History
History of St. Luke’s in Renton
The early records of St. Luke’s reveal that in 1892 a Sunday school was formed by a group of women in the village of Renton (population 600) and a monthly visit was arranged by one of the clergy from Trinity Church, Seattle. Services were held on an irregular basis until 1897 when the first church building was erected and St. Luke’s became a mission of the diocese.
Visiting clergy provided occasional services until 1905 when the Rev. Rodney Arney, rector of St. James , Kent , began holding regular services in Renton . The first confirmations and the first marriage took place in 1905.
In 1928, the Rev. John Pritchard came off retirement at age 72 to undertake the task of building a new church on Wells Street . The red brick church was built at a cost of $15,000 and was formally dedicated on December 30, 1928.
During the years of the Great Depression, St. Luke’s was served by a number of clergy and remained a mission of the diocese until 1947 when it became a parish with the Rev. Godfrey Hartzell serving as the first rector. The years following World War II saw a steady growth for both Renton and St. Luke’s.
In 1952, a red brick children’s chapel dedicated to St. Timothy was built next to the church and became one of the first children’s chapels in the nation that was a separate building and was furnished with child sized pews and an altar. Walt Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Club” visited St. Luke’s and did a feature story on St. Timothy’s Chapel.
During the years in which the Rev. Herbert Lazenby served as rector, the church school experienced great growth and serious consideration was given to enlarging the existing facilities to accommodate the growing congregation.
The Rev. John G. Schaeffer was called to be rector in 1959. In 1960, St. Luke’s underwent a major remodeling with the church being enlarged, the old rectory removed and a new education and parish office building erected on the site.
Despite several economic downturns and the general exodus of churches and population into the suburban areas, St. Luke’s has remained committed to staying in the central business district where it continues to serve a broad spectrum of the community.
After nearly 30 years as rector of St. Luke’s, Fr. Schaeffer retired and Fr. Thomas Bigelow was called as rector. Bigelow led the parish well through a turbulent time and is perhaps best known for encouraging the full inclusion of gay and lesbian Christians at St. Luke’s and for the change in St. Luke’s mission to be a Church for All People.
Fr. Kevin Pearson was called to serve St. Luke’s in 2004, and became rector in 2005. In the last years, St. Luke’s has undergone significant renovation to update its worship space and provide handicap access to the church. We are experiencing terrific development in downtown Renton and an increase in high-density housing near the church. St. Luke’s is a founding member of A.R.I.S.E.—a shelter for homeless men that uses local church parish halls on a rotating basis. Living into our mission to welcome all, St. Luke’s is a vital, hospitable, growing congregation of all ages, cultures, and sorts of people.