History

The first Holy Communion service of the Episcopal Church in Beaumont was held in 1877 after a group of Episcopalians living in the city petitioned the Right Reverend Alexander Gregg, D.D., the first Bishop of the Diocese of Texas, for guidance on organizing a mission.


First named the Mission of the Good Shepherd, the name of the congregation was changed by the Vestry to St. Mark’s in 1880. Services were held in Temperance Hall until 1881 when property was purchased at the corner of Orleans and Forsythe streets, and a small wood-framed structure was erected at the location in 1899, the year after St. Mark’s officially became a parish.


As the church continued to grow, it once again found its facilities inadequate and, in 1913, property was purchased at the corner of Pearl and Calder Streets. A parish house was completed in 1915, and services were held on the upper floor (in what is now Payne Hall) until 1942 when the church building was completed. The Sunday School building was added in 1954 followed by the Gilbert Building and columbarium in 1998.


The founders of St. Mark’s were people of vision, determination, and most importantly, of unwavering faith. That same vision, determination and faith are still important ingredients in the life of the parish as we seek to devote ourselves “to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.”


Rectors of St. Mark's Episcopal Church

The Rev. J. Burton 1879-1880

The Rev. Thomas J. Morris 1882-1883

The Rev. J.C. Waddell 1883-1886

The Rev. Henry J. Messenger 1886-1894

The Rev. Charles M. Beckwith 1894

The Rev. H.P. Vicborn 1894-1896

The Rev. Walter A. Dennis 1896-1897

The Rev. Walter L. Smith 1897-1898

The Rev. Julius W. Bleker 1898-1907

The Rev. George B. Norton 1907-1917

The Rev. Robert N. Ward 1918

The Rev. A. Donaldson Ellis 1919-1922

The Rev. John A. Frampton 1922-1923

The Rev. Frank A. Rhea 1923-1928

The Rev. Robert W.M. Black 1929

The Rev. George F. Cameron 1929-1947

The Rev. Charles Wyatt-Brown 1948-1966

The Rev. William H. Littleton 1966-1968

The Rev. Claude E. Payne 1968-1983

The Rev. Richard (Dick) H. Elwood 1984-2000

The Rev. David Thames 2000-2002

The Rev. Ben Alford 2003-2006

The Rev. Frank Fuller 2007-2014

The Rev. Anthony (Tony) Clark 2016-2020

The Rev. James M. Pevehouse 2021-Present