And the One seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new!" - Revelation 21:5
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Chelsea is a historic congregation that was planted by the neighborhood residents, faculty and students who gathered at the General Theological Seminary for Sunday worship in the early 1800s. The land on which St. Peter’s stands was given by Clement Clarke Moore from his family estate. Moore is best remembered for creating the classic Christmas poem known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. The church was consecrated in 1838 and has stood as a resilient presence in the neighborhood, welcoming and serving the community ever since.
In October 2019, the Diocese of New York embarked on a new missional initiative at St. Peter's, sending the Rev. Christine Lee with 25 new members from All Angels' Church and Church of the Heavenly Rest to join the existing St. Peter's congregation. The pandemic knit us together in beautiful ways as we navigated the crisis together.
In this season, we feel an invitation to grow in spiritual discernment as a church community, "finding God in all things in order that we might love and serve all" (Ignatius of Loyola). The heart of discipleship is hearing and responding to the voice of Jesus, especially in a noisy, busy place like NYC, so that we might be free to follow him in loving God and loving our world.
Like our patron saint, the apostle Peter, we love a good adventure, stepping out of the boat onto the water to be with Jesus. We invite you to join us as we follow Jesus in God's mission to make all things new!
Other fun facts about us:
Built from Manhattan schist rocks pulled from the ground beneath it, St. Peter’s is literally "The Rock of Chelsea."
St. Peter's is also known as "The Christmas Church" because it was founded by Clement Clarke Moore, author of A Visit From St. Nicholas (the world's most famous Christmas poem) and built on his estate Chelsea. The poem was the first portrayal of Santa as the modern world knows him today.