Christ Church Cathedral: A Downtown Hub of Worship, Music, and Service in Lexington
On Market Street in the heart of downtown Lexington, Christ Church Cathedral anchors a city block between Cathedral Way, North Upper Street, and West Second Street. Its red doors open onto Market Street on Sundays, and a brick-canopied pass-through road links the cathedral to its parking lots across the way. Inside, the cathedral is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington and one of central Kentucky's most active Anglican congregations, known for traditional worship rooted in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, a thriving choir program for children and adults, and a deep commitment to outreach in the city and beyond.
"We are for Lexington. We are for you," writes the Very Reverend Carol Wade, Dean and Rector, in a welcome that doubles as a mission statement. "Everyone can find a home at Christ Church Cathedral. We are an affirming community that welcomes everyone. Our worship is joyful, meaningful, inclusive, and transcendent." The cathedral frames its life with a short mission line - "We Are a People of Prayer and Action Extending God's Love" - and a vision for "A World Transformed by Love."
Sunday Morning at the Cathedral
A Sunday at Christ Church Cathedral follows a rhythm that runs from early nursery care through an evening youth gathering. The 8:30 AM Holy Eucharist is a traditional service rich in the Anglican tradition, drawing on the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and a variety of musical heritages. Music at this hour is offered by a cantor, the Cathedral Women's Choir, or the Cathedral Singers.
At 9:15 AM, between the two morning services, the parish gathers in the Great Hall for donuts and coffee. Visitors are encouraged to come as they are; "Relax! God put the wiggles and giggles in children. We're glad you're here," reads the Cathedral Kids page. From 10:00 to 11:00 AM, formation is offered for every age: nursery care for infants through age three, God's Children Sing for the youngest children and a parent, Godly Play on the second floor of Helm for ages three through fifth grade, Student Sunday School for middle and high schoolers in the Student Life Center, The Forum for adults on the intersection of faith and life, Cathedral 101 for newcomers and longtime members alike, and Being With, a ten-week experience of conversation and reflection.
The 11:00 AM Holy Eucharist is the cathedral's principal service. The full Cathedral Choir sings, congregational hymns ring through the nave, and children age four through fourth grade are invited to gather at the back of the church before the service and process to Helm 101 for Children's Chapel, their own time of prayer and song. They return to their families during the announcements. The 11:00 AM service is livestreamed each week on the cathedral's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
After the late service, the cathedral's youngest choristers, the Cathedral Imps, rehearse in the Choir Room at 12:15 PM. STUDENT|Life, the youth ministry for grades six through twelve, gathers at 5:00 PM in the Student Life Center for a meal, games, small group time, and a shared dinner once a month when the students cook for themselves.
The Choir Program at the Heart of Worship
For fifty years, Christ Church Cathedral has supported and sustained choirs trained in the English cathedral tradition. Instruction for the choristers follows the curriculum of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM). Children and youth deepen their sense of history, liturgy, language, and art as well as their ability to interpret sacred texts and music. The choirs have toured internationally to England and Scotland four times since 2007 and have sung in New York, Washington, and Boston. Of a recent performance, Choir and Organ magazine wrote that the choir "inspired faultless singing and immaculate choral discipline" and "demonstrated a paradigm to which we all aspire."
Six choirs make up the program. The Cathedral Boys Choir, open to boys age eight through voice change, rehearses Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:00 PM and sings each Sunday at the 11:00 AM Eucharist as well as at Evensong services and concerts throughout the year. The Cathedral Girls Choir, open to girls ages eight through eighteen, follows the same rehearsal schedule and sings at the same liturgies. The Cathedral Imps, for boys and girls beginning at age four through eight, is a preparatory choir that meets on Saturdays from 8:30 to 9:15 AM from late September through mid-May, working on singing skills, basic notation and reading, movement, and Christian understanding.
The Cathedral Women's Choir is an ensemble for women ages eighteen and older that sings twice a month at the 8:30 AM liturgy from September through May and rehearses twice on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. The ATB Choir, an auditioned ensemble, draws particularly on students at Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky, with auditions normally held each fall. The Cathedral Singers is a volunteer choir of adults and teens that alternates with the Women's Choir to provide choral music for the 8:30 AM liturgy during the academic year and serves as the primary choir during the summer months.
Canon Musician Erich Balling, who holds degrees in organ, conducting, and music history from the University of Michigan and Westminster Choir College, has been organist and choirmaster at the cathedral since August 2005 and Canon Musician since October 2006. He follows a long line of distinguished choirmasters that includes Robert Quade, FRSCM, who founded the Men and Boys Choir fifty years ago. Music Associate Kathleen Balling directs the Cathedral Imps and the Cathedral Women's Choir and teaches vocal and general music at Tates Creek High School. Lisa Hall, who has served the cathedral since February 2012, holds a Master of Music in organ performance from the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor of Arts in organ and church music from Asbury University.
The cathedral's Holtkamp organ, built by Walter Holtkamp Sr. of Cleveland, Ohio, is an outstanding example of the "American classic" ideal set forth by G. Donald Harrison of Aeolian-Skinner and Holtkamp during a thirty-year period beginning in 1930. Designed to play the entire repertoire convincingly, lead congregational hymn singing, and accompany the unique sound of the cathedral choirs, the instrument includes several colorful flute stops, generously scaled and clear-voiced principals, broad and bold reed tone, and warm strings. The pedal division includes five stops at sixteen-foot pitch. Holtkamp completely renovated the organ in 1999, adding a solid-state console, solid-state combination action, re-leathered chests, and a new Festival Trumpet. A smaller Dirksen Portativ organ, built in 1955 and restored in 2024, accompanies choral and orchestral music of the Baroque period.
Evensongs, Messiah, and the Great Music Series
Beyond Sunday mornings, the cathedral's musical life unfolds through a Great Music Series that includes Choral Evensongs, concerts, and the annual performance of Handel's Messiah. Choral Evensongs, patterned on the ancient service of evening prayer, mark the setting of the sun and the coming of darkness from which a new day will dawn. "The Cathedral Choir lifts our prayers to God through rich and expansive choral settings," the cathedral writes. "We join our voices with the prayers of countless generations to the glory of God." Each Evensong is preceded at 3:30 PM by a thirty-minute concert performed by local and national artists.
Handel's Messiah is presented in early December as the essential Christmas music experience. The Cathedral Choir joins forces with the Lexington Baroque Ensemble and guest soloists under the direction of Canon Musician Erich Balling. Tickets go on sale in October and are available online only. The Friends of Cathedral Music program underwrites the Great Music Series, with annual membership levels ranging from $150 (Friend) to $1,000 and above (Guarantor) and preferred seating for Messiah included at the higher levels.
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, held in December, follows the pattern set by King's College, Cambridge. "This exquisite service is simple in its beauty. It is not a pageant. It is not a performance. It is an offering to the community looking for light and joy," the cathedral writes. Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, performed by the Cathedral Girls Choir with harp, is another December tradition. Other events in the Great Music Series have included Fauré's Requiem on Palm Sunday and visits from conductors and musicians of national and international reputation.
In summer 2026, the Cathedral Choir traveled to England to serve as Resident Choir at Canterbury Cathedral, singing daily Evensong services and weekend Eucharists. The cathedral described the experience as a remarkable opportunity "for learning, sharing, and broadening our horizons and creating new, positive relationships with fellow Anglicans around the globe."
Cathedral Kids: From Nursery through Fifth Grade
"We believe that children come into this world already knowing God! It is our goal to create spaces for them to explore that relationship with their hands, hearts, and minds." That conviction shapes the cathedral's ministry to children from birth through fifth grade. On Sundays, the nursery in Helm 103 and 104 is available for children from birth through age three from 8:15 AM to 12:15 PM, giving parents the option to attend either service or formation hour with confidence.
During the 11:00 AM service, children age four through fourth grade are invited to Children's Chapel in Helm 101, a worship service designed for kids that introduces them to spiritual practices with interactive elements they can participate in. Children gather at the back of the church before the service, process to Helm 101 with their leaders, and return during the announcements. Parents are always welcome.
At 10:00 AM, the Godly Play program is offered on the second floor of Helm for children ages three through fifth grade. Godly Play, a Montessori-based approach, gives children space to explore their relationship with God through storytelling, wonder, and hands-on work. Children's Director Elizabeth Conrad oversees the program. God's Children Sing, for children from birth through age three and a parent or guardian, gathers at the same hour in Helm 101 for music, play, and fellowship in an atmosphere of faith and fun.
Activity packets are available at the back of the church during each service for children who remain with their families. The cathedral's welcome to families is simple: come as you are, try out the options that interest you when you are ready, and don't worry about trying to do everything right.
STUDENT|Life: Youth Ministry for Grades 6-12
STUDENT|Life is the youth ministry for students in grades six through twelve and "seeks to be a Christian community reflecting Christ's love and acceptance to all people." The program offers three core rhythms: weekly Sunday meetings for youth group, dinner, and fellowship; Student Sunday School at 10:00 AM in the Student Life Center; and the Downtown Youth Group, a partnership of four downtown congregations - Christ Church Cathedral, First Presbyterian Church, Central Christian Church, and Faith Lutheran - that meets monthly for fun, fellowship, and shared teaching.
Student Confirmation is a key component of STUDENT|Life. Confirmation classes begin in the fall and culminate with the bishop's visit and the celebration of confirmation in late spring. Students meet on select Sundays at 12:15 PM, lunch included, to explore what it means to make a mature commitment to Christ. "Confirmation in The Episcopal Church is the sacramental rite in which the candidates express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop," the cathedral explains. For students coming from another denomination who have already made a mature affirmation of faith, the rite of reception is offered as a way to be welcomed into the Episcopal Church.
Adult Formation, Small Groups, and Spiritual Practices
Adults at Christ Church Cathedral find a rich menu of formation opportunities. Cathedral 101, a nine-week conversation offered each fall, introduces newcomers and longtime members alike to the Episcopal Church, its history and identity, its worship, its approach to scripture, its spiritual practices, and the life of the local congregation. The four modules - Our Story, Our Worship, Our Scripture and Practice, and Our Life Together - are designed so that each week stands on its own; missing a session is no obstacle.
The Dean's Bible Study meets online via Zoom each Tuesday at 7:30 AM. The group is currently making its way through the book of Exodus, reading, reflecting, and listening for how God speaks through these ancient stories into daily life. No preparation is required and all are welcome.
Centering Prayer meets on Wednesdays at 5:00 PM in Helm 302 and online via Zoom. Each session begins with a thirty-minute discussion followed by a twenty-minute silent prayer sit. "Centering Prayer is a way of cultivating a deeper relationship with God," the cathedral explains. In fall 2026, the group reads Thomas Keating's Open Mind, Open Heart.
Being With, a ten-week experience offered on Sundays at 9:30 AM and Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in Helm 305, is described as different from any other class the cathedral offers. "This 10-week course provides a unique opportunity to experience God's greatest desire: to be with us in Jesus. It is best described as transformational rather than informational."
For deeper fellowship, small groups gather in person and online to discuss interests, pursue spiritual growth, and grow in authentic community. "Small groups are where our large church becomes small." Adult-specific fellowships include the Commodores, a gathering for older adults that meets on the first Friday of each month for a potluck dinner and a program; Cathedral Adults, a fellowship for people in their forties, fifties, and sixties; Cathedral Families (sometimes called POLO, Parents of Little Ones); and the Episcopal Church Women, whose Books and Beliefs and Speaker Presentation gatherings on Wednesdays from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM from September through May draw readers and learners from across the parish and the wider community.
Stephen Ministry: A Trained Network of Lay Caregivers
Stephen Ministry at Christ Church Cathedral is a complete system for equipping lay people to provide confidential, one-to-one Christian care to individuals in the congregation who are experiencing difficulties in their lives. Stephen Ministers are cathedral members who receive fifty hours of training and commit to monthly peer supervision meetings. A Stephen Minister typically has one care receiver at a time and meets with that person once a week for about an hour. Care receivers are individuals who have requested the ministry of a Christian friend who listens, cares, prays, supports, and encourages. Stephen Leaders, who provide ongoing leadership for the ministry, include Associate Rector Rev. Kenny Pierce and lay leader Elizabeth Woodward. "Our priests have a team of gifted, trained, and committed lay caregivers ready to minister to hurting people," the cathedral explains.
Cathedral Pride and an Affirming Welcome
Cathedral Pride is the cathedral's space for LGBTQ+ members and their allies. "Christ Church Cathedral is a place of welcome and full belonging for all God's people. You are made in God's image, and you are loved!" The cathedral affirms and supports marriage between same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples, offers services of renaming, and was an official sponsor of the Lexington Pride Festival. "We are an affirming community that welcomes everyone," the Dean writes. Anyone interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ life at the cathedral, including marriage, services of renaming, or other sacramental ministries, is invited to contact Rev. Charles Halton.
Outreach Across Lexington and Beyond
"By building relationships in communities locally and globally, Christ Church Cathedral aims to empower others to glorify God and live with dignity." The cathedral's Outreach Committee supports a wide and ongoing network of partnerships.
The Community Closet, a partnership with Central Christian Church, provides free clothing for men, women, and children on Saturday mornings from 10:00 AM to noon at the Watkins Building, 219 East Short Street. All types of items are available, including casual wear, jeans, shirts, t-shirts, socks, underwear, shoes, and blankets. No referral is required, only some form of identification. The Community Cupboard distributes personal hygiene, grooming, and cleaning supplies - items not eligible for SNAP benefits - assembling supply bags that are picked up by staff from the Lexington Rescue Mission, The Nest, St. James Place, and Ballard Place for distribution to families and individuals in need. Each year, the Community Cupboard provides supplies for between 7,000 and 8,000 adults and children.
The cathedral's partnership with Harrison Elementary School includes weekly mentors who tutor at-risk students during the school year, an annual school supply drive in August, and the Angel Tree ministry during the holiday season that serves children and families of Harrison Elementary and other local elementary schools. Tates Creek Community Center receives volunteers from the cathedral who assist with weekly arts and crafts activities for youth, provide healthy snacks during the school year, and help with occasional celebrations. BUILD (Building a United Interfaith Lexington through Direct-Action) brings together twenty-seven congregations in Lexington to employ the practices of direct-action community organizing. Adopt-A-Highway sends volunteers three times a year to clean two miles of US 68 (Broadway) from High Street to the Corman Railroad overpass. The Emergency Assistance Fund provides financial help, once a year per client, with rent, utilities, water, or sewage bills, with referrals made through local social workers.
The cathedral partners with the Lexington Rescue Mission, God's Pantry, The Hope Center, The Nest, Habitat for Humanity, Kenyan Girls Forward, the Community Action Council, Fayette County School Family Resource Centers, Ballard Place, St. James Place, the Lexington Senior Center, and Adult and Tenant Services. Members have built Habitat homes alongside Lexington Habitat for Humanity in dedicated interfaith builds.
Art at the Cathedral
Art at the Cathedral (AATC), a voluntary committee of art lovers within the church and community, hosts rotating exhibitions in the cathedral's sacred space, working from the conviction that visual art is a mode of spirituality. Recent exhibits have included icon exhibitions and the current Living Mandala show, co-curated by Melissa C Bright and Nishaan Sandhu, which brings together Celtic imagery, Pop Art styles, abstract interpretations, and natural fractals through collage, photography, acrylic, pen and ink, weaving, appliqué, bronze with inlay, and pottery. The committee also partnered with Harrison Elementary School, recognized as an arts magnet school, for a student exhibition exploring mandalas through color. The LexArts HOP, a quarterly gallery hop in downtown Lexington, brings visitors into the cathedral for an evening of art, refreshments, and live music.
Baptism, Confirmation, and Membership
Baptism at Christ Church Cathedral takes place during the 8:30 or 11:00 AM services on set Sundays throughout the year. "In the waters of baptism, we are lovingly adopted by God into God's family and reminded that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ. Baptism marks a formal entrance as a member of the Cathedral and the wider Church." Candidates make a series of vows, including an affirmation of the Baptismal Covenant, and are baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All people of any age are welcome to be baptized; the cathedral affirms one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
Confirmation and Reception follow a similar rhythm, with classes and conversations offered both for students (through STUDENT|Life) and for adults. "Confirmation is a deepening and strengthening in the Christian life. In this, it is closely related to Baptism. Whereas Baptism highlights one's birth into the body of Christ, Confirmation stresses growth. By prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop, we receive a strengthening of the Holy Spirit that invites us to grow into more mature Christians continually."
Weddings
Weddings at Christ Church Cathedral are available to cathedral members who have been in good standing for at least one year, and to their children. The Episcopal Church and the cathedral affirm and support marriage between same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples. All marriages are performed by a priest on staff at Christ Church Cathedral or another priest in the Diocese of Lexington with a cathedral priest assisting. At least one member of the couple must have been baptized, and the couple must complete pre-marital counseling with the priest prior to the wedding. Weddings are not performed during Advent, Lent, or in May.
The Bookstore
The Christ Church Bookstore, an independent shop and diocesan ministry, carries books, lectionary and liturgical resources, calendars, cards, music, jewelry, and gift items for Episcopalians and other liturgical Christians. A wide range of Bibles and various editions of the Book of Common Prayer sit alongside books on theology, spirituality, prayer, the Episcopal faith, and fiction. The store also carries Thistle Farms Home and Body products, made by women survivors of trafficking, addiction, and prostitution, and consigned gift items from parish members, including jewelry, stained glass, quilted items, pottery, and Episcopal rosaries. Hours are Sunday 9:30 to 11:00 AM, Tuesday through Thursday 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with additional hours for special events such as Gallery Hops, Evensongs, and other community programs.
Annual Giving, Legacy Society, and the Helm Building
The cathedral's annual giving process invites every member to make an Estimate of Giving, "a promise to support our mission for one year," that helps the Vestry plan wisely and faithfully. Pledge fulfillment can be arranged all at once, quarterly, monthly, or weekly, through Realm online, by automatic draft from a bank account, by mail, or with weekly offering envelopes. The 2027 vision focuses on nurturing faithful hearts from childhood through youth, deepening the sacred arts and contemplative life through transformative preaching, music, art, and contemplative prayer, and flourishing as the hands and feet of Christ in the city.
The Christ Church Legacy Society honors those who include the cathedral in their wills or estate plans through a planned gift or who make a significant permanent gift during their lifetime. Members receive an annual invitation to a celebration where new members are recognized and all are thanked.
The Helm Building Renovation campaign, "Make Our Foundations Strong," is a five-year capital effort to renew the spaces that house the cathedral's nursery, children's formation, student ministries, and adult formation classes. "The Helm Building is part of God's plan for extending love to all because what happens in Helm changes the lives of those who then help to change the world."
Beliefs
Christ Church Cathedral teaches, in the language of its core values, that it celebrates God through historic and traditional worship and music and the ancient sacraments of baptism and communion; invites all to experience God's transforming love as a non-judgmental, inclusive, and welcoming community; connects lives by caring for one another inside and outside the church home; nurtures faith across all generations; shares gifts of time, talent, and financial resources; and serves the world through significant, tangible outreach and a commitment to social justice and reconciliation. "In short, we are a people of prayer and action extending God's love."
Parking and Practical Information
The cathedral's address is 166 Market Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507. The address for the parking lots is 168 North Upper Street, the more accurate address for those using GPS. On Sundays, all spaces in Lots 1, 2, and 3 are available to those parking for cathedral events. On Mondays through Saturdays, spaces in Lot 2 marked by cathedral signs and the handicapped spaces in Cathedral Way are available for cathedral events at any time; parking in any other spaces will require payment to avoid a ticket. Street parking downtown is free after 7:00 PM on weeknights and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
On Mondays through Saturdays, visitors enter through the doors on Cathedral Way, the brick-canopied pass-through road that connects Market and Upper Streets across from the parking lots. The doors are locked during the week but ringed by a buzzer for entrance. On Sundays, the doors on Cathedral Way and the red doors on Market Street are open during service hours.
The cathedral office is reachable at (859) 254-4497 and info@ccclex.org. Prayer requests may be sent to the same address. Giving, including one-time gifts, recurring donations, and pledge payments, is handled through Realm online. For information about weddings, baptisms, confirmation, the music program, the bookstore, or any other area of cathedral life, the cathedral invites visitors to be in touch by phone or email - or simply to come on a Sunday morning, join the congregation in pew or chair, follow along in the bulletin, take communion if baptized, and stay for donuts and coffee at 9:15 AM in the Great Hall.