History
Prior to the construction of St. Stephen's in the affluent suburb of Hope Valley, the upper class Episcopalian residents of Durham attended services in churches closer to downtown, namely St. Philip's Church and St. Joseph's Church. [1] With the end of racial segregation in Durham, wealthy white citizens began moving out of the affluent inner-city neighborhoods of Trinity Park and Watts–Hillandale, opting to relocate to the newly developed suburb of Hope Valley. [1]
In 1957, during an annual Christmas party at Hope Valley Country Club, the proposal for a new Episcopal church in the neighborhood was made. [1] In 1959, after two years of planning, the first Episcopal services of the congregation were held at Hope Valley Elementary School with Rev. John William Sutphin Davis serving as priest. [1] The congregation formed, with the approval of Bishop Edwin A. Penick, as a vestry of St. Philip's Church. [2] Frank Kenan was elected as the church's senior warden. [2] The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina granted the congregation parish status during a convention on May 10, 1960. [2]
Groundbreaking on the first church building began in 1961, with the first service taking placed on Thanksgiving, November 23, 1961, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church opened in Hope Valley. [1] The formal dedication of the church took place on December 3, 1961, with Bishop Richard H. Baker presiding. [2] In 1962, a preschool was formed as a community ministry at St. Stephen's, founded by Mrs. A.W. Kennon. [2] A children's education building was completed in 1969. [2]
In the first decades of operation, the parish mainly served the upper class residents of the Hope Valley area, including the descendants of early Durham planters and mill owners. [1] A rector of St. Stephen's openly opposed the civil rights movement during a diocesan convention. [1]
With grants acquired from the Sarah Graham Kenan Foundation in 1976, a new church building was designed by G. Milton Small Associates of Raleigh and built by Nello Teer Company. [2] The first service in the new sanctuary took place on January 29, 1978. [2] The stained glass windows were designed by Leandro Velasco and Rambusch Studio and the organ was provided by the Flentrop Organ Company of Zaandam in the Netherlands. [2]
The congregation resisted the evangelical reforms proposed by Rev. Chip Nix in the 1980s. [1]
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