About St. Thomas' Church

Mission Statement

As called by Jesus Christ,
we at St. Thomas' Church will:
worship God reverently;
grow in love of Him and our neighbor;
and bring others to accept Christ as Savior.

History

St. Thomas' Parish was organized in Camden on October 1, 1855. For the next fifteen years the parish worshipped in the former Universalist meeting house. After 1884 it began to grow in size and prosperity.

In 1924 St. Thomas' moved to its current building, to which the tower and chapel were added later. This expansion was supported by the influx of summer people in the early part of the century, and the church today remains a mix of summer residents and the local people, along with an increasing number of those who have retired to the area, bringing with them a variety of church histories and preferences.

Though for its first century and more the parish would have been described as “broad church” in ritual and prayer, in the 1970’s to 1990’s it moved towards an Anglo-Catholic position. Innovations in the Prayer Book and Hymnal were met with skepticism, and the church used only Rite I at Sunday services until the interim rector introduced us to the alternative of Rite II. Today, St. Thomas’ may be described as moving (gently) back towards the center.

Visit the website of the Episcopal Church.