On the eastern side of the Gull Lake area in Richland, Michigan, St. Timothy's Episcopal Church has been gathering for worship since 1958. The congregation's motto, 'Loving God, Loving Others,' runs through every part of parish life, from a single Sunday worship service to a slate of weekday studies, family events and the quiet ministry of a 44-acre property of woods, water and walking trails.
A Mission That Began Around a Farmhouse Altar
St. Timothy's traces its beginning to the winter of 1957 and 1958, when seven couples from the Gull Lake area who had been driving to St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Kalamazoo began exploring whether their own community could sustain an Episcopal mission. Dr. and Mrs. Philip Barry, David and Eleanor Bailey, Fred and Jane Bowers, Suzanne and Preston Parish, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Pender, Franklin and Virginia Shire, and John and Pam Sides met with the Rev. Charles E. Bennison, then rector of St. Luke's, to learn what starting a mission would take.
Within weeks, an answer appeared: a farmhouse on Williams Road in Hickory Corners, owned by the Parish family. On January 19, 1958, Father Bennison celebrated the first worship service there. Eighty-nine adults and children crowded the rooms, which had been arranged with an improvised altar, an imitation stained-glass window, a brass cross donated by the Bowers family, used hymnals and Books of Common Prayer borrowed from St. Luke's, and boat cushions standing in for kneelers.
Dr. Lavere Davison, a deacon, and George Post, a layreader, both from St. Luke's, served as officiants through the summer of 1958, when the Rev. Alan King became the mission's first vicar. Father King served until May 1960. By then Bennison had been consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of West Michigan and helped the mission call the Rev. David C. Patton, then rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Allegan. Under Father Patton the congregation grew, first to the Richland Community Hall for two years, and then to its present location. In 1961 the mission was elevated to parish status and Father Patton was installed as rector.
It was Father Patton who pressed the Vestry to build a permanent church. Fred Bowers had the foresight to purchase the 44 acres on which the church still sits, and Bill Stone, a local architect, drew the plans. The contemporary design stirred debate, but the members eventually united behind it and construction moved forward.
Over the decades that followed, the parish was served by the Rev. Richard Stravers beginning in 1988 (when the rectory was built and two Sunday services were held for a time), the Rev. Val Ambrose as interim, and the Rev. Knute Jacobson, who arrived in 2000 with his family from West Virginia. Father Knute's wife, Rosemary, became music director and started a children's bell choir. Under his leadership the church completed a major addition that included an elevator, a meeting room, the rector's office, a youth room, a spacious narthex and additional restrooms. A later capital campaign added a wheelchair ramp to the altar, new sanctuary carpeting and removed the large "battleship" lecterns at the front of the church. Father Knute left in 2010 for a parish in Missouri, and after a season with the Rev. William Whiting as interim, the Rev. Joel Turmo was called as rector in 2012. The congregation's own history closes with the line: After more than 50 years, St. Timothy's Church, Gull Lake remains a healthy and growing congregation. The Faith Journey Continues.
Sunday Worship at 9:30
The parish gathers for a single Sunday service at 9:30 a.m., and all are welcome. As Episcopalians, the congregation follows a worship pattern shaped by the Book of Common Prayer, with both traditional and contemporary music led by a volunteer choir of ten to twelve singers accompanied by organ, piano and guitar. The choir rehearses at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings before the service; no special musical training is required, and members do not need to read music.
After the service, the parish hosts a coffee hour in the Parish Hall, a regular time for catching up, sharing ideas and getting to know newcomers. Visitors watching from home can follow along through livestreamed services on YouTube, and recordings of recent Sundays remain available.
Forty-Four Acres of Woods, Water and Trails
The land that Fred Bowers urged the Vestry to purchase more than sixty years ago has grown into one of St. Timothy's most distinctive offerings. The 40-plus acres include woods, a lake and a network of walking trails, and more than forty species of birds have been identified on the grounds. The Audubon Society of Kalamazoo and several other birding groups have visited. Visitors are invited to walk the trails, sit on benches overlooking the lake, or bring a dog along, with the only ask being to clean up after pets and leave the area as they found it.
Wind Phones and the Way of the Cross
Two newer features have given the grounds a contemplative dimension. St. Timothy's has installed two wind phones: disconnected, old-style dial phones placed in a quiet setting on the property. They are intended as a way to speak with a loved one who has died, to grieve, or to share news with God. The wind carries the words; visitors can take as long as they need.
Nearby, members of the congregation planned, prepared and installed all fourteen Stations of the Cross along a Way of the Cross path on the grounds. The Stations are a traditional Episcopal devotion that walks through the fourteen key moments of Jesus' journey from condemnation to burial, offering a way to meditate on Christ's sacrifice and connect his passion with the prayers of the walker.
Bible Study, Book Club, Choir and Yoga
The parish's small-group life centers on a Tuesday morning Bible study that meets at 8:00 a.m. in the conference room on the main floor of the church. The group uses the NIV Serendipity Bible to discuss the lectionary readings for the following Sunday, and afterward continues the conversation over breakfast at Liz's restaurant in Richland.
A quarterly Book Study selects a single book to read and discuss, with a date set aside for fellowship and conversation. The choir, as mentioned above, rehearses before Sunday worship and welcomes new voices without audition. On Tuesday evenings at 6:00 p.m., a yoga class meets at the church from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., focusing on the connection between classic yoga postures and spiritual awareness; no previous experience is needed.
The Invite/Welcome/Connect team meets every other month to plan ways of reaching the community, including a greeting card program and other outreach initiatives, and is always open to new faces and ideas.
Trunk-or-Treat, Chili Cook-Off and Christmas Eve
For families with children, St. Timothy's hosts an annual Trunk or Treat on the grounds, a free afternoon of face painting, pumpkin painting, decorated car trunks, corn hole and chalk art, with a stash of gently used costumes available while supplies last. The parish also hosts an Easter Egg Hunt in the spring, a Chili Cook-Off and a Christmas Eve service. Photos from past years are available.
What Episcopalians Believe
St. Timothy's describes its core calling in a single mission statement: to grow together in Jesus Christ through worship, education, service and celebration, offering the talents God gives for the glory of Christ and the building up of the church. Four core values flow from that statement: meaningful worship, looking beyond ourselves to serve God, honoring God's creation, and being a loving and inclusive community.
For questions about Episcopal beliefs, including what Episcopalians believe, the meaning of the Holy Trinity, the nature of salvation, what it means to be a church, the role of a diocese, what worship looks like, the ordination of women, the celebration of Holy Communion with real wine, and questions about participation and inclusion, the parish maintains an extensive FAQ. The FAQ draws on materials produced by the Diocese of West Michigan.
Visiting St. Timothy's
The church sits at 9800 E BC Avenue in Richland, Michigan. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Anyone wanting a place to ask questions or simply be among friendly people will find an open door: the church's own welcome puts it simply, with no complicated requirements, just genuine care for whoever walks through the door.
Giving is available online through PayPal, and Sunday services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person. A weekly email newsletter keeps subscribers informed of upcoming events and activities, and past issues remain available. The parish is on Facebook and Instagram under the handle sttimsrichland.