Our History

For 84 years, beginning with its inception as a small mission in a private home in 1882, St. Mary’s had been the only Episcopal Church in High Point.  

Then, in 1966, St. Mary’s rector, the Rev. William Price, alerted his congregation to the problem of accelerated growth and formed a committee which recommended establishment of a new mission church within three years. 

By the spring of 1966, the Vestry of St. Mary’s recognized a need to move faster than originally planned and requested the associate rector, the Rev. Wallace I. Wolverton, to lead the new mission. Subsequently, about eight acres of land, including an 11 year old home, were purchased on Eastchester Drive. This was done by mortgaging Fr. Price’s home so that the new congregation would not be saddled with a long time debt. 

A volunteer congregation of approximately 80 adults was quickly organized, and they determined that their new mission would be called St. Christopher’s (the name in Greek means “Christ-bearer”). 

On October 2, 1966, in an emotional service, St. Christopher’s was commissioned, and the Rev. Mr. Wolverton led almost 100 adults and 100 children from St. Mary’s in a dramatic procession, headed by the old cross first used when St. Mary’s built its present church building, 38 years before. 

At first, St. Christopher’s held their services in Kirkman Park School, later transferring all their activities to their own property – holding double church services on Sundays while planning a new church building. 

A ground breaking service, with Suffragan Bishop Moultrie Moore attending, was held in August of 1968, and the new church building was dedicated on October 19, 1969. 

Two years later, Fr. Wolverton accepted a call to become rector of St. Mary’s Church in Kinston, NC. Services were conducted by the Rev. C. Benjamin Smith during the interim period in which we searched for a new Priest-in-Charge. 

In the Spring of 1972, the Rev. James M. Coram accepted our call to become Priest-in-Charge, coming to us from St. Margaret’s Church in Woodbridge, VA. He began his ministry here April 5, 1972.