History of St Bartholomew’s
It all began on May 24, 1959, when a handful of people met in a private residence in Poway to discuss the possibility of forming an Episcopal mission church. Other meetings followed, and St. Bartholomew’s was established as an organized mission church in 1960. The mission’s first service was held on February 28, 1960, in the old Poway News building and was officiated by the Rev. Charles Condor. It was a service of evening prayer and was attended by thirty people. In 1961 the church called its first vicar. After several moves to various physical locations, St. Bart’s rented two store fronts in Old Poway in 1962. The sign out front read “Liquor, Antiques, The Episcopal Church Welcomes You.” The primary problems faced by the congregation in those days were rattlesnakes, unpaved roads, and a train that would pass in the middle of the Sunday service, forcing a pause in the service.
St. Bart’s steadily grew over the next several years, and in 1968 it moved to its present location in north Poway where services were first held in the building that now serves as our Parish Hall. The number of communicants at that time was 222. A major milestone in St. Bart’s history came on March 17, 1975, when St. Bart’s became a parish church. The present sanctuary was dedicated five years later, in 1980. During that year, membership reached 601 people.
Many of the artifacts present on the St. Bart’s campus today came from the old storefront church, as well as from the original structure on the present site. Our beautiful baptismal font was rescued from use as a planter and is decorated with eight tiles that depict the history of the Church, from the Old Testament tablets containing the Ten Commandments to the shield of St. Bartholomew. The altar area is framed by small stained glass windows created by the Judson Studios of Los Angeles, renowned artists of ecclesiastical stained glass since 1897. These windows depict the Sacraments and some favorite Saints of the church, including Elizabeth of Hungary, Augustine of Hippo, and C.S. Lewis. The Christus Rex crucifix, which hangs over the altar, was made in Switzerland.
The bell in our campanile, which calls us to worship every Sunday, was given by the villagers of Alberto Olviata Mota, Mexico, in gratitude to the youth group and advisers from St. Bart’s who drove down every month during the 1970’s to deliver food and clothing to the needy.
By 1988, membership at St. Bart’s had reached 1,000 people. The campus was expanded to include an administration building dedicated in 1991. This building now houses the parish office, a conference room, a library, and a youth room.
In 1993, St. Bart’s dedicated the Susan S. Cashmore Columbarium, located on the hill above the Parish Hall.
The year of 2000 was another milestone year at St. Bart’s. At the Great Easter Vigil service, we held open baptisms for the first time. Thirty-three men, women, and children were baptized that day. In June of the same year, we broke ground on an education building to house the newly formed preschool as well as the music department, the music academy, and conference rooms.
St. Bart’s has been known through the years for its parish gatherings – beginning with small meetings in the homes of parishioners in the 1960’s, to the couples clubs of the 1970’s, to the “Zip + 4” groups of the 1980’s, to the Foyer Groups of the 1990’s, to the gala parish celebrations that often take place on the patio today. Over the years St. Bartholomew’s has also sponsored eight people in seminary.
St. Bartholomew’s is one of fifty-one congregations in the Diocese of San Diego. The diocese, which was formed in 1974 from the southern portion of the Diocese of Los Angeles, encompasses San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial Counties in California, as well as Yuma County in Arizona. The Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes became our fourth bishop March 5, 2005, replacing the retiring Rt. Rev. Gethin B. Hughes.
The challenges of the 1960's – rattlesnakes, passing trains, and unpaved roads – are now just memories, but no matter what state of transition the diocese or parish is in, the history of St. Bart’s shows that this parish – filled with loving and caring people – is where spiritual life and growth go on.
– The Rev. Frederick William Thayer, rector