Welcome to St. Hugh of Lincoln Episcopal Church

Our church, located in a peaceful wooded setting in Allyn, Washington, has local, national, and global roots.  

The Episcopal Church

St. Hugh of Lincoln is a member church of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia (the Episcopal church in Western Washington) and of the National Episcopal Church.  This means that, while we are locally based, we have access to resources, support and governance provided by the Olympia Diocese and the Episcopal Church. St. Hugh’s worship liturgy has its foundation in The Book of Common Prayer. The Sacrament of Holy Communion (Eucharist) is our primary form of worship.

Total Common Ministry

St. Hugh of Lincoln is a Total Common Ministry Congregation. Like most Episcopal churches, we’re a family-sized congregation. However, unlike traditional Episcopal churches, our clergy are locally trained, side by side with other leaders called by the congregation to serve. In Total Common Ministry, we believe we are gathered to be a ministering community, rather than a community gathered around a minister. This transformative model, rooted in our Baptismal Covenant, stresses that every member of the body has been given gifts, and has been called to serve God and community in a particular way.

None of our members or clergy receives a salary from St. Hugh, which means we have more resources to help in outreach to the larger community. Our outreach ministries cover a wide range of community needs. If you desire to serve, you will find many opportunities here!

We have five ordained clergy, both active and retired. Having many clergy members is an outward and visible sign of the importance of the sacraments in our worship. Of our six regular preachers, four are members of the congregation who are not ordained but who have been licensed by the Bishop to serve in this way, and two are ordained priests. Because we purposefully have many preachers, we offer a rich variety of voices and perspectives in the pulpit.

Who We Are

A Christian fellowship within the Episcopalian tradition that:  

• Is grounded in the four Episcopal pillars of scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.
• Offers insightful peaching and theological depth that supports learning, questioning, growing in faith, and understanding.
• Celebrates the Eucharist every Sunday.
• Is committed to building a strong inclusive and loving “church community family,” where all God’s people are welcome, and all spiritual gifts accepted.
• Follows a Total Common Ministry model which encourages us all to live into our Baptismal Covenant and use our God-given gifts in service to others.
• Offers Bible study, discussion forums, and support groups.
• Is dedicated to the ministry and practice of social justice.
• Is eager to attract and serve young families.
• Provides a beautiful setting in which to worship that is alive with music and nature.
• Follows the democratic governance principles of the Episcopal denomination. 

Top row: Bishop Rickel, Rev. Kennedy, and Rev. McNamara; Edward Johnson, Communications Committee, Stewardship and Junior Warden and Margaret Campbell, ECW Treasurer; Marlene Eden, Hospitality Committee. Bottom row: Joe Ladley, Bishop’s Committee, and Brenda Baunsgard, ECW Lead, Music; Robbin Dunn, Senior Warden, and Jean Allen, Bishop’s Committee; Carol Wilson, Altar Guild.

How We Work Together

St. Hugh uses a variety of Leadership Committees that work together to achieve our mission

The Bishop’s Committee – Includes the Senior Warden and the Junior Warden, along with members elected from the congregation who work together to manage the church building, assets and finances. Current committee members are: Edward Johnson, Marlene Eden, Carol Wilson, John McNamara, Thomas Daun, Jean Allen, Joe Ladley, Susan Cribbs and Senior Warden, Robbin Dunn.

The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) – The ECW of St. Hugh welcomes all women members of the congregation. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00. One of the focuses of the ECW is to organize fund raising events such as the Annual Patio/Bake Sale and Holiday Bazaar. The proceeds from the events are distributed to local community organizations that provide services for children, youth, families and elders in Mason, Pierce and Grays Harbor Counties. The ECW also hosts the October Fest and Mardi Gras potluck dinners for Church members and guests. Another aspect of ECW is fellowship. At least twice a year members gather for fellowship during the Spring and Christmas luncheons.  Members of the ECW in conjunction with our Clergy assist with planning special events like the picnic for the annual visit by the Bishop. So many members of the ECW committed their time, gifts, wisdom and energy directly or behind the scenes to support ECW’s efforts. We are blessed to have such a talented and dedicated group. Here’s a list (PDF) of the organizations who benefitted from ECW-raised funds this past year. Current leader: Brenda Baunsgard.

The Altar Guild – Central to the ministry of the Altar Guild is setting the Altar for the Eucharist each Sunday for worship services, and on other occasions. Altar Guild members arrange the sacred elements for the Eucharist, care for the linens, help arrange flowers, care for the silver, brass, and candles, and maintain the supply of all that is needed for our services during the seasons of the liturgical year. 

The Liturgy Committee – Clergy, Altar Guild, and Music Committee members meet as a body to design worship services, including the liturgy and service bulletin, the music, the setting of the Altar, and the selection of vestments. Liturgy Committee leader: Rev. Kim McNamara.

Other committees include:

Memorial Garden – The St. Hugh Memorial Garden was established in 1996 when the church was built and made available for interment to parishioners of St. Hugh and their families. As you visit your loved ones and friends in this beautiful place take advantage of the benches available for seating and enjoy the peacefulness of the wooded grounds and views of the bay. For more information about the Memorial Garden please pick up a brochure from the church office.

Scholarship Committee – The St. Hugh Scholarship Committee coordinates the awarding of College Scholarship funds each Spring. All students planning to attend college in the fall term are invited to apply. Church members and their families are encouraged to apply. Applications are available on St. Hugh’s website and are also provided to high schools and colleges in our area. Currently we are awarding three scholarships annually: 1) the Tod Pritchard Memorial Scholarship Fund, 2) the St. Hugh Scholarship Fund and 3) the Saints of St. Hugh Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Communications Committee — As reflected in its increased use of media, St. Hugh is increasingly shifting our community outreach to embrace web-based technologies.  Initially, this has been reflected in our newly formatted newsletter, the updated St. Hugh website, outreach to local newspapers, and our Face Book presence. We also have installed a new audio system in the church to better serve our congregation, some of whom are hearing impaired. But our approach also includes an in-house learning center offering educational gatherings from book study groups to video presentations open to the community, both on-site and through streaming and zoom.  Through all these avenues we hope to better serve the community and its needs. 

Stewardship Committee — Stewardship at St. Hugh is a direct outgrowth of the many missions and collective skills of our Congregation.  We fund what interests us: our pastoral passions!  As described in this website, those passions are many, ranging from individual study to broad community interactions.  Most recently, we had a different kind of Stewardship Campaign.  We eliminated the pledge packet and its materials and instead just sent out envelopes with the Stewardship letter and a designated space to write down ideas for improving the church.  As they have previously, the congregation stepped forward with many ideas for the future and what it would like to see.  Many of those same ideas have been passed along to clergy for incorporation into an overall analysis of the direction of the congregation and its needs.  All are welcome to share their talents!  And, as a result, the Congregation has year over year demonstrated deep faith in the institution of St. Hugh and its works.