The Episcopal Diocese of Springfield invited the members of St. George's Episcopal Church in Belleville to form from its members a new Mission in the O’Fallon, Illinois area. As a provisional mission, the new Episcopal group could not choose a name for its first two years, but the members jokingly called it “St. Elsewhere” after the NBC’s dramatic series.

According to the Reverend L. Gary Patience, the Diocesan Missioner for the Diocese of Springfield and the first priest in charge of the Mission, "The mission is the product of two years of planning. We knew this area of the Diocese was growing....and found this was the most likely place."

Having acquired space in a basement owned by the Faith Lutheran Church, the group held their first service on September 9, 1987 with approximately thirty (30) members. These members volunteered to be members of the new mission for two years after which they decided for themselves whether to stay or return to St. George’s, Belleville. It was not easy for the members to make the switch, but they were “good enough Christians” to take a risk.

By October 1990, the congregation had grown in size and self-sufficient to be granted a status from a provisional mission to a mission of the Diocese. It was then that the members decided that they had two big undertakings ahead of them. These were to name the Mission and call its First Vicar. Suggested names included Our Loving Christ, St. Matthias, Blessed Redeemer, Grace, Holy Innocents, and Church of the Incarnation. However, the name St. Michael was chosen as the name of the Mission and Michael, the Archangel as patron for the mission. The Reverend Walter B. LaBatt was called as the First Vicar. 

St. Michael’s continued meeting at Faith’s Lutheran Church working harmoniously together for twelve years. During these years the congregation of St. Michael’s was guided under the clerical leadership of The Reverend Gretchen W. Zimmerman, The Reverend Linda A. Cornelius (the Second Vicar) and The Reverend Maurice C. Lee.

June 1999 saw the commencement of the construction of a new church building on an 8 acre site located at 111 O’Fallon-Troy Road. The first service in the new building was held on Sunday, March 26, 2000 with The Reverend Maurice Lee as the Interim Vicar. The  consecration and dedication was held May 14, 2000 by The Right Reverend Peter H. Beckwith, Bishop of Springfield. In March 2001, we called our present Vicar, The Reverend Anthony B. Holder.

At present, the congregation continues to have a turnover in its congregational family because many of our members served in the military at Scott Air Force Base. Having acquired our new church building in March 2000, we are focusing our ministry in other ways and looking forward to becoming a parish in the near future and the completion of our lower level.

CLERGY OF ST. MICHAEL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

The Reverend L. Gary Patience - Priest-in-Charge, 1987-1990
The Reverend Walter B. LaBatt – First Vicar, 1991-1994
The Reverend Gretchen W. Zimmerman - Interim Vicar, 1994-1995
The Reverend Linda A. Cornelius – Second Vicar, 1996-1999
The Reverend Maurice C. Lee - Interim Vicar, 1999-2001
The Reverend Anthony B. Holder – Third Vicar, 2001 -

                         2006 -- St. Michael's Episcopal Church, O'Fallon, Illinois                            Last Updated: 04/01/2008

Mission and Vision Statements