Who We Are

“Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.”

St. Bede's Episcopal Church began as a mission of St. Peter’s Cathedral to the growing northwest area of St. Petersburg. It was formally organized on March 13, 1952 and celebrated their first Eucharist on March 23, 1952 at Woodlawn Elementary School. In July of that year, they received their first Vicar, Fr. Herb, and continued to meet for worship at Woodlawn Elementary until the parish hall was completed on land purchased for the permanent parish facilities. By January, 1953, 146 parishioners were listed as charter members of the congregation. Since that time, ten priests have served as either Vicar, Rector or Assistants at St. Bede’s. Fr. Boyd Carson, the most recent Rector, retired on September 1, 2013, after serving St. Bede’s for almost 31 years.

St. Bede’s Today

St. Bede's is a small, friendly Episcopal parish located on the west side of 16th Street about 2.5 miles north of downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. At present, our parish has 75 members with an average attendance of 40. Even though we are small in size, our congregation is active and participates in ministry and mission on several levels. Our Priest-in-Charge is the Rev. Father Jonathan Percival.

The Episcopal Church of St. Bede
2500 16th Street North
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704
Email: office@stbedeepiscopalchurch.org
Office: 727-823-7649

Office Staff available:
Thursday's 8:30 am - 1:00pm
Wednesday evenings 6:30 - 8:00PM
By Cell phone: 727-310-5036 any day: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Our services tend to the informal, but respect and reverence are expected.  We welcome all.

Parking is ample. There is a strip of on grass parking along 25th Ave. and 26th Avenue and there is a parking lot behind the church facilities.  All parking is owned by the parish. The church nave is located at street level with no steps or ramps, to negotiate for entrance.

The Episcopal Church is a member of The Worldwide Anglican Communion, with 70+ million members in 163+ countries. We are a community of Christians bound together by our belief that Holy Scripture contains the very core of all Christian faith and thought, the many ancient and modern stories that connect us to Jesus and his teachings, discovering daily God's hope and call to us through our life together.


We live out these core beliefs through:
• Worship and parish programs
• Reaching out to the community
• Sharing our story with others
• Seeking God's love together in study and prayer
• Giving of our means and talents to the greater purpose of God's work

A journey of faith...

If you are seeking to embark on a new journey of faith and be a part of pioneering new strategies for effective living in our community, we are delighted to welcome you. You will find a small, warm, friendly, and diverse congregation at The Episcopal Church of St. Bede. We Greet You in the Name of Christ Jesus. Every person who enters our doors reflects the Love of God. St. Bede's is a place of welcome, a house of prayer, and a community that seeks to grow daily in Grace. Worship with us and know the Peace of God that surpasses understanding. Walk with us and be equipped to utilize your spiritual gifts in daily life. St. Bede’s vision is that all will understand, live out and celebrate healing through a transformative process in which the human spirit and the Holy Spirit work together to heal relationships to God, self, family, community and creation as a whole. Our mission is to be a faith community that shares the love of Christ Jesus through worship, fellowship and service.

Our Worship

In worship, we are united, acknowledging the holiness of God, to hear God's Word, to offer prayer and to celebrate God's presence among us. All are welcome to participate in our worship because it is in worship that we live out our life as a Christian family together. Scripture is the foundation of our worship. The service follows an order found in our worship book called the Book of Common Prayer, two-thirds of which is scriptural. Every worship service includes the reading of Holy Scripture from the Old and New Testaments. Many of our prayers and hymns are filled with Scripture. The Book of Common Prayer includes a variety of ancient and modern prayers and worship occasions for times when the whole community gathers, and for individual use. The Book of Common Prayer allows everyone to participate, reminding us that each person is an important part of the worship experience, whether the service is a celebration or a solemn occasion. It is a guide book for daily Christian living. Music, both traditional and contemporary, is an integral part of uniting our prayers and scripture.

Celebrating God’s Presence

In our worship service, we celebrate God with us through water, bread and wine. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us through baptism we are united with God. The Episcopal Church believes through baptism--in any Christian denomination--we become brothers and sisters in God's family. (If you are not baptized and wish to be, you may contact the church office for more information.) Jesus shared bread and wine with his first followers and is with us today in this family meal we call Holy Communion. Through it we receive the forgiveness of our sins and a strengthening of our union with God and one another as we remember Christ's life, death and resurrection. Any baptized person is welcome and encouraged to share in this meal.

Our Beliefs

We believe there is One God who creates all things, redeems us from sin and death, and renews us as the Children of God. As Episcopalians we promise to follow Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We believe the mission of our church is restoration of all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. We are enriched by your presence with us.

The Book of Common Prayer is our guide to worship and devotion used in our daily relationship with God.

Dear Lord, you govern and make holy all your people: receive our prayers for all those who seek a closer relationship with you, that alone and together we may experience your love and guidance in all that we do in your name. Amen

Our mission statement

St. Bede’s is on its spiritual journey with a vestry (governing board) that has recognized its Baptismal responsibilities and is setting a course for the future with the help of its priests. In the past, we followed a road map primarily designed by our priests. Today we are living our covenant with Christ by continuing the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, breaking bread, persevering and proclaiming the Good News and searching for Christ in all persons and striving for justice and peace.

Visioning for the church

• Teaching new member ministry
• Developing more adult education programs
• Adding a healing component to our Sunday service
• Adding additional services and programs
• Reimagining our use of space in church facilities

With God’s help, we will:

• Live in Christ as we are created in God's image and seek to see and serve Christ in all people.

• Love in Christ because he first loved us and calls us to respect the dignity of every human being.

• Give in Christ by the offering of ourselves to work, pray, and give for the spread of the Kingdom of God.

“Every guest is a gift from God.”
We are happy that you are here. We hope that you come to enjoy the service and find peace in our sanctuary. We would love to get to know you better.

We hope to see you soon!