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The earliest reference to Episcopal activity in our region appears in the diary of the Rt. Rev. William Crane Gray, Bishop of the Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida, who visited various settlements along the Indian River in 1893 and 1894. On January 23, 1894, Bishop Gray visited Eden, Florida, and preached in the local schoolhouse. Later that day, he walked three miles to Jensen Beach, where he delivered a sermon in the parlor of the Jensen Hotel.
The first service was recorded in 1893, at Waveland (now Jensen Beach). Four years later, Charles and Mary Racey donated five acres of land for a church edifice and cemetery. The cornerstone was laid on December 5, 1898, and the Church building was dedicated on February 19, 1899, by Bishop William C. Gray.
The first Confirmation Service was held in 1906, presided by Bishop Gray, while in 1909, the first wedding took place.
All Saints’ and St. Mary’s Church, Stuart, shared clergy during the 1930s.
In 1949, a hurricane shifted the church building off its foundation, but the following year, it was restored and reopened for worship. A vicarage was built on Seaview Drive in 1954, and on December 23, 1958, The Reverend Allen B. Purdom, Jr. became the first priest to be ordained at All Saints’, and its’ Vicar.
The Parish Hall was dedicated in 1960 by the Reverend Canon William L. Hargrave, and named “Houg Hall,” in 1962, in honor of church warden, Carl Houg. All Saints’ became a parish in 1961, with Father Purdom as its’ First Rector. He resigned in January 1962, and the Reverend Norman B. Feaster, was instituted on November 1 of that year, as the Second Rector.
In 1963, the church building was moved from the current office building site to its present location. A rectory was built in 1966. The Reverend J. Williard Lynn was the Third Rector from 1967 to 1969. In February 1970, the Reverend Frank R. Alvarez became the Fourth Rector; the “Alleluia” granite cross to the east of the church building was erected and dedicated.
In 1971, women were first elected to the Vestry, and the LeDuc Fund was established as a loan program to assist high school seniors pursing college degrees. On July 1, 1978, the Reverend Jonathon B. Coffey became the Fifth Rector after Father Alvarez’s death. The choir loft was added and dedicated in 1979 by Bishop Calvin Schofield.
The Bethany Ministries and Thrift Shop were opened in 1982, and Deacons Tim Shaw and David Francouer were ordained priests at All Saints’ in 1984 and 1985 respectively. In 1987, the rectory was converted to church and cemetery offices. The Reverend Thomas F. Ryan was the Sixth Rector from 1988 to 2004, the longest serving cleric to date.
In 2004, the LeDuc Fund became a scholarship program. In March 2005, the Reverend W. Frisby Hendricks III arrived as an interim priest, becoming the Seventh Rector on November 7, 2009. That same year, the Church entered the electronic and social media age, and by 2019, the Church Campus was fully equipped with wireless internet connection. In 2010, the Heritage Society was established, and in November 2013, the Reverend Alan Gellert was ordained a deacon. All Saints’ was recognized by the Martin County Historic Preservation Board in 2018, and Vacation Bible School for children began.
The Reverend Dr. Anthony B. Holder is All Saints’ current rector since January 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the closure of the church building, giving rise to “all things virtual” – worship services, coffee hour, meetings, and Adult Christian Formation classes. The church campus was a community COVID vaccination clinic. All Saints’ continues to worship, and engage in service, outreach, fellowship, and discipleship.
