60 Years of Faith and Family: One Man’s Journey with St. Luke’s

When you ask a lifelong member how they first came to St. Luke’s, the answer might surprise you.

“My parents made me,” jokes longtime parishioner Steve Jackson, who first walked through the church doors at age 11. Raised Catholic with a Methodist father and Catholic mother, his family found common ground in the Episcopal Church, and eventually, at St. Luke’s.

That was nearly 60 years ago. Since then, the church has changed in many ways, but for him, it has remained the heart of his faith journey. “Every rector has had a different leadership style, and we are blessed to have Fr. Bryan on board now during our current rebuilding process,” he reflects.

Time at St. Luke’s hasn’t just shaped his faith, it’s woven into his very life story.“I met my wife at St. Luke’s on Christmas Eve of 1987,” he shared. “We were married there in November of 1989. Bishop Jenkins, then Reverend Jenkins,married us. For years after, he would tell our story in his Christmas sermons,of a young couple who met on Christmas Eve and followed a star to holy matrimony.”

Those kinds of moments, rooted in community, love, and faith, are what keep people connected to this church for decades.

“Worshipping together with so many of the same people and friends for so many years brings a common bond and spirituality to my faith,” he said. Now, as the parish rebuilds its sanctuary and Pope Hall after the fire earlier last year, he sees something powerful rising from the ashes.

“I believe this process will not only strengthen our parish family’s bond, but will draw in others who see what we’ve built and want to be a part of it.”

When asked what St. Luke’s means to him personally, he doesn’t hesitate.

“Everything,” he said. “Sixty years is a hard (good) habit to break.”