The History of St. Thomas of the Valley

The first Christian work in the area began with the formation of Christ Episcopal Church in Jerome on June 6, 1899 in what is now Haven Methodist Church and the last service of Christ Church was held in 1948.

St. Thomas’s congregation came into being on December 1, 1913, when nine persons met in a private home on the banks of the Verde River, and signed the charter which brought into existence a mission of the Episcopal Church in Clarkdale, Arizona.  Since the meeting was held near the Feast of St. Thomas, December 21, the parish was named after that saint.  Every year, on December 21, the parish pauses to remember its patron.  

The Rev. Henry H. Shires, who was at that time serving Christ Church, Episcopal, in Jerome, served as vicar of St. Thomas Mission between the years 1913 and 1915.  In 1916, St. Thomas’s Mission was fully organized with a Bishop’s Committee and services began to be held in a local school house in the newly formed town of Clarkdale.  Rev. Shires was  subsequently was called to the rectorship of St. Luke’s, Prescott, Arizona, and later became the Dean of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California.

The work of St. Thomas' Mission had progressed to the point where, in 1915, the Missionary Bishop of Arizona, the Rt. Rev. Julius Atwood, insisted there was a need for a combination chapel and parish hall in Clarkdale.  The following year Bishop Atwood promised $3,000 toward such a building.  In May 1917, he announced that he had $3,500 in sight.  In that year the combination chapel and parish hall was built for $8,000.  Of the total amount, $4,500 of it was given for a memorial to Gerald Clark Kling by his mother, Mrs. Mary Clark Kling, daughter of Senator Clark.

The Rev. Henry Clark Smith served as vicar from 1916 until 1921.  When he arrived, services were being held in the Knights of Pythias Hall upstairs in the main business block of Clarkdale.  Construction of the combined chapel and parish hall was started shortly after his arrival.  During his tenure, he served as scoutmaster in Jerome and Clarkdale, walking between the two towns many times, but he also had the use of a motorcycle for his trips to and from Jerome and was later given a Model-T Ford for his travels by the United Verde Mining Company. Between 1921 and 1927 the parish was served by Rev B. Darneille (1921 -1922),  Revs. Frederick Pratt (1922 - 1923), Deacons Thomas Williams and Henry Moore (1923 - 1926), and by Rev. M. Fryer (1926 - 1927).

The Rev. Tracy F. Walsh served St. Thomas’s congregation during the years 1927 to 1929, living first in Jerome and then in Clarkdale.   He ran a thriving youth group and clubs for younger boys and girls.  Meetings of the entire congregation were held once a month. During these years, a good choir and good attendance at worship services were enjoyed.  The church was heated with a coal fired furnace and during the services it was not unusual to hear the sound of coal being shoveled as someone stoked the furnace.

From 1930 - 1937 the parish was served by Rev. Fred Rufle, followed by Rev. R. Baird and D. Williams in 1937 and 1938.

During August of 1938, twelve boys constituted the first choir for services, and on Thanksgiving Day of that year, a fifteen member girls church school choir began singing at services.

The Rev.  Livingstone Porter, Ph.D. (right) served St. Thomas’s Parish during the years 1938 to 1940.  Basic support for the work in Clarkdale came from Mrs. Mary Clark DeBrabant.  also, moral and material support were provided by the Phelps-Dodge corporation.  At this time St. Thomas’s Church was endeavoring to serve an area from Clarkdale to Oak Creek Canyon.

St. Thomas’s Parish had no resident vicar for several months during 1940 and 1941.  During the years 1941 to 1947, the congregation was led successively by the Rev. Frederick C. Taylor (1941-1943) and the Rev. O. J. Rainey (1943-1947).

In 1947 the Rev. Robert M. Webster (left), Episcopal priest residing in Clarkdale and serving the Methodist congregations in Jerome and Clarkdale, with the permission of the Bishop of Arizona, Arthur B. Kinsolving (pictured at right), added St. Thomas’s congregation to his responsibilities.  Eight persons were present for his first services in St. Thomas Church.  The congregation was disheartened and discouraged, but notwithstanding, attendance at worship services increased steadily during the remainder of 1947.  During the Christmas service, Bishop Kinsolving announced the appointment of the Rev. Robert Webster as permanent vicar and the decision to terminate the Methodist connection.

In 1948 with a grant from the National Council of the Episcopal Church, a new roof was put on the church and the interior was redecorated.  A confirmation class, presented in June 1948, numbered seventeen.  These were difficult years for Clarkdale.  Notwithstanding, the congregation grew steadily under the ministrations of the Rev. “Bobbie” Webster.  Under his sustained, steady leadership, the men of the parish decided to build a hall to meet the steadily growing need for more space.  A total of fifteen hundred dollars was contributed by members of the parish and residents of Clarkdale along with contributions of labor.  Once started, the men of the parish worked steadily until the parish hall was completed.  Clarence Brandmeyer, a stalwart partner with the vicar in parish management, spearheaded the project with the assistance of a friend and Roman Catholic layman, “Mitch” Quebedeaux.

The mines in Jerome and the smelter in Clarkdale were shut down permanently in 1952-1953 and Jerome became virtually a ghost town.  Clarkdale was faced tough times but survived.  During these years, the parish grew in strength with adult attendance for worship services averaging more than fifty.  A Sunday School for fifty children was organized and run by the vicar’s daughter, Bonnie Peptow, and her husband.  An active altar guild provided linens and vestments and obtained several memorial items from members and townspeople.  The bell from a Phelps-Dodge Corporation locomotive that ran between Clarkdale and Jerome was given to the parish, and today it proclaims the beginning of Sunday morning worship. (As seen in this picture, the bell's clapper has been wrapped in a blue cloth to muffle it's sound when rung inside the church where it stood until mounted in our new bell tower in September, 2001.)

It is said that the Rev. “Bobbie” Webster (1948 - 1957) expressed his unconcern with the periodic money problems of the parish with the rejoinder, “The Lord will provide.”  And it always worked out that way.  He said of these years, “ . . . I always saw the hand of God and ascribe to him all the glory.”  He seemed not to look at the destiny of the mission in terms of the up and down fortunes of the town but saw Clarkdale as a community of people to be served.  The Rev. Robert Webster retired from the ministry at last in 1957, and the number of communicants stood at 105, eloquent witness to his long, steady, and faithful service to St. Thomas’s Parish. This photo shows Rev. Webster along the the acolytes and choir in May of 1952.

During his tenure he led the parish in reaching out to church people in Sedona.  With the consent of Bishop Kinsolving, and starting with twelve Sedona Episcopalians, the effort was inaugurated in 1957 with an initial service in Dr. Harvey Ninninger’s meteorite museum.  For the next ten years, services were conducted in various locations in Sedona, including the Chanticleer Restaurant, the Chamber of Commerce office, a real estate office, the Wayside Chapel, and the funeral home.

During the period from 1957 - 1963 the parish was lead successively by the Rev.'s Reginald Rodriguez (picture left), John Butcher (pictured right), and Robert Juergens.  The Rev. Reginald Rodriguez came to Clarkdale from seminary as a deacon.  During this fiftieth anniversary year he was ordained to the priesthood on December 23, 1957 in St. Thomas’s Church by Bishop Kinsolving.  After the service a luncheon was served by the women of the parish.  Senator Barry Goldwater, a churchman, attended the service and spoke at the luncheon.

In 1963 the church was remodeled to provide a new entryway and a ramp leading to the entrance.  

Since 1967 Episcopal church work in the Verde Valley has been led successively by the Rev. Robert B. Green (1967-1973), the Rev. Henry a. Doherty (1973-1983), the Rev. John Francis as interim rector (1983-1984), the Rev. David G. McMannes (1984-1987), and the Rev. Roger Noyes as an interim rector (1988-1990). During 1973 and 1974, plans were made to raise St. Thomas’s Parish, Clarkdale, and St. Andrew’s Parish, Sedona, to self-supporting parish status as the Verde Valley Episcopal Parish.  This became a reality with the action of the Diocesan Convention, November 9, 1974.  The two parish centers shared a rector.  Business affairs where both parishes were concerned were administered by a common vestry whose membership was drawn from both centers.  This union was dissolved in April of 1989 when the two churches separated and became independent churches.

In June of 1990 Rev. William Van Wyck (picture at right) became the rector and served until he retired September, 1996.  During his service, St. Thomas began construction of a new parish hall  in June, 1993 which was completed in  September. 

Fr. Van Wyck was succeeded by Fr. Derk Manley.  In 1990, St. Thomas decided to change its name to St. Thomas of the Valley since it served many communities in the Verde Valley and the parish wanted to have its name reflect its welcome to all the people of the area.  In October of 1999  the parish had grown enough that a new building program was undertake to enlarge the nave to accommodate a larger congregation and to make improvements to the parking lot and surrounding areas.  The larger church was dedicated on January 28, 2001 with Bishop Shehan and Fr. Manley officiating.

During our service on the First Sunday of Advent, 2001 we installed the first Verger in the history of St. Thomas, John Schaefer, (right) who assists our priests and parish in the planning and conduct of our services. 

Because of our growth, in March of 2002 St. Thomas, which had been a "mission" church until, applied for full "parish church" status.  Unfortunately, it became obvious in early 2004, that due to a general decline in finances, that we would not be able to support a full-time priest any more, and Fr. Manley left St. Thomas.  We are now again operating as a mission church have Fr. Jim Booker as our "Priest -in-charge.".

In addition, Fr. Roger Noyes was named Vicar Emeritus of St. Thomas, in honor not only of his time as Vicar, but also for his many years of assisting St. Thomas.

Supply Clergy 2004 - 2005
Rev. Barcanic	Fr. Crews	Fr. Gerrard	Fr. Linder	Fr. Noyes	Fr. Walden

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2008-04-13