In 1985, a group of faithful followers of Christ gathered together and discerned a call to start a church. Later that year, the Diocese of Central Florida gave permission to form a mission and two years later the Diocese purchased property with a house on Highway 1. With a new Vicar, the Rev. Marion Thullbery in place, founding members chose the name Hope Episcopal Church for the nascent congregation. Work then began to transform an old house to sacred space and neighboring Episcopal Churches donated or loaned furnishings and liturgical appointments to equip the facility. The first worship service was held on Sunday, September 13, 1987, and the next day the church’s first Vestry adopted its inaugural vision statement: “To know Jesus Christ personally and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, lead others to know Him.”
In 1990, the Rev. Wally Schilling succeeded Marion as Vicar, and as the congregation grew, services were moved to Suntree Elementary. As membership continued to grow exponentially, Hope Church purchased 8.3 acres on Interlachen Road, constructed a 6500 square foot all-purpose building began in spring 1997, and doubling the size to include a Parish Hall, classrooms, and an office wing.
When the Rev. Deborah Vann became rector in 2007, she focused on spiritual growth. Committed to establishing a beautiful site for meditation and reflection, Pastor Debbie developed the prayer labyrinth and encouraged the local community to use the grounds.
All congregations experience growing pains – highs and lows – in recurring cycles of life. Hope Church was no exception. In 2020 amidst the throes of financial challenges and a worldwide pandemic, Hope’s leadership made some bold decisions, partnering with the Diocese and calling the Rev. Cynthia Brust as their new Rector beginning July 1. Since then, the congregation has adopted their new vision statement, were given a special gift to fund a large new state-of-the-art digital sign, and have begun making improvements to the building and grounds. Plans are also underway to launch a broad spectrum of classes, programs, events, and ways to serve the community.
The most significant transition was changing our name from Hope to Christ Church. The vestry had determined early on that in order to relaunch and redefine ourselves, we needed a new name. The name Christ Church beautifully captures our new vision as well as honors our rich history, for it is in Christ alone our Hope is found.
Thirty-six years after its formation Christ Episcopal Church is in an idyllic setting with a large worship space and plenty of room for programs and is poised for a new beginning. We are uniquely positioned to make a difference in our community which is experiencing rapid and extensive growth.
Three faithful priests, countless vestry members, and numerous other lay leaders followed a dream and poured themselves into building this church, establishing a strong foundation and built a godly heritage. We are grateful and stand on their shoulders.