A Church on Grove Avenue That Puts Encounter First
St. Giles Church gathers at 5200 Grove Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, a Presbyterian congregation whose members describe their common life with the simple phrase "Encountering Jesus." Out of that conviction comes a wide-ranging ministry: a Sunday worship service with room for hymns and contemporary songs alike, an onsite preschool, an arts nonprofit, partnerships with organizations serving the city's poor, and long-term mission relationships in Egypt, Kazakhstan, and Uganda. The church belongs to ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, and it carries that affiliation quietly, identifying itself in everyday conversation simply as St. Giles.
A Founding Shaped by Renewal
The story of St. Giles begins with a church split. In 1937, Blanton Belk left Grace Covenant Church to pursue the renewal being fostered by the Oxford Group Movement. Friends and former members soon invited him to help start a new church, and he became its first pastor. Land on Grove Avenue was secured in 1940, and the first building was dedicated in 1941, with later additions to follow.
The zeal of those founding years became St. Giles' most prominent trait, drawing people across the decades who wanted to pursue Jesus wholeheartedly. Earl Morey succeeded Belk in 1959, and his pastorate was shaped by the charismatic renewal. Beginning in the late 1960s, this movement of the Holy Spirit both energized the congregation and brought controversy, though this time without a split. The renewal gave St. Giles a distinct identity it has carried into the present, expressed in ongoing openness to spontaneous prayer, spiritual gifts, and the practice of healing prayer.
Louis Skidmore arrived as associate pastor in 1972 and later became pastor. Randy Bremer joined in 1987 with gifts for teaching. Keith Hill became the fifth pastor of St. Giles in 2007, and under his leadership the church continued what he has described as its headlong pursuit of Jesus in the power of the Spirit. Hill retired in 2021 after overlapping with the current lead pastor for a year and now serves as Pastor Emeritus. The congregation took its name from St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, the mother church of Presbyterianism once pastored by John Knox.
Sunday Mornings in the Sanctuary
Sunday is the heartbeat of St. Giles. Discipleship classes for adults and children begin at 9:15, and the unified worship service follows at 10:30 in the sanctuary. Fellowship begins around 11:45 once the service ends.
The service is deliberately multigenerational. Hymns and contemporary songs share space with liturgy and spontaneous prayer, and children wave flags while adults clap along. Some Sundays are filled with passionate worship; others settle into longer silences. On the third Sunday of each month, the second half of the service is set aside for prayer. During that time, anyone who wishes may come forward, be anointed, and be prayed for confidentially by a prayer team.
Visitors are welcome to come as they are. Some wear business attire; others dress more casually. After the service, the prayer team remains on hand each Sunday to pray with anyone seeking prayer for healing and spiritual restoration, and private prayer sessions can be arranged through Pastor Rebecca Modrzynski. Services are also livestreamed on YouTube.
Children, Youth, and Family
Children are treated as full members of the church family. Nursery care is offered for children from birth through four years old in the bright and spacious Rainbow Room in the Church House basement, staffed by consistent caregivers and supported by rotating volunteers. Age-appropriate lessons and worship are woven into the morning, with plenty of time to explore and play.
Elementary-age Sunday School meets upstairs from 9:15 to 10:15, led by Paul and Heather Agnello. The children learn the scriptures through crafts, games, and fellowship in a room adjacent to the adult classroom.
Children in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to begin the 10:30 service with their families. After the children's blessing, Kids Own Worship leaders take them upstairs to room 312 for an age-appropriate Bible lesson and craft during the sermon, returning in time to join their families for communion at the end of the service.
The youth ministry draws students from across the Greater Richmond metropolitan area, including public, private, and home schools. Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:15 bring Donuts and Discussion in the Youth Room. Wednesday evenings from 5:45 to 7:30 include dinner, games, and teaching. Each November the youth join several other churches for a two-night retreat at Camp Willow Run on Lake Gaston in Littleton, North Carolina, a tradition that has been running for nearly ten years. Lock-in events happen once or twice a year, and a summer Student Life Mission Camp takes the group further afield. Heather Agnello serves as Director of Family Ministries, with Taylor Greene as Student Ministry Connector and Nohemi Sanabria as Student Ministry Assistant.
Life Groups and Covenant Groups
Deeper fellowship and discipleship are organized through two structures. Life Groups are larger gatherings that meet weekly for a seasonal stretch (fall, winter, spring, or summer), each focusing on a particular topic of interest. Covenant Groups are smaller, same-gender groups of four or five people committed to going deeper with one another, typically meeting for ten weeks at a time. Pastor Rebecca Modrzynski oversees both.
Healing Prayer as a Central Rhythm
Healing prayer is one of the church's most distinctive practices, woven into its identity as a community that encounters Jesus through the Spirit. Every Sunday, after the worship service, the prayer team is available to pray with anyone who comes forward. A St. Giles Prayer Chain offers ongoing intercession for submitted requests, and Connection Cards in the pew can be filled out and given to the church office. The ministry is rooted in the conviction that the same Spirit who renewed the church in the late 1960s continues to bring spiritual, emotional, physical, and relational healing.
Music and the Arts
St. Giles has long claimed the use of art and music to declare the beauty of God. Angelo Galarza serves as Organist and Choir Director. The music ministry includes a Community Choir and a concert series, and the intentional rebuilding of the church organ, youth drama, and the Common Grounds gallery all flow from the same calling. One of the church's six mission initiatives is to invite a relationship with Jesus through the gifts of art and music.
Make Creative Studio, a nonprofit arts ministry housed at St. Giles, is dedicated to building community and empowering lives through creativity. Executive Director Hannah Kehrer, a Virginia Commonwealth University graduate in painting and printmaking, runs classes and programs for students of all ages. The studio is part of the church's wider effort to see beauty and creativity as redemptive gifts.
Children's Garden Preschool
Children's Garden Preschool is a ministry of St. Giles Church, serving children two-and-a-half through five years old with a Christian-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum. The preschool aims to assist families in helping their children grow spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, and academically, and it has been part of the church's outreach for many years. Alonsa Riddle has served as director since 2022.
Local and Global Mission
St. Giles lives out its faith through long-term partnerships. Through Mission RVA, the congregation supports ministry partners across the city: CARITAS, First Things First, Needle's Eye Ministries, CrossOver Ministry, House of New Beginnings, World Horizons, Save Our Youth, Church Hill Ministries, Pregnancy Resource Center, and The Timothy Project. Each offers opportunities for members to share their gifts and their love with neighbors in need.
Globally, the church has committed both congregational and financial support to ministries in Egypt, Kazakhstan, and Uganda, with members traveling regularly to encourage and serve alongside local believers. Additional partnerships extend to Spain, Jordan, the Dominican Republic, and East Asia. The church also supports youth-focused mission organizations including Young Life, YWAM, World Horizons, CRU, InterVarsity, and Peter's Heart.
Six mission initiatives organize this work: growing as disciples who study and declare the truths of the Gospel; inviting others through art and music; nurturing a multigenerational community; cultivating a multiethnic community that reflects the diversity of metro Richmond; stewarding the presence of the Holy Spirit through healing; and serving neighbors locally and globally.
Becoming a Covenant Partner
Those who wish to make St. Giles their church home are invited to become Covenant Partners by contacting Lead Pastor Josh Modrzynski. Whether someone is new to faith or simply seeking a new church, they will find warmth and welcome in the community.
Giving and Staying Connected
Support for St. Giles can be given through several channels. Online giving is available through OnRealm; by text to 73256 with the word AMEN and the amount; by check mailed to 5200 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226; or through offering envelopes in the narthex on Sunday mornings. The weekly E-News keeps members and friends informed about life at the church, and the calendar lists upcoming events for children, youth, and adults.