaries, not Southern Methodist, decided to preach at Central City and found St. James Methodist Church. Thus Rev. Porter, a Southern Methodist, came back to Denver and organized a church here. And most of the members would have come from southern states.

• We made history in 1860 when Rev. W. M. Bradford organized the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South in Denver and built a small brick church on the southeast corner of 14th and Arapahoe, “the first building erected for church purposes in Denver.” It would have been about where the Auraria Campus is today. All other church communities in Denver used empty buildings at the time, and school houses, and rented theaters. But we built the first church building.

• However, a year after the church was built, the Civil War broke out and Rev. Bradford and most of the able bodied men of the church left to fight for the Confederacy. But many soldiers from western states fought for both the north and the south. In fact, Civil War battles were waged as far west as Arizona. And though we tend to paint the north as right and the south as wrong, in 1862 it was Union soldiers under the leadership of Colonel John Chivington—the former minister of Trinity Church—who won the battle of Glorietta Pass in New Mexico by killing over 1,000 supply mules, and then in 1864 the same Colonel Chivington planned and executed the massacre of 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians at Sand Creek. The Civil War years were hard years for everyone. And our church was mostly empty. So in 1862, we sold our building to the Episcopalian congregation called St. John’s.

• During the civil war, there isn’t any record of how the women of the church kept things going---but we know that they did—and that they must have continued to gather for prayer.

• Then In 1871, we built another church with 15 official members under the leadership of Rev. Dr. A. A. Morrison. This building, a frame structure, stood at 1846 Arapahoe Street.

• But in 1872, we exchanged our building for a larger one and moved to 20th and Curtis Streets. And there we started our first Mission, the Lawrence Street Mission for the Chinese workers who were building the railroad. It seems that our Mission to reach out in the spirit of justice and compassion has always been important. This Lawrence Street Mission stayed open until the residents of Chinatown moved west with the railroad.

• In the 1880s, downtown Denver began to boom, and the commercial growth pushed us all the way out to 21st and Welton Streets. The cornerstone for a new church was laid on July 23, 1887 and we officially took the name “St. Paul’s.” The church was s St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Our conference center was in Trinidad, Colorado, which was at that time a major commercial center (and according to Bill Selby, Trinidad even had a professional baseball team at the time).

• As Denver grew, so did our Sunday School and so did the church. In 1910, we purchased four lots at 16th & Ogden for $7,400. A noted architect, James Hyder, designed this building and it was built for $100,000. Rev. R. E. Dickinson was the minister when the St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church South was dedicated here at 16th & Ogden and the cornerstone of the old church was laid at this site. The congregation grew to 800 people and it was very active with many women’s classes like the Gleaners, and Triangle Club which became the Hyder Class. Over the years, children and socializing and music have always been important. We even had a pipe organ, but our choir could have been nor more beautiful than today under the leadership of Margaret Warren.

• In 1959, St. Paul’s celebrated 100 years ministry with great fanfare. And our motto then as now was that we are a “friendly and welcoming church.”

• But we have to remember that the national Methodist Church was very divided at that time. But in 1939 there was a great mending of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Protestant Church---thus in 1939 they came together as the Methodist Church. And the Rev. Dr. Charles O’Dell Thibodeau, a northerner, was appointed as pastor. The congregation wasn’t very happy, especially the Daughters of the Confederacy who belonged to this church; but in the end, the congregation with southern roots ended up loving their northern minister during his 14 years of service. Dr. Thibodeau once quoted these words (by Dr. House) on a Sunday Bulletin: “Absence from Religious Services means inevitable and lamentable moral decay. To play golf, to take a ride in an automobile, to go to some pleasure resort may from the animal standpoint be more bracing, to write letters may be more pleasant, to read a newspaper or a novel may be for the time more exhilarating and informing, to visit your friends more congenial, but a man who is engaged in building himself, and who is trying to realize God, cannot afford to come down to such a life.” Thus people came to church.

• Then in 1963, St. Paul’s thought about moving to the suburbs. Afterall, that’s where the people were moving. Church attendance was dwindling. So the congregation went so far as to purchase land at the corner of Evans and Havanna. It took another beloved pastor, the Rev. Guy Twyman, to lead the church through this tough decision. Thankfully, in 1965 the church voted “no” to a move to the suburbs and “yes” to remain in mission in the midst of the city. Rev. Guy Twyman was the husband of our beloved Maryan. And under his leadership, St. Paul’s started many outreach programs. They were following their sense of mission to do justice, love others, and walk humbly with their God.

• While Guy Twyman was still the pastor here, he grew ill from cancer and died. Yet his courage and his love strengthened the congregation. It was for this reason that they dedicated the room behind the sanctuary as the Twyman Chapel or the Twyman Room.

• Maryan Twyman says: “I have stayed at St. Paul’s because it is very important that St. Paul’s is where it is. It has such an impact on our part of the city.” And Maryan, you have such an impact on us. We love you.

• In 1968, the Methodist Church (window) made another historic merger when the they joined with the Evangelical United Brethren Church and became The United Methodist Church.

• In the late 60s, St. Paul’s forged the way in the Gay and Lesbian community by hosting choir concerts with the Metropolitan Community Church. At this time the Rev. Lawrence Robinson was pastor, he was the husband of the late Ruth Robinson. Ruth used recount her experiences with The Boarding House Club which provided support and social activities for persons who were put out of mental institutions during massive governmental cutbacks. That is when Wayne Freeman came to St. Paul’s, and his prayers for the world every Sunday always touched our hearts. Also, at that time, the church sponsored a Children’s Tutorial Program as well as a Native American congregation that worshipped on Sunday evenings. We have always been diverse in our community outreach. And we were founding members of the Capital Hills United Ministries and the Capital Hill United Neighborhoods, setting up a booth for many years at the People’s Fair where we offered free water (until the soda pop concessions decided they were going to sell bottled water and our free water was no longer allowed.)

• In 1981, St. Paul’s took another step. The Rev. Julian Rush, a United Methodist minister, had just been ousted from the First United Methodist Church in Boulder for being gay. St. Paul’s was asked to consider having Julian on the staff. Though the church already had a minister and very little money, they voted to decide to welcome Julian as a public gesture of support. As one elderly member of the congregation, the late Frieda Miller, once told me: “If we hadn’t said “yes” to Julian, I would have left the church.” The congregation was small but feisty. Sound familiar? Julian had planned to be with us today, but he called me yesterday from Rangoon in Myanmar (the former country of Burma) to say that he had grown ill from drinking the water while visiting with his son who works with UNICEF in Myanmar and had to delay his return trip to Denver until he has fully recovered – which will be this week. But he sent his love to all of us.

• In 1984, in response to the fear and bigotry within the United Methodist Church as it reacted to the outing of Julian Rush, St. Paul’s became one of the first three churches in the nation to join the Reconciling Congregation Program, a new network of people who believe that it is part of our Christian path to welcome into our midst all the children of God, and that means gays and lesbians – bisexual and transgendered persons -- as well as those who celebrate their heterosexual orientation.

• In October of 1986, the St. Paul’s community was still courageous but also very small, yet when they noticed that there were no places for hungry people to find a free meal on Sunday mornings, they decided to do something about it. So Troy Epperly helped spearhead our Sunday Meal Program. But the first day, no one came. And Troy remembers this well. So our volunteers walked over to Colfax and invited people to the church for a sandwich and a cup of coffee. The problem was, while they were gone, the food cart was stolen. As the weather got colder, we made hot dogs and finally opened the fellowship hall so that people might come in, get warm, and sit down to a hot meal. It’s a great program (volunteers). And Brad Jeske, our outgoing Food Coordinator, has made the program stronger and better than ever. As volunteer coordinator, Trude French says, “We now serve an average of 250-300 plates every Sunday morning, including second helpings. And in the last year we served an average of 15,000 hot meals.” Thus, this month we celebrate our 18th Anniversary! (Not the 17th like I put in the newsletter.)

• In 1988-89, the church attendance had dropped to around 15 people (window), the minister walked out and threatened to close the doors, but the people were fierce and kept the doors open because they believed they offered an important alternative to people looking for a spiritual community. There was a spirit here that was needed. That’s when I came, in June of 1989 and it has certainly been a strange ride with this congregation.

• In January of 1991, the Colorado AIDS Project asked St. Paul’s to take over their furniture and housewares program. And for ten years, our volunteers worked long and hard to deliver beds and blankets, couches and kitchenware to people with AIDS who sometime slept on a cold floor, people whose families had abandoned them. We called the Program PDQ – named by the late Jerry Taylor to mean Pick-Ups and Deliveries Quick—although we were not always so quick.

• On January 6, 1991, St. Paul’s started a youth shelter, Safe at St. Paul’s, at the request of the City of Denver to help care for the burgeoning numbers of young people homeless on our city streets. We had no idea of what we were doing; we only knew we could not turn away from this need to help and protect some very at-risk young people. We operated the shelter for nearly two years –in 1991 and 1992– with young people sleeping in our downstairs fellowship hall, developing case management and referral services. Then Urban Peak took over management of our shelter until they moved to their new building in 1998 where they combined the night shelter with daytime support services in for youth.

• Continuing our commitment, to use as much of our building as often as possible for the good of others, New Genesis Workingman’s Shelter moved in when Urban Peak moved out. Thus we still open our doors every night to 25-30 people in transition and need.

• St. Paul’s is always willing to follow in the footsteps of openness, diversity, and justice.

• In October of 1995, St. Paul’s sponsored a new kind of outreach program---The Buddhist Christian Interfaith Service (if you just look at our windows, you see the strong interfaith spirit that has always been part of S. Paul’s.). The Buddhist/Christian Interfaith Service is an opportunity every Sunday evening for people from various faith backgrounds, including people from our Sunday morning community, to gather together and share a time of prayer and learning and dialogue. Once again, we didn’t really know what we were doing when we started this new service, not that we every really know what we are doing, but it is just one more way that we are faithful to the spirit of St. Paul’s—the spirit of compassion that that welcomes all people to the table of God.

• We welcome people of all faiths, orientations, ethnicity, class, age, and political leanings. And if you think we get diverse points of view at the Buddhist/Christian Interfaith Service, you ought to take a close look at yourselves because I can rarely find any two people in this Christian Service who agree about much of anything. Yet we sit side-by-side and worship together. We are so fierce to keep our minds and hearts always open. And when we gather together, we listen to beautiful music, find spiritual nurture, share hopes and prayers, make good friends, and bask in the beauty of the windows.

• This building benefited from a huge effort by our Trustees who worked with the Colorado Historical Society to complete the first of many stages of restoration in 2002. The entire Trustees Team (Wayne, Bill, Dene, Nita, Stephen, Julie, Chuck Y, Chuck S. and JoAnn worked long and hard to be good stewards of this amazing yet always maintenance-challenged building. But this is the place we call our spiritual home.

• A healthy home nurtures the members of the family while opening out into the world with compassion. We don’t know our future (windows). No institution or person does. We simply respond to the call of God as well as we can. And we surrender ourselves and each other and our troubled world into the hands of God as we pray, “Thy Will Be Done.” And then, we work as hard as we can to realize what we believe to be the will of God: to do justice, to love others, and to walk humbly in the presence of all that is sacred. And how do we do that? We do it together! Always together! Amen!