St. Ann’s Episcopal Church celebrates 50th anniversary

By Masha Yurkevich

It has been quite a journey for the St. Ann's Episcopal Church in Windham and as the church celebrates its 50th anniversary, there is much to be told.

The original St. Ann's Episcopal Church on Windham Center
Road was built on five acres donated by the Ogg Family.
This year the church is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

“We are excited to celebrate what God has done here during these years and want to embrace all that He has done,” says Rev. Tim Higgins. “It’s about celebrating God’s activity here over the past 50 years. The theme of our celebration is ‘50 years of Faith.’ One example of that faith is that the original building was zoned and built as a residence, with the thought being, if we don’t make it, we can sell it as a residence for someone. Four expansions later, we are here celebrating God’s activity and our faith in this God who has and continues to lift us up.”

The church started in 1971 when a group of Episcopalians gathered around a dining room table in the home of Bob and Kit Ogg. After some time, having outgrown the Oggs’ home, the Oggs family donated five acres of land for the St. Ann’s Episcopal Church on Windham Center Road.

Rev. Higgins has served as the church’s rector since 2007 and prior to joining St. Ann’s, he was a Roman Catholic priest for eight years, then left in 1995, went to see an episcopal bishop in 2001, and was received in 2004. He is happily married with three kids and is very happy to be at St. Ann’s.

“In early 2010-2013, God blessed us with a surge of growth with several new members; all this credit goes to God. Years later, the pandemic made it very difficult for us to gather and for people to decide whether they should attend or not. It was very challenging for us to continue on with normal services. It felt like we aged several years in that timeframe. After Covid, all our morning services are live streamed through Facebook, and continue to be so,” says Higgins. “Folks are reestablishing their spiritual lives and are making their way back to church. It’s nice to have a cup of coffee in your pajamas and watch a Church service online, but it's not the same as connecting with other members and experiencing fellowship. Within the past six months, we’ve had a resurgence of folks because we believe God wants this place to be around for a long time.”

St Ann’s is very active with its outreach programming.

“We have a pantry that is open once a month, 40 households that receive free essential items,” Higgins said. “We also take part in Christmas stockings, backpack programs, and church development in the community.”

Every Thursday, there is a community meal available for any and all sponsored by local churches, including St. Ann’s and the Wayside Soup Kitchen in Portland.

St. Ann’s is part of the Windham Clergy Association and works closely with all the churches in the area.

“July 1, we begin a new partnership/collaboration with Faith Lutheran Church in Windham and we will be sharing resources and other ministries. We are very excited to be part of the Christian community in the Lakes Region,” Higgins says.

According to Higgins, some of the greatest accomplishments of St. Ann’s include its ability to embrace and welcome children and its ongoing response to young families. He said God continues to bless the church with many new young families and one of the biggest challenges for the church today is to make it and God relevant in the lives of the community.

“There are 27 percent of people in the state of Maine that have a church that they attend regularly. Many people say that they are spiritual, not religious, saying that they can find God on a mountainside but haven't been to church in years. We try to offer programming and opportunities to connect to others so that folks feel a draw to the church,” says Higgins.

One of the longest church members, Becky Carr, has been a part of St. Ann’s for more than 40 years. Born in the south, she said that there was always a stigma of church being a place for the upper class.

When Carr first came to St. Ann’s, one of the members said to her, “We are known as ‘the come as you are church.’ You know Becky, if you come to St. Ann’s on a Sunday morning with a new pair of sneakers or Bean Boots, you’re considered dressed up.”

Higgins said that one of the most profound moments he’s experienced at St. Ann’s is meeting with those who are grieving.

“When someone loses a loved one, a part of me dies, too. Relationships are critical and I’m very relational. Watching all of our little kids and seeing the young people grow up and remain active in the church is also something that I love,” he says."

St. Ann’s will be celebrating their 50th anniversary with a worship service at 9 a.m. and live music, food, and games from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 25 at 40 Windham Center Road. <