Worship on Pontotoc Street: A Sunday Eucharist at 10 AM
St. Alban's Episcopal Church has stood at 202 Pontotoc Street in Auburndale, Florida, since the fall of 1898, when the Rev. Samuel Hodgman conducted the first worship service in a timber-framed building he had helped raise. The parish still gathers in the same town, still following the historic liturgical worship of the Anglican tradition, and still rooting its life in the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Scriptures.
The Sunday service is held at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary at 202 Pontotoc Street, and it is livestreamed on YouTube. Fr. Rick Gomer preaches to a room that mixes children, youth, and adults, speaking to the needs of all ages. The liturgy draws on the ancient and traditional pattern of the early church, centered on the consecrated bread and wine of the Holy Eucharist. A guest register at the door and pew cards inside let first-time visitors share contact information or prayer requests.
On Wednesdays, the parish gathers at noon for a short contemplative service in the sanctuary. Noonday Prayer runs from 12:00 to 12:30 PM and includes a reflection on the presence of Christ in the form of the Chalice and Bread as signs of His Cross and Ascension, followed by a brief shared communion.
What to Expect on a First Visit
The parish invites newcomers warmly: "We at St. Alban's Episcopal Church of Auburndale would count it a true honor to have you join us. We know that visiting a new church for the first time can be a scary experience."
The dress code is casual. "Shorts and flip-flops are even ok," the parish says, which fits the Florida climate. The sanctuary is air conditioned, and large ceiling fans move the air on hot Polk County afternoons.
When visitors walk through the door, a greeter welcomes them and invites them to sign the guest register. After the service, everyone is invited to the Parish House for a Sunday coffee hour of cookies, donuts, or, on the last Sunday of the month, a potluck lunch coordinated by Lois Hamann. Children's and adult ministries are family friendly, with children welcomed at every service and age-specific programs resuming in the fall.
Beliefs Rooted in Scripture and the Creeds
The parish teaches that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God through human authors, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:16). God is one, existing in three Persons in a Divine Community of Love - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - holy, perfect, and Divine Love itself, who has revealed Himself in eternity and in history.
The parish holds to the absolute and essential deity of Jesus Christ: His presence with the Father in pre-incarnate glory, His work in creation, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His substitutionary death, His bodily resurrection, His triumphant ascension, His mediatorial ministry, and His personal return.
The Holy Spirit, the parish teaches, is fully divine and personal. He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment accomplished by Christ's Finished Work. He regenerates, indwells, seals, sanctifies, illuminates, and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ. He baptizes believers at conversion into the Body of Christ and sovereignly bestows His gifts as He wills, filling those yielded to Him.
Human beings were created in the image of God as His image-bearers to each other and the world, but by the sin of disobedience fell from that state. All human posterity inherits spiritual depravity and is guilty before God, condemned to physical and spiritual death. Salvation, however, comes by grace through faith. Christ voluntarily suffered a substitutionary death on the cross; justification is by faith alone in the all-sufficient sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and those whom God has effectually called are divinely preserved and ultimately perfected in the image of the Lord.
The Rector and Leadership
Fr. Rick Gomer, rector of the parish since 2022, came to St. Alban's from a post as school chaplain at All Saints Academy in Lakeland, Florida. Fr. Rick graduated from San Jose State University in 1984 with a degree in Religious Studies and earned his Master of Divinity from Trinity Episcopal Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1988. He later received additional training under Randy Clark at Global Awakening and under Leanne Payne's Counseling and Inner Healing Ministry.
Fr. Rick is known for strong preaching, leadership development, and counseling skills. He spends the first hours of his day in Bible study and takes worship and preaching very seriously.
Karen Gomer, Fr. Rick's wife, directs the parish's small music ensemble and leads the Women's Bible Study. The choir rehearses most Sundays from 11:00 to 11:30 AM, after the morning Eucharist, and performs classical anthems, traditional hymns, and contemporary worship songs.
The parish is also guided by a vestry: Liz Manning as Senior Warden, Pat Masters as Junior Warden, Donna McWhorter as Secretary and Communications, Chrissy Quinn with responsibility for adult education, and Christy Gardner as a vestry member. Mike Reilly serves as Parish Administrator and Andrea Concha as Receptionist at the church office. Helene Daigneault facilitates the grief support group.
Bible Study, and Alpha
Bible study is a weekly rhythm at St. Alban's. Fr. Rick leads a Bible study on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM in the Church Office at 208 East Lake Avenue, walking through the present benefits available to believers from the finished work of the Cross.
Karen Gomer also leads a Women's Bible Study; details are available through the church office.
For newcomers, the Alpha Course offers an introduction to Christianity in a non-aggressive setting. Alpha runs in two six-week sessions each year: Part 1 in the Fall and Part 2 in the Spring, gathering in the Parish House from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Each session begins with food or snacks, followed by a 30-minute video presentation and table conversation. Fall topics include "What's Life all about?," "Who is Jesus?," "Why did Jesus die and rise from death?," "What is Faith and Prayer?," and "Why and how do I read the bible?" Spring topics include "Who is the Holy Spirit?," "What does the Spirit do in a person's life?," "How can I make the most of my life?," "How can I overcome addiction or temptations?," and "Does God heal today?"
The Alpha Course also serves as the baptism and confirmation class for new members. Anyone interested in joining the Episcopal Church and becoming a member of St. Alban's first meets with Fr. Rick, then begins the Alpha Course on Wednesday evenings.
The Food Pantry at 202 Pontotoc
St. Alban's runs a Food Pantry in conjunction with Feed Tampa Bay, serving approximately 200 families in Polk County every two weeks. The pantry is open the first and third Friday of each month from 8:00 to 10:00 AM at 202 Pontotoc Street, distributing bagged groceries to local families in need.
Behind the scenes, volunteers bag groceries on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 9:00 AM, and a ministry team distributes the bagged groceries on Friday mornings from 7:00 to 10:00 AM. The City of Auburndale and Walter Caldwell Elementary have donated canned goods to support the work. Mike Reilly at the church office coordinates the volunteer teams.
Recovery Meetings and Grief Support
Recovery is part of the parish's weekly rhythm. AA meetings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7:00 PM. NA meetings are held on Mondays from 7:30 to 8:30 PM, with doors opening at 6:30 PM. The meetings are open to anyone working toward sobriety.
For those walking through loss, St. Alban's hosts a grief support group on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 10:00 to 11:00 AM in the Church Office conference room. Each session includes prayer, Scripture, gentle reflection, and open conversation, facilitated by Helene Daigneault. The parish describes the group as "a safe, confidential space to share, listen, and find comfort in faith and community," open to those whose loss is recent or long ago.
Altar Guild, Lay Liturgical Ministers, and the Choir
The Altar Guild, chaired by Jeanne Wright, prepares the sanctuary for worship, putting out wine, water, chalices, communion wafers, and the priest's wafer before each service, assembling the Eucharistic ensemble, and cleaning up after. Members launder the linens, refill oil in the candles, light dust and sweep the sanctuary, and decorate the church for Christmas, Easter, and other liturgical seasons.
Lay Liturgical Ministers serve under the direction of the rector, wardens, and vestry as acolytes, torch bearers, crucifers, lectors, greeters, and ushers. Lay Eucharistic Ministers are trained to take communion to parish shut-ins and those in the hospital. To serve as a lay minister, members are confirmed communicants in good standing, complete required training, and are licensed by the bishop.
Karen Gomer directs the parish's music ensemble. The choir meets most Sundays from 11:00 to 11:30 AM and presents classical anthems, traditional hymns, and contemporary worship songs, performing duets, solos, and small choir pieces after rehearsing over a few Sundays or an occasional Wednesday night.
Coffee Hour, Game Night, and Men's Breakfast
After Sunday services, everyone is invited to the Parish House for a coffee hour. Volunteers sign up to bring cookies or donuts. On the last Sunday of the month, Lois Hamann organizes a planned potluck meal, with sign-ups for casseroles and fruit salads.
Game Night happens once a month in the Parish Hall, with Bunko, Bingo, and other card or board games for all ages. The gathering begins at 6:00 PM and ends by 7:30 PM, with everyone asked to bring a snack to share. Pam Merashoff coordinates Game Night.
A Men's Breakfast is another recurring gathering on the parish calendar.
The Building and Its Stained Glass
The original 1898 building was timber covered with siding, without plaster or sheathing on the inside. The Rev. Hodgman built the altar, pews, and other furnishings himself, and his daughter played the organ for the first services. In 1929, All Saints' Church in Lakeland gifted St. Alban's its first organ. Stained glass windows designed by Ted Poitras became a parish project in 1977 and remain a defining feature of the sanctuary. The parish is currently raising funds to restore some of those windows.
The Parish Hall, the Parish House, and an Education Building dedicated in 1964 make up the wider campus. The sanctuary is air conditioned with large ceiling fans.
A Walk Through St. Alban's History
The land on which St. Alban's stands was purchased on May 15, 1897 by the Protestant Episcopal Church, then under the Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida. The first service was held on September 25, 1898. Miss Louise Hulbert of Norwood Park suggested the name "St. Alban's," after her own church.
The Rev. Hodgman died on April 1, 1900. The Rev. David D. Kidd served as priest-in-charge from 1903 to 1913, traveling once a month from Nocatee. In 1915, the original officers were appointed by Bishop Cameron Mann, and Bishop Mann made his first visit in 1917. The Parish Hall was built during 1919-1920 and hosted an "Old Country Fair" that lasted a week. By 1923, the Sunday school had 62 members, and Boy Scout Troop No. 1, sponsored by the church, had grown to 32 Scouts and a Cub Scout pack. The Men's Club of St. Alban's Church organized that same year.
The Rev. G.W.R. Cadman was appointed priest-in-charge in September 1926. In 1938, the church was lined inside with cypress, and the Sanctuary was wainscoted as a memorial. Bishop John D. Wing consecrated the church, debt free, on June 25, 1939. The Rev. Mr. Cadman retired in 1946 after 20 years. The Rev. Barclay Johnson held his first service on September 15, 1946.
The Rev. Cyril H. Stone came from the Diocese of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in March 1953. The Louise Nelson Altar Guild was formed in 1956 in honor of Mrs. F. U. Nelson, who had served faithfully and often alone for 30 years. In 1960, the Rev. Herbert Beck was appointed. The Men's Club was formed in 1961, and Mrs. Lillian Roebuck became the first woman elected to the vestry. The Education Building was dedicated on October 18, 1964.
The Rev. John Raciappa was called in 1967, and the Rev. Lindsey G. Patience was installed as rector in 1971. A Faith Alive Weekend in 1972 launched Bible groups, including the Bread Group in the home of Ann and Bo Nelson, which continued for 24 years. A chapter of the Daughters of the King formed in 1974 conceived the parish's food pantry. Ann Nelson led the Altar Guild for 25 years. During 1979-1982, the Parish House was offered to the Fellowship Diner, a service to senior citizens in the community.
The Rev. Jonathan B. Coffey, Jr., came in late 1979. Joyce Thompson became the first parish coordinator in 1981. The Rev. George C. Keen took on the role of rector in 1984, and the newly renovated church was dedicated on February 5, 1984, alongside the 85th anniversary celebration led by Bishop William H. Folwell. Bill Fienga became the first Youth Minister in 1990, and the parish had 310 baptized members and 135 households.
The Rev. Dr. Lance Giuffrida was installed on September 21, 1996. Bishop Justin Holcomb, the current bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, and Archdeacon the Venerable Julie Altenbach visited St. Alban's for a Confirmation and several Reaffirmations of Baptismal vows. The parish marked its 100th anniversary on October 4, 1998, and its 125th anniversary on September 23, 2023.
Event Rental and Giving
The Parish Hall is available for private event rentals, accommodating 65-70 guests for receptions, celebrations, and community gatherings. The rental rate is $75 per hour plus a refundable $50 cleaning deposit. The kitchen is non-commercial; the oven may be used for warming food only.
Online giving is available through the parish's Realm page, and gifts can be mailed to the church office at 208 East Lake Avenue, Auburndale, FL 33823. As 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 reads, "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."