Saint Margaret's Episcopal Church sits on the corner of Factoria Boulevard and Newport Way in Bellevue, Washington, a 1957 mission that grew into a parish and now opens its pews, chapel, thrift shop, and meeting rooms to a wide circle of neighbors on the Eastside and beyond. Members include Uber drivers, school teachers, city council persons and immigrants "from West Africa to West Seattle," single and married, old and young, gay and straight, "black, white and brown" - and whose common thread is a commitment to "loving and serving each other as Christ would." The parish lives out that welcome in a packed weekly schedule of prayer, a thrift shop that has given away more than $1.5 million since 1977, and a roster of formation, pastoral, and outreach ministries that reaches from its own Sunday school to prison cells in Washington State and a girls' education foundation in Tanzania.
A Sanctuary on the Hill: From Greenhouse to Glass and Stone
The congregation traces its origins to August 1957, when the Rev. Charles Hunter gathered the first members as a mission. Services began in private homes. As the group grew, it moved first to the Factoria School and then to the Eastgate School, then acquired the property at 128th Avenue Southeast and Newport Way and dedicated it on February 1, 1959. The new home was a single greenhouse, the only existing building on the site, and "old-timers" still recall boys throwing pebbles at the windows during services. In 1960 the parish acquired a surplus barracks building - the fondly remembered "Little White Church" - and in 1968 built a sanctuary that would serve for the next thirty-five years.
The parish achieved full parish status in 1976 and continued to grow. On March 19, 1984, the Right Reverend Robert Hume Cochrane dedicated and blessed a major expansion that added offices, a library, a narthex, a vesting sacristy, a commercially equipped kitchen, and the Great Hall later named Bristol Hall in honor of Wally and Betty Bristol on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Downstairs, the twenty-four-hour Mary Lawrence Chapel opened along with classrooms and a choir room. A columbarium was added to the chapel in 1994.
Music and architecture came together in the sanctuary that stands today. The dream of a pipe organ began in 1980, when a committee studied needs, interviewed builders, and gathered estimates. Plans were put on hold until the building expansion was finalized, and in July 1987 the Vestry approved the purchase. When the 1968 sanctuary was replaced by a larger one in 2003, the pipe organ was carefully removed, stored through construction, and reinstalled in the new space. Existing stained glass windows were saved and re-set in the nave and narthex, and the new sanctuary was built with special care for accessibility and acoustics.
Sunday Mornings at Ten
The week centers on a single Sunday gathering: Holy Eucharist at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary, with musical variety that alternates between inspiring traditional hymns led by choir and organ and an upbeat contemporary band. The service is live-streamed on YouTube so that those at home can join in, and a recording remains available afterward in the church's video archive. Children are welcome at every service. Childcare is available on request for children aged two and under, and a Quiet Room to the left of the sanctuary allows parents to view the service in a space more amenable to small ones.
Worship at Saint Margaret's is liturgical and sacramental. The liturgy follows a pattern rooted in ancient tradition, the people participate in the prayers, and Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday. All Christians are welcome at the altar. There is no dress code: come as you are. Ushers offer a service leaflet containing everything a visitor needs to follow and take part, and after the service coffee, tea, and conversation flow in Bristol Hall.
On the third Sunday of every month, Sacramental Healing Prayer is offered. After receiving communion, anyone who wishes may join prayer ministers in one of the sanctuary's prayer corners for anointing and the laying on of hands. Healing prayer is also available on other Sundays, with longer in-depth healing conversations spread over several sessions through the Healing Prayer Ministry.
During the school year, the morning continues after the service. Children's and Adult Education meet at 11:00 a.m., and the 10th Hour Youth Group gathers at 10:10 a.m. for middle and high school students.
A Rhythm of Prayer Through the Week
Beyond Sunday, the parish keeps a steady rhythm of weekday prayer. On Tuesdays at 6:00 a.m., a spoken Holy Eucharist is celebrated in the Mary Lawrence Chapel, with coffee, conversation, and Bible discussion following in Bristol Hall for the early risers who make it. On Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m., the congregation gathers for the Great Litany, the traditional Episcopal prayer that invokes God's mercy and protection. Each weekday evening, Monday through Friday, Compline - the brief end-of-day office from the Book of Common Prayer - is prayed together over Zoom at 8:00 p.m., giving busy commuters and homebound members a way to close the day in shared silence and psalm.
On Mondays from noon to 1:30 p.m., the Contemplative Prayer Group meets in the sanctuary's prayer corner next to the organ for two twenty-minute silent meditations, a meditative walk, and a group reading of Lectio Divina on the day's scripture. No meditation experience is needed.
On selected Sunday evenings from September through May, Jazz Compline: At Day's End pairs the traditional plainsong office with a jazz quartet, lifting Compline into a reflective evening service that prepares listeners for the night.
Music That Ranges from Choir Loft to Jazz Quartet
Music is treated as a primary path into the presence of God. Saint Margaret's hosts four musical ensembles that rehearse through the week and lead worship in turn. The Sojourners Praise Band, led by Duane Dunn, rehearses on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and brings contemporary praise music into the sanctuary on its rotation weeks. Saint Margaret's Choir, led by Director of Music Ministries Ryan Ellis, rehearses on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and sings traditional hymns and liturgy with the pipe organ. Saint Margaret's Bell Choir, directed by Eileen Treusch, rehearses on Thursdays at 6:45 p.m. and rings from the loft on festival Sundays.
The Jazz Compline quartet gathers Sundays at 7:00 p.m. for the season described above. Visitors looking to join any of these ensembles are warmly invited: the parish advertises the music program as a place where anyone who loves to sing, ring, or play can find a close-knit community committed to high standards.
Children, the Childcare Center, and the 10th Hour
Saint Margaret's welcomes children from birth through fifth grade into the life of the church. The Sunday morning Childcare Center, open from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., accepts children from birth through thirty-six months while parents attend worship or programs; parents remain responsible and are asked to stay on the church premises. Caregivers should be confirmed in advance so the right number of staff can be on hand.
During the school year, Children's Ministry meets after worship and offers programs that walk alongside the church year. The parish's approach to children in the pew is shaped by a simple conviction: "God put wiggles in children; don't feel you have to suppress it in God's house." Parents are encouraged to sit toward the front so children can see and hear, to quietly explain the parts of the service, to sing and pray aloud, and to come back if they need to step out for a moment. The Quiet Room is available for those who want a little more space.
For grades six through twelve, the 10th Hour Youth Group meets every Sunday at 10:10 a.m. in the youth room for discussion, donuts, and prayer, with middle school and high school students separated for some activities. The youth ministry gathers for monthly service projects and fun outings, takes yearly pilgrimages to see ministries beyond their own community, and joins diocesan retreats including HYC for high schoolers and JYC for junior high. Both Children's and Youth Ministry take a brief summer hiatus from June through August and resume in September.
Adults Who Keep Asking Questions
Formation does not stop at confirmation at Saint Margaret's. On Sunday mornings during the school year, Adult Education meets in Bristol Hall, with classes that walk through books of the Bible, explore particular themes in Christian theology and spirituality, and examine what it means to live faithfully today.
The Confirmation curriculum called "Confirm not Conform" creates a safe place for adults and youth to ask hard questions about the Christian tradition, explore doubts, and discover what they actually believe. Drawing on the Anglican three-legged stool of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason, the class prepares people to make a public affirmation of their faith at the bishop's laying on of hands.
Seasonal study programs appear especially in the fall and during Lent, including Lenten Meditations that invite parishioners to reflect on Scripture through writing or photography. Education for Ministry (EfM) runs from September through June as a four-year certificate program in theological education, meeting weekly in a small group format. EfM is not a degree path; participants may take one year or all four, and the community is built on shared study and open conversation.
Spiritual Direction and Companionship matches adults with a trained holy listener for ongoing conversations about prayer, faith, and the search for God. The annual Women's Retreat brings women together for a weekend at St. Andrew's House at the Sacred Waters Center on Hood Canal, with views of the water, hiking trails, a prayer labyrinth for walking meditation, and time simply to rest.
Pastoral Care for Every Season
Saint Margaret's pastoral care network runs wide and deep. Stephen Ministers, members of the congregation trained and certified through Stephen Ministries, meet one-on-one with people experiencing the death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, illness, family crisis, or the long adjustments of new babies and empty nests. Sessions last about an hour, as often as weekly, and take place in the church's pastoral care room. Care is Christ-centered but offered to people of all traditions, with no fee. Saint Margaret's is an enrolled Stephen Ministry Congregation, certified to commission and oversee its Stephen Ministers.
The TLC (Tender Loving Care) Ministry is the parish's first-responder team for everyday needs: prepared and delivered meals, rides to local appointments, prescription pickups, grocery runs, and "Callunteer" check-in calls to homebound parishioners or those who have been missing for a month or two. A TLC coordinator responds within twenty-four hours.
GriefShare provides a thirteen-week small-group experience for those grieving the death of a loved one, combining educational and inspirational video segments with discussion. Eucharistic Visitors bring communion to those who are homebound or hospitalized after Sunday worship. Prayer ministries run through every layer of parish life: an Intensive Prayer Team takes three days to pray for crisis needs, an Intercessory Prayer group offers intentional daily prayer for the parish and the world, a Prayer Notebook sits just inside the right-hand entry to the worship space where anyone may add intercessions and thanksgivings, and Sacred Silent Prayer gathers on Mondays at noon.
The Thrift Shop on the Parking Lot
Saint Margaret's Thrift Shop has been part of the parish's outreach since 1977, when it opened on the north side of the church parking lot at 4228 Factoria Blvd SE. Members of the parish operate the shop and distribute the proceeds, after expenses, to non-profit organizations. To date the shop has given away more than $1.5 million and shows no signs of slowing down. The Thrift Shop is open five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and welcomes both donors and shoppers from the wider Eastside community.
Faith in Action: Hunger, Hospitality, and the Kairos Door
The parish's Faith in Action ministry frames its outreach in a single line: "Faith in action is love - and love in action is service." Saint Margaret's advocates for underserved women and children, affordable housing, and refugee resettlement, and works to end hunger, food insecurity, and homelessness.
Feeding Our Community keeps the pantry shelves stocked at two partner agencies. The parish collects specific lists of food and personal care items year-round for Renewal Food Bank and Hopelink, the regional nonprofit that has served homeless and low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities in King and Snohomish counties since 1971.
The Giving Tree turns the Christmas season into a parish-wide gift: ornament tags with the first name, age, gender, and wish of an at-risk child are taken from a tree, gifts are bought, and ornaments are returned as gift tags for delivery. Mission to Seafarers at the Seattle Seafarers Center receives transportation, sewn ditty bags, knitted hats, and assembled hygiene kits from the parish, particularly at Christmas. Kairos Prison Ministry sends teams into Washington State correctional facilities on weekends and Prayer & Share follow-ups, with a Kairos Outside group for the women whose loved ones are incarcerated. The parish also partners with Congregations for Kids to outfit Bellevue School District students from low-income families with backpacks and supplies, joins the statewide interfaith Faith Action Network for legislative advocacy days in Olympia, and supports the Fanikia Foundation's work to provide access to quality education for underprivileged girls and women in rural Tanzania.
The parish puts the message simply: "Y'all Means ALL." Saint Margaret's affirms the full welcome of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people into the life, sacraments, and ministry of the church, and points to The Episcopal Church's milestones in inclusion as part of its shared story.
Margaret of Scotland as Patron and Model
The parish takes its name from Saint Margaret of Scotland, an English princess who in about 1070 married King Malcolm III and brought reforms to the Scottish church: insisting that Lent begin on Ash Wednesday, that the Mass be celebrated according to the accepted Roman rite rather than in "barbarous form and language," and that the Lord's Day be devoted to prayer. Margaret also encouraged the founding of schools, hospitals, and orphanages, helped rebuild the monastery of Iona, and founded Dunfermline Abbey under Benedictine monks. She was the conscientious parent of a large household of eight children and is sometimes called "The Pearl of Scotland." Her feast is kept in November with festive music and a live bagpiper, and kilts and family tartans are encouraged.
The church's mission statement grows out of her example: "To welcome people as they are and to experience God's love." Its vision is "To be a vibrant, inclusive community celebrating Jesus' love that transforms lives through worship, fellowship, education, and service."
A Building That Welcomes the Wider Community
Saint Margaret's leases space in the buildings around its sanctuary to a number of non-profit and education organizations. LooffAn Bilingual Montessori welcomes children ages one to six to learn traditional Chinese language and wisdom through the Montessori method. The Seattle Chinese Orchestra, founded in 1984 and the only traditional Chinese orchestra in the Pacific Northwest, rehearses and performs at St. Margaret's under the direction of internationally recognized erhu virtuoso Warren Chang, with over fifty musicians participating. Cascadian Chorale, a Bellevue-based mixed-voice chamber choir founded in 1964 and now conducted by Artistic Director Gary D. Cannon, brings thirty-five of the area's most skilled choral singers to the parish for rehearsals.
Two twelve-step fellowships also call the church home: the AA Newport Hills Support Group and the Al-Anon Newport Hills group for those affected by a loved one's drinking. The parish's facilities - including Bristol Hall and, by approval, the sanctuary itself - are available for select community gatherings, with rental guidelines, an inspection checklist, and a request form available from the parish office. The Saints and Angels Ministry takes ownership of building security lock-up shifts to care for the facility so that it can keep opening its doors to the wider community.
Becoming a Member
Becoming a member of Saint Margaret's is a public expression of a commitment to live, affirm, and grow in the Christian faith as an Episcopalian, to participate in parish life, and to support the community with personal service and financial giving as able. The only requirement is a baptism and/or confirmation date. Those who have not been baptized are invited to learn about upcoming classes. Members of other Episcopal parishes can transfer their membership. Those coming from another Christian tradition can have the parish send a courtesy letter requesting baptism information or simply provide the date and place of baptism themselves.
The church's membership process, like the Episcopal Church as a whole, follows the Constitution and Canons: all who have received Holy Baptism with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and whose baptisms have been recorded in an Episcopal congregation, are members. Members sixteen and older are adult members. Communicants are members who have received Holy Communion in this church at least three times in the preceding year.
Visitors who want to explore further can join a three-part Newcomer's Conversation Series with the Rector, learning about membership, ministries, and the building, or attend a quarterly Newcomer's Happy Hour Social where newcomers, clergy, and Vestry share food, drink, and stories. The parish's Interim Rector is the Rev. Joseph Peters-Mathews, a priest in the Diocese of Olympia who was ordained in 2012 and has served on the staffs of the Presiding Bishop and the Bishop of California. He is married to Brandon, has two children, and is an alumnus of General Theological Seminary and Troy University.
Weddings, Funerals, and the Sacraments
Holy Matrimony in the Episcopal Church is Christian marriage, a life-long union in which any two people make their vows in a solemn and public covenant before God and the Church. The Book of Common Prayer requires that at least one of the parties be a baptized Christian. The parish joyfully invites couples to contact the office about scheduling a ceremony and reception.
Funeral liturgy at Saint Margaret's is treated as the joyful work of planning a celebration of life. A team of pastoral ministers supports bereaved families, coordinating receptions with the family and the church during a sensitive time. The columbarium in the Mary Lawrence Chapel offers an in-church resting place for ashes, and Healing Prayer Ministers are available to walk alongside the bereaved.
Holy Baptism is celebrated several times a year, for both infants and adults, after a period of preparation and during regular services. The Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer (beginning on page 845) expresses the parish's basic beliefs, and the Catechism, the lectionary, and the Way of Love shape Saint Margaret's teaching on what it means to follow Christ.
Giving and the Legacy Society
Stewardship is built around the traditional tithe of ten percent of income, and the parish invites each household to begin where they are able and grow the percentage year over year. Pledges are gathered each fall around St. Margaret's Day in November and gratefully received throughout the year. Gifts can be made through Realm online giving, by text (keyword STMC to 73256), through the Realm Connect app, by stock or securities transfer, or by check. The parish also accepts corporate matching gifts through a special non-religious account so that companies unable to give to churches can still support the parish's community work.
The Legacy Society recognizes parishioners who include Saint Margaret's in their estate plans through bequests, trusts, or beneficiary designations on insurance and retirement accounts. Sample bequest language is provided for unrestricted gifts to general purposes, gifts for the maintenance of physical facilities, and gifts to the parish's endowment fund. Parishioners are encouraged to consult their own legal and financial advisors on the approach that fits their family.
The Vestry is the legal representative of the parish with regard to its corporate property and consists of up to twelve members including the wardens, elected at the annual parish meeting for three-year terms. The Vestry defines and articulates the mission, supports the church's mission by word and deed, selects the Rector, ensures effective organization and planning, and manages resources and finances. The Senior Warden leads the parish between rectors and supports the Rector; the Junior Warden oversees property and buildings.
Finding Saint Margaret's
The church sits on the Northeast corner of Newport Way and Factoria Boulevard, with entrances from either street. From Seattle or I-90 eastbound, take Exit 10B for Richards Road, turn right onto Factoria Boulevard, and continue three-quarters of a mile; the church is on the left at the top of the hill. From I-90 westbound, exit at Exit 10 onto I-405 southbound, then take the Coal Creek Parkway exit, turn left, continue three-tenths of a mile, and turn left onto Factoria Boulevard. From I-405 in either direction, take Exit 10, head east for three-tenths of a mile, and turn left onto Factoria Boulevard.
The sanctuary is equipped with a hearing loop for t-coil-enabled hearing aids and cochlear implants. The 2003 sanctuary was built with accessibility in mind. For more information or to reach a staff member, the parish office is open at (425) 746-6650 and office@saintmargarets.org. The Interim Rector can be reached at rector@saintmargarets.org. Newcomers, those exploring Confirmation, those planning a wedding or funeral, those looking for a Stephen Minister or a TLC helper, and those who want to join the choir, ring in the bell choir, sing with the praise band, lead a small group, or sign up for the next retreat are warmly invited to reach out.