St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

In July 1962, All Saints Church in Salt Lake City suggested people in the West Valley City neighborhoods get to know one another.  After meeting, the idea was launched to get Episcopalians in the area to meet.  The first service was held in October, 1962 in a dry cleaning establishment.  Bishop Richard S. Watson celebrated the first family Eucharist.  143 attend.  The next year they were named St. Stephen's and they received a Priest-in-Charge.  1964, land was obtained and a vicarage is established for first full-time priest, The Rev. Paul Taylor.  From 1966-2000, a church building with parish hall, retreat center, day-care facility, are built; the former worship space is turned into a parish hall (1986); 1990s--interior of church rearranged into semi-circular worship space; 2000--new parish hall, meeting room and office space created; former church is converted to Sunday School classrooms; 2003-2005--San Esteban joins St. Stephen's and has its own service time; full-time status of a priest reduced to part-time with the retirement of The Rev. Lee Shaw.  St. Stephen's resumes mission status and the clergy is named Vicar.  The Rev. Dr. Matthew Seddon was ordained at St. Stephen's and became Vicar in December 2012 and left in July 2014.  Presently the Vicar is The Rev. Mary S. Janda who came in November, 2014.

We do not presently have Sunday School, but we have a Children's Sermon that is facilitated by a Lay Woman right after the reading of the Gospel.  In time as the number of children increase, we hope to resume the Children's Chapel for the children.

We use Rite II from the Book of Common Prayer with occasional services from Enriching Our Worship.

On Wednesdays, we provide a dinner at 6:00 p.m.; followed by a program/study/conversation at 7:00 p.m.; and then either the Eucharist or Compline finishes the evening.

We became a host site for Family Promise, a program to help homeless families during their time of transition.  Families are given evening meals, breakfast, and overnight accommodations for a week at a time; they move on to the next church site; until finally they are able to find housing.

We also do a special Christmas Party for The Dream Academy--a school that helps children of incarcerated parents or parent.  We find out clothing needs and a desired toy and provide them to the children via Santa Claus at a December dinner.