The Beginnings

In 1991, Bishop Bob Miller and the Diocesan Department of Parish Development decided to establish a new parish in the Altadena area of Birmingham because of the population growth in that area. The Reverend Ken Fields was hired to begin the parish. By October of that year, what had been an idea and a dream for the bishop became the reality of a worshipping community in Altadena Square. The parish was officially named Saint Thomas and admitted to the diocese at the Diocesan Convention in 1992. We soon began to refer to ourselves as “Saint Thomas-by-the-liquor store" referencing our rather unusual location and our ever-present sense of humor.

Trinitarian Trailer to Permanent Building

By 1994, we moved to the property that the diocese had bought on Acton Road, and life began anew. Changing our nickname to describe our changing circumstances, we began referring to ourselves as “Saint Thomas-of-the-Trinitarian-Trailer." Our triple-wide trailer initially seemed spacious and wonderful, but we soon began to long for the permanence of a “real” building to call home. The Reverend Pat Wingo became our Rector in December 1996 and guided us as we planned for and watched our parish home being built in the front yard of our trailer. In the fall of 2000, we held a wonderful liturgy that included picking up the altar, chairs, and prayer books and processing across the uneven, dusty space to our new building. We then had a grand service of dedication for the building in October 2000, complete with Bishops Henry Parsley and Furman Stough, incense, and a mostly finished worship space.

Multiple Expansions

The parish continued to grow, and we found that our worship space was too small by the fall of 2003. Another capital funds campaign allowed us to double the size of our nave with room for more pews and chapel chairs for our choir. The expanded nave seats about 250 and is home to a beautiful Allen organ as well as a fine Yamaha grand piano. The first service in the expanded nave was held on Easter Sunday, 2005.

Over time, we once again realized the need for more space. When a tree fell through our youth house in 2018, we knew the time had come to expand St. Thomas once again. The parish broke ground in the spring of 2020 shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily closed all the local churches. Construction continued during the quarantine, adding an elevator between floors, a choir room, a deacon’s office, five classrooms, an expanded parish hall, updated bathrooms and a shower for overnight guests. This renovation and extension met our criteria of having a fully “accessible” church for all people, flexibly designed rooms for our ever evolving ministries, and gathering space for our entire community. 

Clergy History

The Rev. Ken Fields started the parish in 1991 and served as rector for five years. The Rev. Pat Wingo was called as the second rector of St. Thomas in 1996. In 2002, the Venerable Rev. Dr. Louise Thibodaux was ordained and called to serve as a vocational Deacon. She was in the first class of ordained deacons in the Diocese of Alabama and served as the Archdeacon of the Diocese for ten years. She continues to serve St. Thomas faithfully in worship, outreach, adult formation and pastoral care.

In January 2008, after serving Saint Thomas for 12 years, the Reverend Pat Wingo resigned as Rector, and The Reverend Stephen McWhorter served as interim Rector for 15 months. From the fall of 2000 through the summer of 2013, the Reverend Rick Putman served Saint Thomas as Assisting Priest. The Reverend Charles Youngson served as Rector from Easter 2009 until September 2014. In the fall of 2015, the Reverend Josiah Rengers accepted the call as the fourth rector of St. Thomas and continues to serve the parish today. The Rev. Susan Oakes joined the St. Thomas staff as Associate Rector in 2024.