A History of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church

            In 1897, St. Paul ’s Church (then called Warwick Parish) in downtown Newport News, Virginia, established a mission for African-American Episcopalians. The first vicar was the Rev. Joseph F. Mitchell. No real parochial statistics appear in the Diocesan Journal until 1902 because fire destroyed the previous records. In 1902 St. Paul’s Mission had twelve families, nineteen communicants, and two Sunday school teachers. In 1924 the St. Paul’s mission changed its name to St. Augustine’s in honor of the great African St. Augustine of Hippo. The mission functioned without a full-time priest until 1924. In 1930 the building moved to its present location on Marshall Avenue at Twenty-Sixth Street. In 1942 the building was beautified with a brick veneer, and further renovations were made in 1952.

           After a successful capital fund drive, the cornerstone for the current building was laid in 1960. Several additions and improvements have been made since then.

           In 1974, St. Augustine’s graduated from mission status to parish status.

           St. Augustine’s has always been deeply committed to a ministry of outreach, especially to the southeast community in which it is located. In the 1970s the church housed two of the three Head Start classes in Newport News. In the 1980s the parish operated a thrift shop known as The Thrifty Saint. Today, St. Augustine’s operates a feeding program that serves complete meals to between 80 and 150 needy people three Saturdays a month. In addition, the church is now the site of a very active Narcotics Anonymous program which meets every weekday in the parish hall.          

           A more comprehensive history of this parish is available upon request.         

           This parish has been blessed with sixteen strong and capable rectors. Below is a list of the past four rectors:
                        The Rev. Lloyd M. Alexander, 1950-1965
                        The Rev. Robert C.S. Powell, 1966-1969
                        The Rev. R. Scott Copeland, 1969-1970
                        The Rev. Ralph E. Haines, III, 1970-2011