St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church
St. Thomas began as a mission of St. Bartholomew’s in Pittsboro in 1879, meeting in homes until the first service was held on October 11, 1896. The name of Thomas, the doubting apostle, was chosen because the builders were so beset with difficulties that they really doubted the structure could be completed.
Due to the faithfulness of the growing membership, St. Thomas survived the Depression and, after 70 years as a mission, became a parish in February, 1966.
St. Thomas’ has long been a catalyst for outreach into our community. Our members were instrumental in the beginnings of: The Bread Basket; Helping Hand Clinic; The Children’s Center; a Montessori school; and a chapter of The Augustine Literacy Project.
In July, 2015, the parish experienced a division when The Rev. Lister and over half the parishioners made the decision to leave the Episcopal Church. After many long hours of work by our Search Committe, The Rev. Bruce Heyvaert was selected as our new rector and held his first service on October 2, 2016. Since the arrival of Fr. Bruce and his wife, Deb, we have experienced healing and excellent growth under their warm and loving leadership.
St. Thomas’ continues to be true to the teachings of the Episcopal Church and continues its mission of growing in the knowledge and love of God through our worship of Him, our study of His Word and our evangelism to help others come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Please come! Join our healed and restored church family and find a true Christian home!
Diocese of North Carolina
We are 48,000 people gathered into 120 congregations and nine campus ministries throughout 38 counties in the central part of North Carolina.
Our vision as a diocese is to be a community of disciples committed to following Jesus Christ into the dream of God for us and for all creation.
Our mission is simple: Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we seek to live God’s dream by making disciples and making a difference. We go forth to offer God’s reconciling love to all persons, with special concerns for the unchurched, young people and those on the margins of society.
We are led by Bishop Samuel Sewall Rodman, who was ordained as the XII Bishop of North Carolina on July 15, 2017 in Duke Chapel. The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, served as Chief Consecrator.
The Rt. Reverend Anne Hodges-Copple continues in her role as Bishop Suffragan of our diocese.
The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church USA is part of the Anglican Communion, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable, Justin Welby.
The Episcopal Church USA has members in the United States, Puerto Rico, and 16 other nations around the globe. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is the Most Reverend Michael Curry, former Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina.
As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person. We believe in the amendment of life, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opinion.
All are welcome to find a spiritual home within the Episcopal Church.
St. Thomas' Episcopal Church 