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• 1 media/St Davids Elkhart exterior 22 Mar 2015.jpg 2019-07-13T13:12:08-07:00 St. David of Wales Episcopal Church, Elkhart (defunct) 26 image_header 2024-09-23T13:28:24-07:00

  St. David’s Parish was established in 1964 as a mission of St. John the Evangelist Parish in downtown Elkhart. The Rev. Carl Richardson, rector of St. John’s, and the vestry saw the potential of growth in the Simonton Lake area of Elkhart County when the Bay Boom generation was in full swing. There were enough families to ‘seed’ the new parish, which began worshiping at Mary Feeser School, just east of the present location of St. David’s.

  After a few months, the Rt. Rev. Walter C Klein, Fourth Bishop of Northern Indiana, broke ground for the present building after a solemn evensong on the feast of Saint David of Wales, 1 March 1964. Eight years later in 1972, the diocese received St. David’s as a full parish in communion with the Bishop and Diocesan Convention. Since then the parish has been served by several rectors: the Rev. Paul M. Ross (1972-1977), the Rev. Richard J. Handley (1977-1987), the Rev. Richard F. Bragg (1988-1990), the Rev. Henry G. Randolph Jr. (1991-2016), the Rev. Joshua Nelson (2017-2020), and the Rev. Robert Armidon, (2021-2024). The Rev. Bruce B. Mosier provided leadership and stability for the parish in periods between rectors in the 1960s. There have been three deacons at St. David’s: Deacon Arthur W. Mattox (1990-1992), Archdeacon Sarah S Tracy (1995-2009), and Deacon Clayton Berkley (who was raised at St. David’s), from 2014 to 2024. On June 1, 2017, the Rev Joshua Nelson was made Priest-in-Charge by Bishop Douglas Sparks following his ordination to the priesthood on June 25th of that year. 

  St. David’s Parish was sustained for many years by a small group of faithful parishioners. In 2024, the congregation voted to close, and the building was secularized by Bishop Douglas Sparks on 22 September 2024. 
  
  Clergy:
  
  John Smith, 1964-1968
  Paul M. Ross, 1969-1977
  Richard J. Handley, 1977-1987
  Richard F. Bragg, 1988-1990
  Henry G. Randolph, 1991-2016
  Joshua Nelson, 2017-2020
  Robert Armidon, 2021-2024
  
  Adapted from St. David's website: http://www.stdavidelkhart.org/parish-history/