Sixty-Three Years on Del Prado Boulevard
Church of the Epiphany sits on the east side of Del Prado Boulevard South in Cape Coral, just north of Everest Parkway, on the same five acres that a handful of charter members purchased from their diocese in the fall of 1963. The congregation is an active parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, and its life is shaped by long tenure in one place, by a small but devoted core of members, and by a willingness to welcome new neighbors to the fastest-growing city in Lee County.
The parish's identity is rooted in a simple vision: to welcome each person to a caring community by sharing Christ's healing love through friendship, prayer, study and worship, and by empowering each one to reach out in love and serve others in God's name.
A Founding on the Feast of the Epiphany
The first Episcopal service in Cape Coral was held on January 6, 1963, the Feast of the Epiphany, when the Reverend Lloyd Cox celebrated the Eucharist at the Quirk Arcade on Cape Coral Parkway before thirty worshipers. Two months later, Bishop Hargrave met with Reverend Cox and the charter members to formally organize the mission, and the congregation chose the name Church of the Epiphany to mark the date of that inaugural service. On May 7, 1963, the new mission was officially established under the Diocese of Southwest Florida.
In October 1963 the mission, with diocesan help, purchased five acres on Del Prado Boulevard at Everest Parkway, where the parish still stands. The first sanctuary was completed in time for the inaugural in-church service on May 10, 1964. A second major structure, Puffer Hall, was added in 1969 thanks to a leading gift from the William Puffer family; it served as the parish's gathering place for nearly two decades.
Becoming a Parish, Building a Home
After Reverend Cox's retirement on October 31, 1976, the Reverend John M. McGinnis Jr. was called as Vicar. One of his early acts was to apply to the diocese for parish status. On October 24, 1978, fifteen years after its founding, Epiphany was formally established as a parish, and Father McGinnis became its first Rector.
Growth soon outgrew the original buildings. In October 1985 the parish held a fundraising bazaar in the parking lot, and in September 1986 Father McGinnis reported construction plans to the congregation. The vestry's strategy was to build the new parish hall first, hold services in Puffer Hall while the new sanctuary went up, then consecrate the completed complex. The first service in the new sanctuary was held on December 6, 1987, and on January 10, 1988, the Rt. Rev. E. Paul Haynes, Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, joined Father McGinnis for the dedication of the new building and the celebration of Epiphany's twenty-fifth anniversary.
Two artistic gifts have come to define the worship space. In 1972 the parish received a hand-carved Christus Rex cross as a memorial from the Bielenberg family; the cross still hangs above the altar. Over the following decades, the sanctuary and adjoining rooms were enriched by stained glass windows crafted and donated by longtime member Jim Yeakey.
Worship in Two Rites
Epiphany gathers in person each Sunday for two celebrations of the Holy Eucharist. At 8:00 a.m., worshipers use Holy Eucharist Rite I, the more traditional language of the Book of Common Prayer. At 9:30 a.m., the congregation gathers for Holy Eucharist Rite II with choir. The 9:30 service is also livestreamed each week on the church's Facebook page for those unable to attend in person.
The congregation uses the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible and draws on the Book of Common Prayer for its liturgies. The parish observes the full round of Episcopal sacraments; baptism, confirmation, holy matrimony, and funeral arrangements each have their own preparation materials, and a Prayer Request form is always available.
An Organ from Markelsheim
Music is central to Epiphany's worship. The organ was built in 1988 by the Franz Heissler firm of Markelsheim in West Germany, and was rebuilt and re-voiced in 2017 and 2018 by Halbert Gober. It is a mechanical-action instrument of nineteen stops and twenty-one ranks in the North European style, tuned to a Neidhart temperament of 1724. The church choir, joined at special events by musicians such as Anne Bahr, Janet Ullman, and Bob Bahr, supports the 9:30 service and sings for feasts like the parish's annual Tea at Epiphany.
Ministries That Care for One Another
Parish life is shaped by a network of small groups and lay orders. The Altar Guild prepares the sanctuary for every service, working behind the scenes so that the liturgy runs smoothly. The Episcopal Church Women meet on the third Tuesday of each month from September through May, beginning with Holy Eucharist at 9:30 a.m. and followed by a business meeting. The Daughters of the King is a praying order for women whose purpose is prayer, service, and evangelism on behalf of clergy, the church, and its people.
Companions in Christ is a parish network that organizes practical help for those in need: rides to medical visits and to church, meals, prescription pickups, errands, home and hospital visits, and respite for caregivers. Cursillo, a three-day weekend of fellowship and study that begins on Thursday evening and ends on Sunday, is offered through the Diocese of Southwest Florida as an opportunity to grow in faith and to discern how each Christian can serve. The parish also maintains an active Vestry of seven communicants, working with the Rector to lead the congregation's temporal affairs.
Clergy and Leadership
The Reverend Edward F. P. Gibbons is the fourth Rector of Church of the Epiphany. Father Gibbons joined the parish on August 1, 2021, was elected Rector on March 18, 2022, and established Epiphany's first Facebook page. He was originally ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic tradition in 1997, was received into the Episcopal Church in February 2015, and was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church on September 28, 2019, after completing a Certificate in Anglican Studies at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin. He holds a Master in Social Work and previously served as a chaplain at Hope Hospice, and he serves on the Diocesan Council and the Endowment Fund Board of the Diocese of Southwest Florida. His wife, Alicia, is bilingual in English and Spanish and serves as a trained Stephen Minister.
The Reverend Pricilla Grey serves as Deacon. Deborah Hunter is Parish Administrator, and Bill Parker and David Brown lead the Vestry as Senior Warden and Junior Warden. The parish staff also includes a bookkeeper.
A Building That Hosts the Wider Community
Beyond its own ministries, Church of the Epiphany makes its facilities available to a number of community groups. The Everest Home Association, the Garden Club of Cape Coral, the Cape Coral Stamp Club, and an Alcoholics Anonymous group all meet on the campus, making the church a steady gathering place for neighbors throughout the week. Office hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
From a single service at the Quirk Arcade on the Feast of the Epiphany in 1963 to two Sunday Eucharists and a streamed Rite II service today, Church of the Epiphany has built its life around a simple conviction: that a parish grows by knowing its neighbors, caring for them in difficult seasons, and welcoming every newcomer who walks through its doors on Del Prado Boulevard.