Our Parish & the Episcopal Church         

All the members of St Andrew's Church extend a warm welcome to our guests and visitors. We at St. Andrew's are part of the American Episcopal Church and also the worldwide Anglican Communion - which includes those national churches around the world that owe their origin to the Church of England. Our identity, worship, faith and practice have been shaped by traditions and influences both Catholic and Reformed.

Many of our members here at St Andrew's have come to the Episcopal Church and this parish from other religious traditions. Our community encompasses persons with diverse doctrines, experiences and vocations. We are brought together by our worship of God in Christ, as well as through many opportunities for fellowship and shared ministries. Our individual callings to love and serve God are rooted in this community of faith that we, together, build and sustain.

Founded in 1915, St Andrew's has historically served those from neighborhoods on Madison's near west side but we currently draw parishioners from all over Dane County. We have historically enjoyed a rich relationship with the UW/Madison community - faculty, staff and students - yet the parish has always had a wider identity. Over the years, our mission has often featured strong education and formation programs and participation in outreach and social witness, in Madison and beyond.

We feel enriched to have parishioners in every stage of live. Our nursery is full; a vibrant youth ministry is taking shape; folks in mid-life grown in faith and raise their families here; and because Madison is a desirable retirement community, our older membership includes a refreshing number of newcomers. Parishioners provide leadership, energy and know-how for many ministry opportunities in the area of worship, outreach, Christian formation and fellowship, and more.

The first members of St. Andrew's worshiped in homes before building what is now the Quaker Meeting House, on nearby Roberts Court. The present church building was designed by Arthur Peabody, FAIA (the first architect for the State of Wisconsin and also the parish's first senior warden). The cornerstone was laid in 1927. The adjoining education wing was added in 1957. A major interior renovation of the church and installation of the a Taylor & Boody pipe organ was completed in 2000.