History

Humble Beginnings and Quick Growth

Founded in 1911 to serve the newly developed Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk, St. Andrew's began its life in a small wooden chapel. The congregation's inaugural service was held on November 19, 1911, and its first rector, The Rev. Myron Marshall, came aboard a few weeks later. Growth came quickly, and by the end of 1912 the fledgling parish counted more than 100 families as members, reflecting an emphasis on Christian Education and the nurture of children that continues to this day.

The current church was built in 1921. It was designed by the noted architect John Kevan Peebles, a parishioner of St. Andrew's. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, St. Andrew's briefly merged with two other Ghent-area Episcopal parishes, Christ Church and St. Luke's Church. The merger dissolved in 1940, and St. Andrew's was reestablished as an independent parish.

In 1948, members expanded the 1921 structure with a two-story brick parish house that contains the present-day auditorium with stage, classrooms, and church offices. In 1959, a narthex was added to the sanctuary entrance on Graydon Avenue, and in 1968, the church constructed White Hall, a social hall named for the parish's third rector, The Rev. Beverly Tucker White. In 2003, members commissioned 18 new stained-glass windows in the nave. Together, they depict scenes from the corporal acts of Matthew 25, a call to service that inspires our ministry in the world.

st andrews 16 dec 1934
st andrews ca1911

Outreach to the community has long been a central value at St. Andrew's. In the 1980s, The Rev. Charles Joy and several parishioners became key supporters of early HIV/AIDS ministry in Hampton Roads, efforts which evolved into the formation of Access AIDS Care and led to our congregation receiving two community awards. We continue to support HIV and LGBTQ+ ministries, along with hosting a homeless shelter each year and many other outreach activities in the community.

St. Andrew's has also been known as a center for sacred music and the arts. Each year we partner with other churches to offer an Ascension Day Hymn Festival, our Annual Feast of Lights at Epiphany, and occasional services of Evensong. We pair beautiful worship with stunning music that includes traditional Anglican choral music, handbells, and an Old-Time Gospel Band, the Gospel Lights. Additionally, we have hosted theatre companies such as the Virginia Stage Company, as well as musicians and visual artists.

For more than a century, we followers of Jesus have shaped St. Andrew’s into a welcoming, service-minded church dedicated to loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We invite you to be part of our story.

st andrews ca1911

Our Rectors

  • 1911 – 1925
    The Rev. Myron Barraud Marshall
  • 1926 – 1947
    The Rev. Dr. Edmund Ruffin Jones
  • 1947 – 1968
    The Rev. Beverly Tucker White
  • 1969 – 1981
    The Rev. Roger Charles Snyder
  • 1982 – 2007
    The Rev. Charles Austin Joy
  • 2009 – 2022
    The Rev. John D. Rohrs
  • 2023 - Present
    The Rev. Charles Lane Cowen

Interim Rectors

  • 1982 – 1982
    The Rev. Edwin Lyman Bishop
  • 2007 – 2009
    The Rev. Cathy McKinney
  • 2022 – 2023
    The Rev. Dr. Stanley W. Sawyer

Associate and Assisting Priests:

  • The Rev. Charles Whitmel Norfleet, Jr.
  • The Rev. Roger Charles Snyder
  • The Rev. George Young Ballentine, Jr.
  • The Rev. David F. Lassalle
  • The Rev. Roger Schellenberg
  • The Rev. Catherine Williams Swan
  • The Rev. Julia Dorsey Loomis
  • The Rev Andie Wigodsky Rohrs
  • The Rev. Dr. Constance “Connie” M. Jones
st andrews ca1911