St. Stephen’s has Three Celebrations in One

by Mary Lou Murphy, St. Stephen’s, Oak Ridge
For members of St. Stephen’s, Oak Ridge, Sunday, June 3, was a day of triple celebration. The service marked the observance of Pentecost -- birthday of the Church -- which commemorates the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples. In addition, the congregation celebrated the first anniversary of the ministry of the Rev. Craig Kallio and his wife Pam, and the fiftieth anniversary of the first worship service held in the present building.

The color red, a symbol of Pentecost, was visible on clerical vestments, church hangings and festive birthday balloons. The celebration also included the baptism of six people -- one infant, three children and two adults.

Special music was presented by Judy LaRose of Chicago, a personal friend of the Kallio family. Music Director and Organist Joy Anderson accompanied LaRose. Church Archivist, William Wilcox, presented a history of the events leading to the building of the current structure. He summarized the past 50 years of worship and parish life.

Prior to building the church, St. Stephen’s members worshiped at Chapel-on-the-Hill. Next came a five-year rental of space in the old Oak Ridge High School gymnasium. Each Sunday, a crew of members had to set up and take down an altar and rail, a lectern, choir stalls, chairs, and other equipment, much of it constructed by Senior Warden Thomas Mulheron.

The early congregation established a building fund, but land on which to build churches was not made available for sale by the Atomic Energy Commission until 1949.

At the consecration for the new building in 1951, the Rt. Rev. Edmund Dandridge, Bishop of Tennessee, and the Rev. Robert McGregor, St. Stephen’s rector, entered the church doors opened by the wardens, Maynard Firmin and Tucker Arnold.

So that all available money could go into the square footage, the interior was sparsely furnished. The Men’s Group rented warehouse space for a woodworking shop to construct much of the Sunday School furnishings for the 339 attendees. Kitchen cabinets, tables and coat racks were also constructed. The women made many of the altar linens and held a Christmas Bazaar to help pay off the mortgage.

Over the past fifty years, there have been 2,400 communicants at the church. The 1951 parish list contained the names of 64 people who remain members of the congregation. These were recognized at the Pentecost service. Among the 64 were leaders of that 1951 congregation including Sunday School Superintendent Caroline Hoffman, Altar Guild Chair Dorothy Skinner, and Acolyte Master Bill Wilcox. Two of that group, Doris Binford and H.G. Stanley, were confirmed by the Bishop at that first service.

Pentecost 2001 ended as the service in 1951 had -- with the singing of “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation.”

The reception following the service honored the newly-baptized. Three cakes marked the triple celebration.

The same faith and dedication displayed by early members of St. Stephen’s continues as evidenced by the Tools for Tomorrow program currently under way. This construction project will enable the church to better serve its members and the community.