St. Paul's Episcopal Church sits on Elizabeth Street in the heart of historic Maumee, Ohio, where a congregation has gathered for worship since the mid-1830s. The parish is the first Episcopal mission and church founded in northwest Ohio, and its current neo-Gothic sanctuary, built in 1841, still anchors the community it has served for nearly two centuries. Beyond Sunday worship, the parish is known across Maumee for the Under One Roof food pantry it hosts for six area churches, the Elizabeth Wayne Preschool that operates on its grounds, and a music program built around a 19-rank pipe organ that fills the sanctuary each week.
A Beacon in the Wilderness
The story of St. Paul's begins with a small log chapel on the grounds of James and Mary Wolcott's home in the 1830s. The Rev. Burton Hickox arrived from the East in 1837 to minister to these remote worshippers on the edge of settlement. In 1841, the present neo-Gothic church was built on land donated by Judge James Wolcott. The early structure carried a heavy four-spider square bell tower that was removed in the 1880s because of its weight, and the original rectory, built in 1836, was relocated in 1934 to make way for the parish hall.
The parish's defining chapter came in 1854, when the cholera epidemic nearly decimated the Maumee community. The Rev. Mark Jukes and his wife Harriet served the sick and dying until the rector himself fell to the disease. Harriet survived but was left with six orphaned children, and her letters to England survive in the parish library as a testimony to early faith on the Maumee frontier. A watercolor by Rev. Mark's brother, the Rev. Andrew Jukes, dated September 30, 1854, hangs in the parish's collection.
That legacy of dedication has continued for 175 years and counting. The most recent transition came in December 2025, when The Rev. Dr. J. Paul Board retired after 28 years at St. Paul's and 30 years in Episcopal ministry in Ohio. The Rev. Patricia Rose now serves as Interim Rector.
Sunday Worship at Eight and Ten
St. Paul's offers two Sunday morning services in the Book of Common Prayer tradition, with the 1982 Hymnal provided in the pews alongside the Renew: Songs and Hymns for Blended Worship hymnal.
- 8:00 AM - Holy Eucharist, Rite I is a quiet, mostly spoken service that provides a reflective start to the day.
- 10:00 AM - Holy Eucharist, Rite II is the musical service of the morning, with hymns, choral and instrumental music, and a fuller liturgical setting. This service is livestreamed each week.
Children are welcomed as full members of the Body of Christ at both services. Rather than offering a separate children's program during the liturgy, St. Paul's invites families to worship together so that children can grow into the rituals, language, and rhythms of Episcopal worship from the earliest age. The 10:00 AM service is also the setting for the Bishop's annual visitation, including the Confirmation of youth.
On Tuesdays at 8:00 AM, the parish offers a Pilgrim's Mass for those who want a midweek opportunity to receive the Eucharist.
The Music Program and the Pipe Organ
Music is central to life at St. Paul's. The 8:00 AM service is kept musically simple to preserve a contemplative mood, while the 10:00 AM service is enriched by a chancel choir, an intermediate chimes choir, vocal and instrumental ensembles, and soloists. Hymns draw from the 1982 Hymnal and the Renew hymnal.
The centerpiece of the program is a 19-rank pipe organ with 1,166 pipes, originally installed in 1928 as a 12-stop, two-manual organ by the Estey Company of Vermont. It was rebuilt in 1965 by the Muller Pipe Organ Company of Toledo, then enlarged and renovated once more in a 31-week project completed in 2018 by the same firm. A dedication service in March 2019 celebrated its return, and annual organ concerts now showcase the instrument.
Brad Cresswell serves as Director of Music and directs the children's choir. A former opera singer who performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, and the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Cresswell also serves as Program Director and Senior On-Air Host at WGTE-FM in Toledo and produces a syndicated radio series with Bowling Green State University that reaches over two million listeners worldwide. He also regularly appears on the Metropolitan Opera Quiz, broadcast to more than 300 stations in 40 countries.
Jane Weber, a lifelong member of St. Paul's, is the organist. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati in organ performance, she also plays piano, flute, and guitar and sings. In her sermonette to the parish she described playing the organ as "a sermonette, but spoken with music instead of words," and spoke of letting herself be guided as she plays in hopes of "sending the Holy Spirit out to the congregation." Parishioners of all musical abilities are encouraged to share their gifts through the choirs or as soloists.
Under One Roof Food Pantry
More than twenty years ago, the Women of St. Paul's launched a small collection of canned goods from a basement closet, funded by the parish's annual Christmas Auction. Today that outreach has grown into the Under One Roof Food Pantry and Emergency Fund, a collaborative ministry of six Maumee-area churches: Calvary Church, Cass Road Baptist Church, First Church of Christ Scientist, First Presbyterian Church, St. Joseph's Catholic Church, and St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
The pantry operates from a handicapped-accessible storefront on the St. Paul's grounds, with parking in the Dudley Street lot behind the church. Hours are Monday from 12:00 to 4:00 PM and Thursday from 9:00 to 11:00 AM, with additional evening hours on the first and fourth Thursdays of each month from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Clients call ahead, bring a photo ID and a piece of mail with their current address, and may visit every 30 days. Each shopper is paired with a volunteer who guides them through the selection, and the pantry aims to provide a minimum of three days of food. Income eligibility guidelines from the Emergency Food Assistance Program apply.
The pantry marked its 10th anniversary in 2026, and each of the six sponsoring congregations collects a different category of items during the anniversary drive. St. Paul's own category is hygiene items, including soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, dish and laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, and feminine hygiene supplies.
Eden's Bounty Garden
Just steps from the pantry, Eden's Bounty Garden grows fresh produce that supplements the dry goods clients receive. Using the Back to Eden gardening concept, the plot yields tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, cabbage, greens, squash, herbs, and radishes that are bagged and delivered directly to pantry shoppers. Planning began in early 2017, and the first mid-summer harvest produced sizeable yields that, in the words of the parish, left pantry clients "thrilled to receive wholesome and healthy fresh vegetables along with their other groceries." Volunteers of all ages help with planning, planting, watering, and harvesting, and donations of young plants and home-grown surplus are welcome.
Elizabeth Wayne Preschool
Operating on the St. Paul's grounds, Elizabeth Wayne Preschool is a fully accredited ministry of the parish and a Toledo Area Parent Family Favorite. Classes run Monday through Thursday, with half-day options at 8:30 to 11:30 AM and 12:00 to 3:00 PM and an all-day option from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Class ratios are 1:8.
The program follows best practices from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and uses an emergent curriculum that incorporates Ohio Early Learning Standards. Enrichment is built into the week: monthly Bible time in the sanctuary introduces children to scripture and worship through songs and a "Big Idea" of the month; weekly art classes draw inspiration from literature and classic and modern artists for an annual Spring Art Show; and Mindful Mondays offer yoga with a certified instructor to support mental, social, and emotional health.
Director Cristy Seely, who joined the EWP team in 2010, holds a B.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Toledo and brings more than two decades of work in Montessori education and early childhood ministry. She is a certified yoga instructor and Social Emotional Learning Facilitator. Tuition assistance includes a 20% sibling discount and a 20% discount for St. Paul's members in good standing.
Adult Education, Bible Study, and Small Groups
Between the two Sunday services, from 9:00 to 9:50 AM, the Skylight Room fills with parishioners and visitors for Adult Christian Education. The lay-led program draws on a variety of curricula and topics, including Scripture study, book discussions, and exploration of other faith traditions. Recent series have included a deep dive into the Book of Acts using BibleProject curriculum and book studies on The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Paul the Pharisee by John Dominic Crossan, all led by Deacon Dr. Jennifer Vasquez.
On Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, a Zoom-based Bible Study meets to explore themes in Scripture. The current series is studying the theme of justice in the Bible. Tables of Eight is a parish-wide fellowship program that gathers small groups of parishioners around shared meals for intentional relationship-building.
The People Who Lead
The Rev. Patricia Rose began serving as Interim Rector in July 2026. She holds a Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley and has served in ministry in California and Ohio since 2011. Before arriving at St. Paul's she was Assistant Rector at St. Paul's Episcopal in Cleveland Heights, where she oversaw outreach in community hunger and immigration, multi-denominational campus ministry, interfaith gatherings, and adult spiritual formation. She has also served as Clergy Resident at St. Edward's and St. Stephen's in Columbus.
Brad Cresswell directs the music program, Jane Weber is the parish organist, and Cristy Seely directs the preschool. The parish is governed by a 12-member Vestry elected to staggered three-year terms, with four members elected each year. The current Senior Warden is Steve McNally, Junior Warden Glenous Favata, Treasurer Ken Robinson, and Clerk Donna Dick. The full Vestry includes Cynthia Beekley, Gail Burgin, Kathryn Burns, Todd Deye, Ken Ludwig, Jerry Martz, Chas Mayo, and Carol Sachs. Parish Administrator Ana Souza and Finance Specialist Mariia Vozniuk handle the church office.
Visiting St. Paul's
The parish extends an explicit welcome to all: "St. Paul's Episcopal Church, in accordance with the gospel of Jesus Christ, celebrates the presence of all our members, visitors, and neighbors of every race, ethnicity, spirituality, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, and background." The church stands at 310 Elizabeth Street in Maumee, and the office can be reached at 419-893-3381 or office@stpaulsmaumee.org. Sunday bulletins are posted online along with video recordings of recent services, so newcomers can follow along or catch up on sermons at any time. The food pantry and the preschool both welcome inquiries, and the preschool can be reached at preschool@stpaulsmaumee.org.