Our History
On the last Sunday in October 1998, Bishop & Susan MacPherson met with Fr. Henry & Colleen Pendergrass and 12 families from the Flower Mound area for an informational meeting regarding the establishment of a mission station on the grounds of the Bishop Mason Center. Fr. Henry and these families met for prayer, worship, and a scriptural study of what Christ’s purposes are for His Church.
The group made a commitment to build the church on the purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, service, and outreach. The families agreed that their goal would be to build a church that would focus on reaching stray sheep (those who do not have a church home), and lost sheep (those who do not know Christ). The following prayer was established for St. Nick’s:
Almighty and ever living God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with all of us who seek to extend the work of Your kingdom through the establishment of an Episcopal Church in Flower Mound. Teach us in all things to seek first Your honor and glory. Knowing that we work for You, Lord, we ask you to grant us the grace to let go of what we want in a church. Instead, Lord, Give us the humility to ask what You want Your Church to be, and fill us with both the courage to pursue Your will and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
On December 6, 1998, Bishop MacPherson again met with this group to organize. An election was held for members of the Bishop’s Advisory Committee and Bishop MacPherson led the group in a celebration of the Holy Eucharist. At this service he preached on Christ’s evangelical mandate and the need for every member of the mission station to invite their friends and neighbors to share in the Good News of Jesus Christ.
From that point until Palm Sunday, the mission station met at Expressions Performing Arts School. On Sundays, they followed the Alpha program course of study and celebrated the Eucharist. On January 3, 1999, Bishop Stanton led the group in a Bible Study on the topic of mission in the New Testament Church.
At that time he announced his decision to name the new church: St. Nicholas Episcopal Church. He stressed three qualities of Nicholas. which he prays will also be the hallmarks of our church family: Courage, Orthodoxy, and Generosity. A Prayer Ministry Team was formed and began praying for the healthy growth of St. Nicholas. Over the next three months, the group grew from 24 to 90. On Easter day, approximately four hundred persons attended the breakfast, prepared by church members, and the Eucharist in Orand Chapel. A second service was held for those who could not fit into the chapel during the first service!
Over the course of the Summer, members of St. Nicholas renovated Moore House so that it could be used for Christian Education. Sunday School for all ages began with the Fall Kick-Off. At the same time, St. Nicholas began offering two services on Sundays.
In Oct. of 2006, Fr. Henry Pendergrass resigned to take a call to another church. On January 1, 2008, the Rev. Mark Wright began as the new rector. Since that time, we have continued to grow by reaching out to our friends and neighbors and inviting them to worship with us. On January 15, 2023, Fr. Mark Wright retired. Bishop Stanton served as our interim pastor and worked with the Vestry (church board) to determine God’s call for the next leader of St. Nicholas Church. Fr. Patrick Webb began serving as Deacon Vicar on June 4 and was ordained to the priesthood at St. Nicholas Church on November 18, 2023.