A West End Parish With a Bilingual Heart
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church sits on eleven acres at 4090 Delaware Street in Beaumont's west end, a quiet stretch of mid-century residential blocks west of the city's older downtown. From this single campus the parish runs two weekly Sunday services, one in English and one entirely in the Igbo language of southeastern Nigeria. That bilingual rhythm, paired with more than seven decades of outreach on the Texas Gulf Coast, gives St. Stephen's a particular identity among the parishes of the Diocese of Texas.
The church's own motto sums up its ministry in three short phrases: Loving God, Sharing Jesus, Rejoicing in the Spirit. It is a line that runs through the bulletin, the signage at the door, and the welcome given to anyone who walks in on Sunday morning.
From Ten Families to 400 Seats
St. Stephen's was born in March 1952, when ten families in Beaumont's west end, encouraged by St. Mark's Episcopal Church, organized a new congregation. They originally called it St. Paul's, then renamed it St. Stephen's to avoid confusion with a local Methodist church of the same name. The first worship services were held in parishioners' homes, then in the storage room of Plettman's Grocery on the corner of Central and Gladys Streets, a stretch that earned the congregation the affectionate nickname "St. Plettman's."
In 1953 the parish acquired eleven acres on Delaware Street and moved an old schoolhouse onto the property as its first permanent building. A second structure, the one that still houses the church offices, was built and dedicated in 1954. The Reverend Frank Doremus was called as the first vicar in 1956, while St. Stephen's was still a mission supported by the Diocese. The parish achieved full self-supporting status in 1957, and the Reverend Ray Ryland became the first rector. By 1959 the original ten families had grown to about 180 members, and a 400-seat sanctuary was dedicated on Easter Sunday of that year.
Outreach became part of the parish's identity early on. In 1971 members started Project Concern, Beaumont's first recycling program, with the proceeds funding summer camp scholarships for local, national and international mission trips. That same impulse now underwrites the parish's long partnership with Some Other Place and a host of other community ministries. Broce Hall, the multi-purpose parish hall, was built in 1979. The Johnson-Roberts Christian Education Building was dedicated in 2011, and in late 2025 a portion of that property was sold to All Saints Episcopal School, which now allows the parish to keep using the Godly Play space inside.
The parish marked its 70th anniversary in 2022. The current rector, The Reverend Curt Norman, arrived in the fall of 2025, joining The Reverend Emmanuel Onyemaobi, who serves as assisting priest.
Worship in English and in Igbo
Two distinct Sunday services anchor the life of the parish. The main service, Holy Eucharist, is celebrated at 10:00 a.m. in English and is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel. At noon, the Igbo Service of Holy Eucharist is celebrated entirely in the Igbo language and offered in person only. Both follow the Episcopal Church's liturgy rooted in the Book of Common Prayer.
The Igbo service, led by The Rev. Emmanuel Onyemaobi, was the first Episcopal service in Igbo in Beaumont. It is offered for Igbo-speaking Christians and families, Nigerian expatriates living in Southeast Texas, international students, and visitors who simply want to experience the liturgy in another language. The service includes Scripture, prayer, preaching, and the celebration of Holy Communion, all in Igbo. No prior Episcopal background is required.
Liturgy Rooted in the Book of Common Prayer
The English-language service at 10:00 follows the historic pattern of Episcopal worship. The service opens with hymns and readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament and the Gospel. Midway through, the priest offers the Peace ("The peace of the Lord be always with you") and the congregation greets one another, often with a handshake or a hug. After a few minutes the service continues with the offering and Holy Communion.
Kneeling for prayer and singing from the hymnal are part of the rhythm, but participation is offered with flexibility. Parishioners may bow, stand, pray, make the sign of the cross, or simply sit quietly in reflection. A printed service booklet is provided each Sunday so visitors can follow the liturgy easily, even if they have never been to an Episcopal church before. What matters, the parish says, is presence, participation, and a shared journey in worship and fellowship.
What to Wear, Where to Park
St. Stephen's is explicit about dress: come in whatever feels comfortable. The parish's own language invites people to "look glamorous, look casual, come straight from the night shift in Nomex or scrubs." What matters is being there.
There are two main parking areas on the eleven-acre grounds, one close to the church entrance and another near Broce Hall. A few additional spaces sit near Delaware Street around the church office. Accessibility features have been incorporated in keeping with ADA guidelines, and gender-neutral restrooms are provided for all members and guests.
Children and Youth Are Part of the Welcome
Children of all ages are welcome in worship, including infants and toddlers whose joyful sounds are described as a blessing to the congregation. For families who want a little more space, the Guild Room sits adjacent to the church on the left side as you face the altar. It offers comfortable seating, a changing table, a play area, child-friendly toys, a kitchenette, and a livestream of the service so families can stay connected to the liturgy while handling a baby's needs. The worship service is also broadcast on a television in the Guild Room during services.
Inside the church itself, the entryway holds a basket of stuffed animals and a shelf with clipboards and coloring supplies for children who want to engage during the sermon. These are returned to the entryway at the end of worship.
Godly Play, the parish's Montessori-based Christian formation program for ages five through twelve, meets the second Sunday of each month during the school year. The program, which uses the Godly Play Room in the Johnson-Roberts Christian Education Building, is led by Connie Thompson. Its mission is to make meaning through story, wonder, and play, and to nurture the spiritual lives of children by honoring their centrality, competency and capacity.
For middle and high schoolers, the parish partners with ONE Student Ministry, an ecumenical youth group that meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Sundays at the Wesley Methodist Youth Room. Youth from St. Stephen's also participate in diocesan Happening weekends and summer camp at Camp Allen, the largest Episcopal summer camp program in the country. The parish lists Confirmation for eighth graders, First Communion for first graders, and seasonal adult Confirmation as part of its formation pathway, all overseen by Fr. Curt.
For adults, a Sunday morning class called Why Episcopalian meets at 9:00 a.m. in the Guild Room, with breakfast and Bible study. On Tuesday mornings at 7:00 a.m., the men of the parish gather in Broce Hall for a rotating breakfast and Bible study. On Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m., the women meet in the Guild Room for their own Bible study.
Outreach to the Margins
St. Stephen's describes its outreach work as seeking and serving all persons, loving neighbors as oneself. The current shape of that mission runs in three directions.
Locally, the parish hosts Just As I Am Golden Triangle, a missional community for LGBTQ+ individuals who want a relationship with Jesus Christ but are not comfortable in church. The group meets every Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the church office, shares a meal, and celebrates God's love. The parish also runs Let's Paint, a relaxed art class led by Dana Dorman, on Wednesday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00 in Broce Hall. Sessions run about a month and cost $50 each, with most supplies included.
Through its Serving the Under-Served partnerships, the parish prepares monthly meals at Some Other Place, supplies the Ubi Caritas after-school program, buys Christmas gifts for local seniors, and welcomes international students at the Wesley Foundation at Lamar University. Through Serving the Helpers, the parish hosts an annual back-to-school breakfast for All Saints Episcopal School's faculty and staff, welcomes the Beaumont Police Department for Coffee with a Cop, and makes deliveries to local fire stations. Through Giving Back, the parish collects supplies for Beaumont Animal Care, donates to the Southeast Texas Food Bank, and hosts quarterly blood drives with LifeShare Blood Center.
A Campus Built Over Seven Decades
The eleven-acre property holds several distinct spaces. The 400-seat sanctuary, dedicated in 1959, is the heart of the parish. Broce Hall, the parish hall built in 1979, seats up to 200 for events and has moveable walls that allow it to be divided into smaller classrooms. It also contains a commercial kitchen, the Choir Room, and the St. Stephen's Room, and it is available for rental by outside groups for parties, receptions, meetings, seminars, banquets and luncheons. Tables, chairs, a microphone, speakers, and projection equipment are available. The Guild Room, a former parish hall now repurposed for hospitality, offers a kitchenette, restrooms, a play area, a changing table and ample seating, and serves as a space for bridal parties, families before a burial, and parents with young children during worship.
Weddings and funerals are celebrated in the church. For marriage, the parish notes that a Declaration of Intention must be completed six months before the proposed date, that at least one of the persons to be married is expected to be an active member of St. Stephen's for six months prior, and that only an Episcopal priest may officiate, using the Book of Common Prayer. The parish affirms the use of its sanctuary for all marriage rites authorized by the Episcopal Church, including those for gender and sexual minority couples. No weddings are held during Lent, and weddings in Advent are discouraged. For funerals, services are shaped as Easter celebrations of the resurrection, and clergy and pastoral care leaders work with families to plan both ahead of time and at the time of death.
Beliefs and Welcome
St. Stephen's is a parish of The Episcopal Church and a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Its members affirm one God who creates all things, redeems humanity from sin and death, and renews all people as children of God, and they proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Holy Scripture is the foundation of faith and thought, and services follow the forms in the Book of Common Prayer, with readings from Scripture in every service and many prayers and hymns rooted in the Bible.
The parish's own mission statement - Loving God, Sharing Jesus, Rejoicing in the Spirit - is the thread that runs through Sunday worship in two languages, Godly Play on the second Sunday, ONE Student Ministry on Sundays and Wednesdays, Tuesday and Wednesday Bible studies for adults, art class and a meal for LGBTQ+ friends, monthly service at Some Other Place, and a sanctuary door that stays open on Delaware Street in Beaumont's west end.