Above: Saint Nicholas' Episcopal Church, original location.

Our First Life

St. Nicholas’ began on April 15, 1956, with ground-breaking ceremonies on Princeton Avenue for our new mission congregation – the outgrowth of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity. Bishop George Quarterman appointed the Rev. Richard Neal to serve as our Vicar. We set about the business of growing and becoming self-supporting and soon we were the largest mission in the diocese. In 1956, we petitioned to become a parish and Father Neal became our first Rector on February 28, 1958. Shortly thereafter we added an education wing and Parish Hall. Father Neal served us as Vicar and Rector for over seven years. Father Neal steeped us in the traditions of the Episcopal Church before moving North to St. Peter’s in Amarillo, Texas.Our second Rector, the Rev. James L. Considine, was installed in 1964. The Viet Nam years saw unabated growth – numerically and spiritually. Father Considine led us (kicking and screaming) through the new liturgy; he stressed the importance of communion every Sunday and hooked us on music, although he could not sing a note himself. Fiscal responsibility, active participation in the diocese and the national church, and community outreach became mainstays. Payoff of our new building was celebrated with a mortgage-burning party in March of 1975. The church budget for 1976 was the first ever to exceed $100,000; and growth and outreach continued through the 70’s. After serving as Rector for 15 years, Father Considine resigned in 1979 to become Vicar of St. Stephen’s in Sweetwater, Texas. 

In August of 1979 the Rev. Joseph H. Schley, Jr. accepted a call to become Rector of St. Nicholas.’ In that same month the first large contingent of Cambodian refugees arrived in Midland. St. Nicholas’ “adopted” a widow and nine children whom we housed, fed, clothed, enrolled in school and nursed back to health. Ultimately the children found jobs and transportation, and their mother found work. The parish continued its support of this family for a number of years. Several family members remain in Midland.The 80’s were a time of growth and vitality. Our facilities grew with an expansion of the parish hall. During this time, stained glass windows and a new organ were added. In 1987 Father Schley resigned and became Rector of Holy Comforter Church in Cleburne, Texas.In July of 1988 the parish called the Rev. Jon Stasney as Rector and the parish continued to grow and thrive. We purchased a large piece of property on Loop 250 in northwest Midland as “a good investment for the future.” Conversations about building on the new site began, and in November of 1996 the Vestry voted to “move the parish to the Loop.” On January 20, 2001 St. Nicholas’ moved to its new, much larger location on the Loop, and on February 3rd the building was dedicated. Seeds of dissension began to sprout following the 2003 General Convention and the election of the Rev. Gene Robinson as Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire.

Our Second Life

In 2005, after a two-year struggle, the rector and 90% of the congregation of St. Nicholas’ left the Episcopal Church to affiliate with the Diocese of Uganda. Thirty members remained. At Holy Trinity across town, the same issues were being faced, and about 30 members of that congregation left and joined St. Nicholas’. We launched our Second Life on June 5, 2005 with a service conducted by our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. C. Wallis Ohl, Jr. Clergy and lay people from throughout the diocese were present to give our struggling parish their full and vocal support. Bishop Ohl appointed the Rev. Frank Swindell to be our interim priest, and he and his wife Gloria were exactly what we needed. Under Father Swindell’s guidance, all 60 of us grabbed an oar and started rowing, this time all in the same direction. We grew in spirit and in number, and we clung to our weekly communion, our beautiful music and each other. We continued to participate in diocesan events, and we gave even more generously of our funds in order to stay afloat. The Vestry pinched every penny. The Diocese granted us two year’s relief from our full apportionment, and the following year the amount of the relief was re-paid. Still facing considerable debt, we were approached by a former parishioner who wanted to purchase a portion of our unused property. With that sale, we were out of debt. Needing operating funds, our 2006 annual stewardship drive increased by $100,000 over the prior year. As Father Swindell was to retire in 2007, we formed our first search committee and called the Rev. James Liggett from St. Mary’s in Big Spring, Texas, to be our Rector. At that fragile point in time, Father Liggett was a good fit for us. His teaching and preaching skills and his dedication to the Episcopal Church strengthened our belief that we were on the right track. During his five years with us, we broadened our pastoral care and bereavement efforts and we expanded our technical efforts, even to include an electronic sign beside the church. Father Liggett noted that during his five years, “Much has happened, and most of it’s been good.”

Our parish was graciously pastored by the Rev. John Watson, our interim priest for a year, during which our second search committee was formed, did their work, and, on their recommendation, the vestry called the Rev. David B. Huxley, from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Whitewater, Wisconsin to be our rector. 

Father Huxley began his ministry among us in September, 2013.   Our parish continued to thrive and grow in spirit, in number, in devotion, and in outreach.   Upon his retirement in early July, 2017, our third search committee was formed.

During the interim, we managed with Supply Priests on Sunday, relying heavily upon Deacon Tom Burns and our Senior Warden, Joe Cobb, as well as our Lay Ministry Coordinator/Organist and Choir Director, Darryl Knapp, and our Sexton, Scott Marter, as well as assorted volunteers to keep our ship on course.

On   April 29, 2018, the Rev. Nancy Springer became our Rector.  During Mtr. Nancy’s time with us, we enlarged our ‘online presence’, developed a lovely outdoor worship space in our Meadow, operated a popular “Trunk or Treat” Halloween event, and, along with the rest of the world, entered the twilight zone of Covid-19 isolation in March, 2020. 

As local Covid-19 numbers increased alarmingly, our Bishop, Scott Mayer, following directives from our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, directed all congregations in our diocese to institute ‘safe distancing’, face masks, and other protective restrictions, culminating, eventually in discontinuing in-person worship, instituting  instead, “Livestream” worship on Facebook, and “Zoom” Christian Education and all church meetings. 

In the summer of 2020, we did have in-person worship in our outdoor worship space on Saturday evenings.  

Following Mtr. Nancy’s departure September 30, 2020, we were once again in an interim situation.  Our diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. Scott Mayer, and the Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Canon Mike Ehmer, guided our vestry, including seven new members, who elected Joan Whitt, Senior Warden.   We had a few “Mingling in the Meadow” gatherings and employed our parking lot for Annual Parish Meetings and Ash Wednesday imposition of ashes.  

We enjoyed the ministries of several supply priests during the Fall and Winter of 2020 and the Spring of 2021.  And when we were unable to worship in the church, our remarkable deacon the Rev. Tom Burns, ably assisted by his wonderful wife, Gwen, led morning prayer, Sunday after Sunday, as well as a weekday evening prayer during Advent and Lent, from their home, via Livestream on Facebook. 

In the Spring of 2021, as vaccinations increased and Covid-19 cases and deaths decreased, we moved cautiously back in to the church for worship.   And, happily, beginning June 1, 2021, appointed by Bishop Scott Mayer, the Rev. David Perdue became our part-time Priest-in Charge. Fr. David, as well as his wife, Donna, were just what we needed, and we welcomed them with open arms.

Fr. David’s time with us ended May 29, 2022 and we will rely on generous clergy to conduct our services.