History of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church in Arkansas, by Mrs. Margaret McDonald, the Rt. Rev. R. Bland Mitchell made visitations to Mountain Home where he conducted services in the Cedar Hill (in its off hours) and in March 1950 he gave canonical consent to the organization of a mission there under the name of St. Andrew, appointing Rev. Robert B. Hall of St. James', Eureka Springs, as priest-in-charge. "In 1952 the Bull Shoals Dam project in the Ozarks gave every promise of a brand new town at Bull Shoals," McDonald wrote. "In order to be on the ground floor the Executive council took a calculated risk and approved a grant of $2,000.00 for the construction of the unit of a Church plant. Local people gave the lot, and Hall undertook a building program. Although an additional $1,000.00 was voted by the Council for the Bull Shoals Church in 1953, Episcopalians in Mountain Home were urging that the church be built there , according to McDonald, Mitchell consented to this in October 1953, and the 1954 Annual Convention of the diocese admitted St. Andrew's into union. The Rev. Ralph C. Kutait was appointed priest-in-charge. The Bull Shoals property was later sold. Bishop Mitchell in 1953 appointed an Executive Committee for St. Andrew's and property for construction of the church was selected at the corner of South Church and 11th . Streets, four blocks from the Court House Square. The plans were on hold until February 1957 when the Rev. Christoph Keller, Jr. was appointed to serve St. Andrew 's in addition to St. John's, Harrison. A church-parish hall built of redwood, stone, and glass was dedicated on September 21, 1960. The congregation was seated on chairs and most of the furnishings were given as memorials. The total cost was $ 32,728.98.

For a number of years in the 1960's the women of St. Andrew's operated a successful thrift shop and were able not only to purchase the pews, kneelers and the organ, but to contribute substantially to the maintenance of the church, to pay the church's and Episcopal Church Woman's pledges to the diocese, and contribute to a number of outreach ministries. The house just north of the church property was acquired for a vicarage and was named Keller Hall in honor of the vicar and his wife, Polly, who were instrumental in obtaining it. In 1976 it was renovated for use as a parish house. The small building near it was adapted for the church office. Over the years many improvements have been made to the property, some as memorials, including landscaping, a new bell tower, a wooden deck connecting the parking lot to the front door of the church, a new organ, and paving the parking lot. The Rev . George Bersch, our supply priest for a long time, made a handsome wood repository for the Book of Remembrance and two small tables for the chancel. He also designed the metal cross and the lettering on the bell tower. The Memorial Garden was dedicated in 1988 with a sundial, bench and dogwood tree. There have been three interments of ashes there, with appropriate plaques placed on the sacristy wall. A house and lot adjacent to Keller Hall was purchased in 1993 and is being rented at present pending a decision on its use to the church. A fine Rodgers organ was acquired by St. Andrew's in 1993.

St. Andrew's font is very unusual. Mrs. Keller found in her garden what was believed a "pounding stone" used by Indians to grind corn. The stone was mounted on a wrought iron stand, and when used for baptism a copper bowl is placed in the hollowed stone . On the wall behind the altar hangs a relief carving of St. Andrew by Mrs. Arthur Van Matre. The Aubrey was designed, carved and assembled by Mrs. Lester Dutton who also carved four wooden St. Andrew's crosses for the acolytes to wear. The altar rail needlepoint kneelers, acolyte cushions and the organ bench cover is the handiwork of 17 churchwomen and was blessed on November 1, 1978. The church is fortunate in possessing beautiful vestments and communion vessels given as memorials.

Clergy who have served St. Andrew's throughout it's history include the Rev . Robert B. Hall, The Rev. Ralph C,. Kutait, The Rt. Rev. Christoph Keller, Jr., The Rev. Harold H., Leake, The Rev William L. Hobart, The Rev. James R. McLean, Jr., The Rev. Maurice Freemyer, The Rev. Roland S. Pierson, The Rev. Theodore P. Devlin, The Rev. Richard Clark, The Rev. Earl R. Davenport, The Rev. R. J. Smith , The Rev. George W. Bersch, The Rev. James R. Martin, The Rev. Carl E. Wilke, The Rev. Charles P. Wallis, The Rev. Dennis L. Serdahl, The Rev. Anne Stone Carriere, The Rev. Pamela S. Morgan and The Rev. James D. McDonald, our current Vicar.

In 1994 many in the congregation became involved in assisting a refuge family of six from Bosnia. The youngest of the five children was in dire need of an operation to enable him to walk. One of the church members, an orthopedic surgeon, was eager to help. He and his staff worked through the office of Congressman Tim Hutchinson , the International Office for Migration and the Refugee Resettlement Program of the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock to arrange for the Durokivic family to come to Mountain Home so that Dr. Foster could care for Meho. St. Andrew's One Child Committee, working with residents in the community and other churches, has assisted the family in finding housing, medical and dental aid, translators, transportation and school mentors. Meho has been operated on twice and is recovering well.

Following a decision in 1997 to investigate building a new church to hold our growing congregation, the Building Committee chaired by Stuart Friend (Liz Clark, Jim Braden, Bob Cooper and Bonnie Smith) developed plans for our new church, offices, classroom and parish hall. Ground was broken in the fall of 2002, the building was completed in March of 2003. Landscaping continues, but we have been worshiping in the new building since the Bishop's Visit on Palm Sunday.

"History" provided by Helen Tanger (who passed away before the church was completed , but was very active in planning for it. We're sure she sees us in the new building, and approves!)