St. Peter’s Episcopal Church celebrates the wonder of God’s love in a community that embraces all who enter our doors.  We take seriously our worship of God, our commitment to one another in this community of faith and our service of the homeless, the hungry and those seeking an education.

St. Peter’s Church has worshipped in Clifton since 1896.  A small group of women stared a Sunday School on the second floor of a store on Getty Avenue.  From that humble beginning, the church purchased property on Clifton Avenue. 

As the community began to grow, the people build a Parish Hall in 1921 to serve the needs of the church and the community.  The parish hall included a large hall which served as a basketball court, a movie theatre, a dance floor and a banquet hall.  Over the years, members of the parish hosted events that drew not only the members of the church but the broader community.  Many residents from the greater Clifton area recall attending dances and dinners in the Parish Hall. 

As the church grew in the 1950’s and 1960’s the parish decided to build a new church.  The original church was knocked down and a new church built within a year.  During that transitional year, the members of the parish worshipped in the parish hall.  In 1966, the St. Peter’s Church moved into its new home.  The distinctive A frame church on Clifton Avenue combines the Altar, Pulpit and pews of the original St. Peter’s church as well as stained glass for the new church.  The congregation has upgraded the church’s original pipe organ. 

 

To respond to the needs of homeless families in the community, St. Peter’s Church began St. Peter’s Haven, a shelter for Homeless families.  While other homeless shelters serve the needs of either men or women, St. Peter’s Haven offer homeless families the opportunity to stay together as a family unit while getting on their feet to find housing, employment and opportunities for parents and children.  The shelter program expanded from one family to three families.  From a program to provide food for the homeless families under our roof, the Community Food Pantry currently serves over 1,000 persons a month.  Volunteer opportunities are available to members of the community who want to serve.