Worship on Sundays
On the northeast corner of Precinct Line Road and Lonesome Dove, in the heart of Hurst, St. Stephen's Anglican Church opens its doors for two Sunday services that together form the rhythm of parish life. The 7:45 a.m. Said Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist uses traditional language and a quieter, more reflective setting. The 10:00 a.m. Sung Holy Eucharist gathers the full congregation with hymns and songs, accompanied most weeks by piano or organ and occasionally by guitar or cello. The 10:00 a.m. Mass is livestreamed on YouTube so that members who are traveling, homebound, or simply unable to attend in person can join the service live or watch the recording at any time.
Both services follow the historic Anglican liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer, with the rector presiding and lay ministers assisting. Lectors read the appointed Scriptures aloud, Lay Eucharistic Ministers help distribute Holy Communion and lead the intercessory prayers, acolytes carry the processional cross and torches, and ushers greet worshipers, hand out bulletins, and guide the flow of the service. The Altar Guild works behind the scenes each week, caring for the linens, vestments, and vessels so that what is offered at the altar is presented with care and beauty.
Midweek Prayer: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Beyond the Sunday Eucharist, the church keeps a steady rhythm of weekday prayer. On Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m., the congregation gathers for Morning Prayer, the daily office that has marked Anglican devotion for centuries. On Wednesdays at noon, a midday Mass is offered, followed at 12:30 p.m. by the Rosary. These brief weekday services are open to anyone who wants to step out of the workday and into a quiet chapel for prayer and the sacraments.
What Anglicans Believe at St. Stephen's
St. Stephen's describes itself as committed to the faith once delivered to the saints, and the parish's statement of belief draws on the historic formularies of the Anglican tradition. Members affirm the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God and the supreme authority in matters of faith and practice. The Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed are received as faithful summaries of the Christian faith, and the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are taught as the historic articulation of Anglican belief. The Book of Common Prayer is described as the Bible rearranged for worship, the prayer book that gives communal voice to the church's convictions.
The parish teaches that all human beings are born estranged from God with a stain of sin, and that reconciliation comes only through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. God's gift of new life is received and effectually signified in Holy Baptism, then nourished in the principal sacrament of Holy Communion. The other five traditionally recognized sacraments - Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Confession, Holy Unction, and Ordination - are also taught as means of grace, alongside prayer, the reading and preaching of the Word, fellowship, and service to neighbors.
The church's beliefs also include a clearly stated position on human sexuality and gender, holding that human beings are created male and female in the image of God, that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman, and that the church cannot bless same-sex unions or other sexual relationships outside of Holy Matrimony. The statement affirms that all people are created in God's image and are to be welcomed, loved, and cared for by the Christian community.
The Rector: The Rev. Terry W. Gatwood
In early February the parish welcomed its new rector, The Rev. Terry W. Gatwood, his wife Deanna, and their two sons Samuel and Jackson. Fr. Terry grew up in the village of Lockbourne, near Columbus, Ohio, and is a graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where he earned a degree in history, and of Trinity Anglican Seminary in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, where he received his Master of Divinity. Before entering parish ministry, he served in both the active and reserve components of the United States Navy as a Fleet Marine Force - qualified Religious Program Specialist, deploying around the world in support of Marines and sailors.
Fr. Terry has served the church in a variety of settings: as a catechist and children's minister at Grace Church in Circleville, Ohio, as a curate at St. Augustine's Church in Westerville, Ohio, as a missionary church planter at St. Nicholas Mission in Galloway, Ohio, and most recently as the first rector of All Saints Church (ADFW) in Monroe, Louisiana. He brings a deep passion for evangelism, ministry among veterans and youth, and a love for teaching the Bible and theology to anyone who will listen. He is an avid fisherman and marksman, a devoted reader, a Chicago Cubs and Blue Jackets fan, and a collector of memorabilia from presidential election losers. The Rev. Thomas Shepherd serves as support clergy, and The Rev. Mark Cromartie serves as deacon.
Christian Education for Every Age
Sunday School for adults meets at 9:00 a.m. in the kitchen, between the two Sunday services. Past series have included a study of the Nicene Creed and discussions of theological themes in popular films. The Rector's Study meets on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 p.m., giving parishioners a choice of times. The current study is a teaching series on sharing the Gospel, drawing on a short book that participants can purchase for a few dollars through the church.
For those preparing for a deeper commitment, an eleven-week Confirmation Class is offered on Sundays after the 10:00 a.m. Mass in the Teen Study room. The class is open to anyone from seventh grade through adulthood who wishes to be confirmed, received, or reaffirmed in the Anglican tradition, or simply wants a refresher course in the faith. The church also supports Renewal Weekend, an intense three-day experience of spiritual renewal, refreshment, and recommitment designed for Anglicans and Episcopalians. The parish maintains a fund to cover the cost of the weekend for parishioners and others who wish to attend.
Children, Youth, and the Next Generation
Children's Sunday School runs from 9:00 a.m. until communion in the 10:00 a.m. Mass and is open to children from age four through grade five. A nursery for the youngest children is described on the parish calendar as coming soon. The Daughters of the Holy Cross and other parish groups regularly host ladies' lunches, retreats, and fellowship events that bring women together across the congregation.
Youth Group meets after the 10:00 a.m. Sunday service and runs until noon, from September through May, and is open to students in grades six through twelve. The group is structured around scripture study, monthly fellowship, and creative worship in the Anglican tradition. The parish also sends its young people to two annual retreats: New Beginnings, a weekend for sixth through eighth graders designed to help junior high students grow in their love of God, others, and themselves, and Happening, a once-in-a-lifetime weekend for ninth through twelfth graders that shows how Christianity is relevant to daily life. Both retreats cost $65 per person, with scholarships available, and are part of the broader Anglican youth ministry network.
Fellowship and Community Life
St. Stephen's Men meets on the second Monday of each month for study, and the men of the parish sponsor several annual events, including a church fair, a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner, Lenten Soup Night, and the Smoke Your Favorite Meat gathering. The Daughters of the Holy Cross, the parish's women's chapter of an order within the Anglican Church in North America, gathers women in a four-fold vow of prayer, service, study, and evangelism. Members of the DHC pray daily for the church, its clergy, the order, and others in need, and the group hosts regular ladies' lunches, retreats, and charitable initiatives throughout the year.
Parish life includes an Arts Ministry that hosts Wine and Cheese and Coloring events on the third Sunday of most months at 4:00 p.m. to relax and discuss artistic expression, as well as a Library known as the Book Nook, housed in the youth room, where members can browse religious and fiction titles to take home. The Book Nook does not require returns but welcomes gently used donations to keep the shelves full.
Seasons of the Christian Year
Through the year, the parish gathers around the great seasons of the Christian calendar. During Lent, the congregation meets on Wednesday evenings for the Stations of the Cross, a soup supper, and a Christian education program. A Seder Dinner brings the Jewish Passover meal into Christian context, weaving the story of Exodus together with the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. In Advent and at Christmas, a Christmas Festival fills the parish hall with music and outreach, and the annual Christmas tamale sale, a partnership with brothers and sisters at Iglesia San Miguel, raises money for pediatric cancer patients in Mexico. Each November, the church observes Kirking of the Tartans, a Scottish heritage blessing in which tartan garments are brought forward to be blessed at the Mass.
Reaching Out in Tarrant County and Beyond
Outreach is woven into the life of the parish. Each week, members collect food for the North East Emergency Distribution, a Tarrant County agency that provides food and assistance to needy families and individuals. The parish also collects household items for the Union Gospel Mission of Fort Worth, which serves homeless and needy people in the name of Christ, and supports the Fort Worth Pregnancy Center through a regular baby-item donation drive. Annual community events, like the Fall Fun Event, have brought document shredding, electronics recycling, household hazardous waste disposal, pet blessings with the rector, a bounce house, and free food to the parish grounds for the surrounding neighborhood.
Beyond North Texas, the parish supports several long-standing mission partnerships. Members sponsor students at La Gran Familia, a community center in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico, that provides food, clean clothing, and homework help to underprivileged high school students. The church gives to a companion diocese in southeastern Africa, channeling financial support through the Diocese of Fort Worth to the Malawi General Fund. The parish also supports Summer and Guy Benton, missionaries serving in New Zealand under the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders, with Summer ministering to girls who have been victims of human sex trafficking.
Becoming Part of the Parish
Anyone interested in joining the parish can fill out a membership form that gathers names, contact information, birthdays, and wedding anniversaries for the bulletin and church directory. New members may join by transfer from another denomination or from another Anglican church, by confirmation or reception, or by reaffirmation of faith. Online giving is available for those attending remotely or wishing to keep up with a pledge, and a printed newsletter, News and Notes, keeps the parish connected throughout the week. Visitors arriving for the first time will find the church at 7452 Precinct Line Road, with the Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass offered both in person and via livestream, Sunday School for children and adults at 9:00 a.m., and a warm welcome waiting at the door.