St. Michael’s Church has a long and storied past. Founded in 1718 by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in London as one of the Rhode Island’s four colonial churches, it enjoys a legacy told in historic buildings, legendary rectors, prominent parishioners and a heritage that honors history, tradition and an uncanny ability to grow in new ways.
As Canon Locke said in his 25th anniversary address to the St. Michael’s parish in 1892, “times change and we change with them.” Nearly 100 years later, Canon Tildsley wrote in his book on this church, “St. Michael’s has seen many changes in the past and has weathered them, and it will see many changes in the future, and, I am sure, it will weather them.” Today, St. Michael’s respects both its honored traditions and its ability to live into its present context while creating a new future through the Holy Spirit.
