St. Paul's Episcopal Church has stood at the corner of Center and Green Streets in downtown Henderson, Kentucky, gathering Episcopalians and seekers from across the region for almost two centuries. The congregation calls itself a place for "farmers, factory workers, homemakers, and executives," for cradle Episcopalians and newcomers, "liberal, conservative, black, brown, white, or somewhere in between." Whether visitors arrive in their Sunday best or in jeans and sandals, they pass through the church's "blessed red doors" into a Pointed Gothic sanctuary whose stained glass and historic organ have been shaping worship since the eve of the Civil War.
Almost Two Centuries on Green Street
St. Paul's was founded in 1831 on the eve of All Saints, taking its place at the heart of Henderson almost as soon as the town itself was growing. The present church building was consecrated in 1860, a Pointed Gothic structure in the Old English style that still defines the parish today. The first organ, built by the Simmons and Wilcox Company of Boston, was installed that same year, and an organ history page on the parish site traces its continuous musical life.
The sanctuary was enriched over the following decades. In 1868 a choir loft gallery was added at the back of the church, and in 1890 the stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of St. Paul were installed over the altar. Other windows were given as memorials over many years. Major changes came in 1907: a new organ was donated with the request that it be placed in the chancel, the original choir loft was removed, and a new choir chancel was built for the instrument. The space where the loft had stood was filled with new west-end windows for the nave, and improvements were made to the steeple and rear gable. The newest windows in the church date from the 1920s, completing a sanctuary that still awes first-time visitors.
Sunday Worship and the Liturgical Week
The Sunday schedule begins quietly at 8:00 a.m. with Morning Prayer followed by Holy Eucharist. The main service follows at 10:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist - Rite II, the principal Sunday gathering of the parish. Both services take place in the historic sanctuary and are shared via Facebook Live for members at home or in the hospital. Children's Sunday School meets at 10:00 a.m. so that families can worship together and then send their children to their own formation.
The prayer life of St. Paul's continues through the week. Evening Prayer is offered on Tuesdays at 5:15 p.m., and on Fridays at 12 noon the congregation gathers for a Eucharist followed by a book study. Members and visitors who travel for work or who keep unusual hours often make the Friday midday service a regular rhythm of their week.
The Rector and the Parish Family
The parish is led by The Rev'd Benjamin J. Newland, Rector. The vestry shares the work of running the church, with Susie Watkins as Senior Warden, Mitch Deep as Junior Warden, Bill Gentry as Secretary, Mike France as Treasurer, and Marty White as Clerk. Standing committees cover Budget and Finance, Worship and Music, Communications, Christian Formation and Youth, Building and Grounds, Fellowship and Outreach, and Pastoral Care, the last supported by Dcn. Larry along with lay visitors. Pastoral care calls, fellowship, and the daily business of the parish are coordinated through the church office.
Children, Youth, and St. Ann's Guild
Children and youth are a growing part of the parish family. The youth ministry meets regularly and takes on visible roles in the life of the church: decorating for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, organizing the Easter Egg Hunt, leading the Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfast at the beginning of Lent, and riding a St. Paul's float in the Henderson Annual Christmas Parade.
St. Ann's Guild, founded in 1869, is one of the oldest women's groups in the parish. The Guild underwrites youth expenses for spring and fall gatherings, mission trips, and summer camp at All Saints, hosts the annual Lenten Luncheon as part of a community-wide Lenten series, and over the years has paid for the needlepoint kneelers at the altar and refinished the pews. The Guild's recipe books, St. Paul's Table and St. Paul's Table, Too, remain favorites in homes across Henderson.
Prayer Shawls and Outreach Across Henderson
The Prayer Shawl Ministry began fifteen years ago when a member of St. Paul's partnered with the local hospice. Knitters and crocheters of every skill level meet monthly at the church and produce around thirty shawls and lap blankets a year for hospice patients, veterans, seniors, newborns, and others in need of comfort. Weekly knitting and crochet gatherings rotate among three locations around the county: Colonial Assisted Living on Adams Lane on Mondays, the UK Extension Service on Zion Road on Tuesdays, and Bellfield Baptist Church on Hwy 136 East on Sunday evenings. A monthly gathering and blessing of the shawls is held at St. Paul's on the last Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. until noon.
St. Paul's is also a supporting congregation of Henderson Christian Community Outreach, the local ecumenical effort that serves neighbors facing food insecurity and hardship across the region. Saints, Sinners and Cynics, a weekly casual dinner at a downtown Henderson restaurant, gathers parishioners for lively conversation and teaching, drawing seekers as well as longtime members.
Visiting St. Paul's
The church sits at 5 South Green Street in downtown Henderson, with the parish office reachable at 270-826-2937 and at saintpauls@hotmail.com. Sunday worship is offered in person at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., with the 10:00 service also broadcast on Facebook Live. Weekday worship continues on Tuesday evenings at 5:15 p.m. and Fridays at noon. Those who wish to support the work of the parish may give online through Tithely, and visitors who want to know more about ministries, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, or the church's outreach partnerships are warmly invited to be in touch.