Hopefully, by perusing this web site, you have already discovered that St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Exton is fun, vibrant and historic.  Built in 1828, Bishop William White, the founder of the Episcopal Church, signed the letters of incorporation and preached the first sermon.  Over the years it has served as a refuge for escaping slaves and a hospital for wounded soldiers.  For nearly two centuries the walls of St. Paul’s have held the prayers, tears and alleluia’s of its parishioners.  It continues to do so.

As a community, St. Paul’s is quite intentionally inclusive and the membership is blessed with the energy of its many young people and young families and also the wisdom of its more mature members.   Most Episcopal churches “pass the peace” just before communion – at St. Paul’s it is a loving interlude that reminds us of how very much we are loved and prepares us to receive the body and blood of Christ at communion.

I graduated from The University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1990.  “Sewanee” – as it is most commonly referred to – positions itself as “broad church” – which is another way of being inclusive.  On principal feast days we recognize and honor the particular feast with all the pomp and pageantry that our tradition allows.  The other days of the year follow the 1979 Book of Common Prayer in its beauty and simplicity.   We honor the differences in everyone’s spiritual journey and develop our ministries around the gifts that our members are given.

The opportunities for being active as a member are many: lector, breakfast team, gardening for the Food Bank, choir, bell choir acolyte, altar guild, flower guild, usher, office volunteer, youth leader, concert committee member, teacher and student.  As a member you can join a class, get advice from our resident nutritionist and psychologist, or simple help us to worship God in all God’s glory on Sunday morning.  We celebrate everyone’s gifts.

We are hopeful – even prayerful – that you will find something on these pages that interests you and that you might choose to join us in discovering where it is that God is leading.  And upon making that discovery, we are also prayerful that we might be bold enough to follow.  That is what church is all about – to look to our fellow “sojourners” for both vision and strength as we make our way. 

Thank you for visiting with us – and I hope to see you soon.

In God’s love,

Pastor Maxine Maddox Dornemann