History
(Click here for Memories of St. Michael's.)
Founded in 1957, St. Michael's began with a membership of 10 families drawn from the surrounding area as a Mission of the Church of the Nativity in Dothan. Our first priest was the Rector of Nativity, The Rev. William Capers Acosta. Other priests have been the Revs. George Schroeter, Richard Jones, Bill Caradine, Clyde Shuler, Thomas Nixon, and Martha Kreamer. We have now been providing the Episcopal style of worship in the Ozark area for 50 years.
From its beginnings in the Ozark Community Center, the congregation has moved into a sanctuary containing beautiful wooden appointments. The altar, its rail, lecterns, pews, banners, kneelers, and some of the altar hangings were all made, designed and/or built by members of the church.
In 1986, the St. Joseph the Carpenter Guild enclosed the front porch; built two large storage closets; and constructed a new covered porch and steps. Then in 1987, the group built a large Fellowship Hall with new Sunday School rooms, Nursery, bathrooms, and a large kitchen.
Eventually in about 2000, the altar was moved away from the wall so that whomever was celebrating the Eucharist could be facing the people. The altar rail was also moved to provide more space within the sanctuary. The carpet was removed and the floors refinished. The St. Joseph the Carpenter Guild built a support for the reredos that is still on the back wall of the sanctuary.
In 2003, St. Michael's received a gift of four Antique Stained Glass windows that had been removed from a deconsecrated church. The church also received a beautiful bronze statue of St. Michael, the Archangel.
2004 brought major interior renovations to St. Michael's. The closets were ripped out and the area expanded to give us additional worship space. The choir has moved into one side of the new space. The other side contains the font and additional seating.
The year 2004 also brought the gifts of eight Memorial Stained Glass Windows. Each window has a medallion in the center representing a specific time and place of Jesus' life and/or ministry. Then around the medallion is a frame using the traditional colors of red, green and purple on a white background. You can see the windows on the Windows Page.