A Parish Across from Kyle Field
St. Thomas Episcopal Church stands at 906 George Bush Drive in College Station, directly across the street from Texas A&M University's Kyle Field. The parish began in 1938 as a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas to the university, and nearly nine decades later it remains both a neighborhood congregation and a campus church. Worship is held at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays, with the later service livestreamed on YouTube. The Rev. Korey J. Wright, who became rector in January 2022, leads a community that frames its purpose with two phrases placed at the heart of its identity: “To Know Christ’s Love and To Make It Known.”
Two Sunday Services, Two Traditions
Sunday mornings offer a choice between quiet and full, and many members attend both across a weekend.
The 8:00 a.m. service is a spoken Holy Eucharist using Rite I, celebrated in the chapel. There is no music at this service except on Palm Sunday and Easter Day, and its brevity draws those who prefer a contemplative start to the day.
At 10:30 a.m. the congregation gathers in the main sanctuary for Holy Eucharist Rite II, with congregational singing supported by the Adult Choir, Bell Choir, and instrumental accompanists. This service is livestreamed on YouTube, so members who are traveling, ill, or away from College Station can still take part. After the Gospel is read, children in second grade and below are escorted by an adult to a nearby chapel for Children’s Chapel, an age-appropriate time of worship and formation, and they rejoin the congregation at the Peace.
Finding the Campus and Parking
The address is 906 George Bush Drive, but typing it into a map application will not always bring visitors to the parking lot, because there is no parking on George Bush Drive (formerly Jersey Street). From George Bush Drive, turn onto Dexter Drive, then left onto Aberdeen Place; Aberdeen Place dead-ends at the St. Thomas parking lot. During Texas A&M home football games the parish offers parking to the public for a fee; the church office can provide details.
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Visitors who want a follow-up conversation after their first Sunday may fill out a digital welcome card online, and a member of the staff will reach out within the week. An information booklet describing the ministries and programs is also available to download.
Children at Every Age
Children are present in every corner of the parish, and the program reflects that.
On Sunday mornings, children aged four and below are invited to the nursery in the Ministry Center, and greeters are happy to direct families there. Sunday School for ages four through twelfth grade meets from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., with curricula that range from Godly Play (a Montessori-based storytelling approach for the youngest children) to grade-level discussion groups for older youth. Children’s Chapel during the 10:30 service is led by trained adults and supported by a second adult for safety and engagement.
Wednesday evenings extend the rhythm. After the family dinner in the Parish Hall at 5:45 p.m., formation for children ages four through fourth grade runs from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., while youth in fifth through eighth grade and high school meet separately for their own programs. Emily Cantrell, the Family Ministry Coordinator, oversees this work and welcomes inquiries from parents and volunteers.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
On a typical Wednesday during the program year, about eighty people gather in the Parish Hall for a shared meal before formation. Dinner is served at 5:45 p.m., and adult, youth, and children participate in age-appropriate programs from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Recent adult offerings have included a multi-week history of Christian worship, a series on Eucharistic prayer led by Father Korey, intergenerational St. Nicholas storytime in early December, and Advent Lessons and Carols with the Music Ministry.
The model is intentionally intergenerational. Adults share the table with youth and children, then move into classrooms in the Ministry Center for learning. The dinner is built on shared gifts: one team or family brings the main course, while others contribute sides, salads, and desserts. A grilling team and rotating clean-up crews keep the weekly meal running.
Lifelong Learning for Adults
Adult formation is offered in several rhythms, designed for whatever margin a season of life permits.
- Centering Prayer meets on Mondays at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel for twenty minutes of silent prayer.
- Lectionary Bible Study gathers on Mondays from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in an upstairs Ministry Center classroom, working through the previous Sunday’s readings.
- Sunday Morning Adult Programs run from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. in the Parish Hall between the two services.
- The Front Porch Book Group meets on Mondays from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in the library, upstairs in the Ministry Center.
- Tuesday Book Group begins with Morning Prayer at 8:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall, followed by book discussion over breakfast. On the first Tuesday of each month the gathering moves to the chapel for Holy Eucharist instead.
Vacation Bible School for children ages four through fourth grade is offered each summer.
Music as Sacred Language
Music is woven throughout worship, and the parish understands it as more than decoration. Susan Lapeyre directs the Music Ministry, which includes an Adult Choir that rehearses on Thursdays at 7:15 p.m., a Bell Choir that rehearses on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m., a children’s and youth choir called the Minor Miracles that meets on Wednesdays at 5:15 p.m., and a roster of instrumental accompanists. A printed booklet, “Worship in Music,” invites newcomers into the Episcopal understanding of music as a sacred language that joins scripture, tradition, and the movement of the Spirit.
The Adult Choir and Bell Choir anchor the 10:30 service, and the Minor Miracles share their voices periodically throughout the program year.
Canterbury and the Early Learning Center
Two related ministries share the campus and the parish’s commitment to formation beyond Sunday morning.
Canterbury is the Episcopal Student Center for Texas A&M and Blinn College, a mission of the Diocese of Texas. It connects college students with the parish through Sunday lunch gatherings after the 10:30 service and other events throughout the academic year.
St. Thomas Early Learning Center has been a ministry of the parish since 1964, providing preschool care and education in a building on the campus. The diocese also operates Camp Allen, a retreat and camp center near Navasota, where St. Thomas holds its annual men’s retreat and the wider parish retreat.
A Congregation Known by Its Care
The parish frames its life around four commitments: worship, stewardship, love for one another, and acceptance. Worship is expressed through liturgy, music, prayer, and the joyful celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Stewardship is grounded in the recognition that all members have comes from God, with time, talent, and treasure committed to God’s work and to protecting and restoring creation. Love for one another is lived through pastoral care under the rector. Acceptance follows Jesus’ example of welcoming all who seek to know God with open hearts and minds, without condition.
The Pastoral Hospitality Group puts these commitments into practice in tangible ways. Volunteers deliver meals following a birth, surgery, or illness, give rides to medical appointments, and help with household needs such as winterizing a home or building an accessibility ramp. Anyone in the congregation may ask for help, and anyone in the congregation may offer it.
Other fellowship groups include a young adult community that meets monthly with the curate, a Ladies Night Out on the second Friday of each month, a Ladies Lunch Table on the second Thursday at a local restaurant, Coffee and Conversation on Wednesdays at Minuti Coffee, and a group called “The Next Chapter” for retired adults and empty nesters. Each fall, Father Korey leads “Built to Move,” a seasonal series exploring faith, life, and discipleship. Online giving is available through the parish’s giving page.