About
Our Mission
UNITED BY GOD’S GRACE
Loving and Serving ALL People in Christ’s Name
Our Vision
As a Christ centered oasis, the Church of the Nativity will be a place to experience acceptance and love. We will invite ALL people to come, be spiritually replenished, and leave eager to do the work God has called each of us to do. We will reflect God’s love and limitless possibilities through our commitment to meaningful worship, spiritual formation, sweeping outreach, and robust growth.
Abundance
[2 Corinthians 9:8] And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. NRSV
Who We Are
The Episcopal Church of the Nativity is a Parish Family. We are united by God’s grace in our worship, in our singing, in our learning, in our serving and in our fun! Here you will find a whole variety of folks from around the world who have found a home here in Port St. Lucie. Our Church was founded in 1996 and we have been serving the Lord here in St. Lucie West ever since. The Episcopal Church of the Nativity is a place that offers an oasis of faith where ALL are welcome. We hope you will come be a part of what God is doing here!
Our local church started in 1996 and has been evolving over the years. At first, we were only 11 to 13 families, but we kept growing in number due to our multicultural vision.
The Episcopal Church of the Nativity
The history of the Episcopal Church of the Nativity (Nativity) is the story of a vibrant, diverse parish family, with an abundance of love and talent to share.
With God and with one another, Nativity is thriving in a changing and growing community. With God’s help, Nativity will continue to provide a sanctuary for those who want to join us and continue their spiritual journey.
In Bishop Howe’s convention address of 1996, he stated,
“Thanks be to God for new ministries and expansions. Once again, we have begun a convention with the happy task of welcoming a new mission to our congregation, The Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Port Saint Lucie!”
Milestones Along Our Journey
Nativity began as an evangelistic outreach ministry of St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Fort Pierce, Florida in 1996. The nearby town of Port Saint Lucie was rapidly growing, had only one Episcopal Church and was in need of another.
Father Tom Raezer was appointed Vicar by Bishop Howe in 1996. The first Vestry members were appointed and services began in the home of parishioners. They had a congregation of 11-13 families at that time.
Father Paul Wolfe was installed as Vicar of Nativity in 1997 at a celebration of New Ministry, at which time Bishop Howe announced that an anonymous donor had paid for our five acres of land. Nativity had grown to 25 families and, having outgrown the parishioners’ home, began holding services at the Polish American Club.
Groundbreaking for the Nativity on Del Rio Boulevard occurred in April 1997.
A Sanctuary, small kitchen, parish hall, bathrooms and office space were built on the property.
In 1998, the Dedication and Consecration of Nativity was held. Later that year, the Outdoor Chapel and Memorial Garden were dedicated.
2001 saw the addition of two new Sunday School classrooms and a small parish hall.
In 2005, Nativity was financially independent and became a fully independent Parish. Services were held at 7:30AM and 10:30AM. Later that year, a 9:00AM Children’s Service was added.
2007 saw the groundbreaking and dedication of Wolfe Hall, with Bishop Howe officiating.
Following a lengthy illness, Father Paul Wolfe retired.
In June 2008, Reverend Mary Rosendahl became our new Rector. She served well and faithfully for 10 years. Under her leadership, the church continued to grow and thrive.
In October 2019, Mother Tracy Dugger became our third Rector, and kept us united through Covid, and continues to lead us forward.
Learn About God
Whether you’re just curious about God, new to Christianity, or have been a lifelong Episcopalian, we have a variety of ways you can learn about God.
Weekly Bible Studies are held on Wednesdays at 11:00 am and 6:30 pm. They are led by our clergy, Mother Tracy and Father Bob. On Thursdays, a Gospel Meditation Group meets to contemplate the readings for Sunday and ask questions.
Sunday School at 9:15 is opportunity for children and adults to learn about their faith.
Mother Tracy also hosts seasonal groups to dive further into specific topics and encourage growth in faith.
One on One Spiritual Direction is also available. Please contact office@nativitypsl.com for more details.
Leadership
Rector And Lead Pastor
Mother Tracy Dugger
Mother Tracy has a Master's in Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, a Certificate in Anglican Studies, and is a trained Spiritual Director. She also has training in Critical Incident Stress Management and serves as a volunteer disaster chaplain for the Diocese of Central Florida. Mother Tracy has a passion for affirming the God-given gifts and talents of all people, and serves on the Diocesan Commission on Ministry, assisting those in discernment of a call to ordained ministry.
She and Will Dugger have been married for over 13 years, and have a wonderful daughter, Evie, who acolytes and participates in our local Cub Scout Pack.
In her free time, Mother Tracy enjoys spending time with family, kayaking, and riding her motorcycle.
Sr. Warden/Parish Administrator
Ms. Deborah Benway
Deborah leads our Vestry and keeps our office running smoothly. She oversees the staff, assists us in worship service, coordinates events, and connects people who call/ email with the right information and assistance. Deborah also supervises a small team of office angels that volunteer assistance with day-to-day tasks. Deborah is typically in the office mornings, Monday through Thursday.
Financial Minister And Bookkeeper
Melissa Lewis
Melissa oversees the financial matters of the church, publishes the weekly bulletin, and is available to assist by providing individual giving statements and responding to other inquiries.
Retired Assisting Priest
The Rev. Robert G. Brandt
Fr. Bob leads a seasonal deep dive Bible Study on Wednesdays.
Father Bob assists Mother Tracy in the sacramental duties of the church.
Music Minister
Mrs. Hazel Graham
Hazel leads and instructs our choir in worship, and assists the pastor in planning special services and musical concerts.
Hazel also offers vocal coaching and piano lessons.
Sr. Warden, Deborah Benway
Jr. Warden, Pete Szelwach
Treasurer, Wendy Chadbourne
Chair of the Finance Committee, Deborah Benway
Clerk, Starr Coulter
How We Began And Where We Are Going
The Episcopal Church of the Nativity began as a mission in the 1990s. Local Episcopal families here in St. Lucie County petitioned the Diocese of Central Florida to begin to plant a Church.
1996 – Nativity began in a home located on Nativity Terrace as an evangelistic outreach ministry of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Fort Pierce, Florida, due to rapid growth in nearby Port Saint Lucie. Father Tom Raezer was appointed Vicar by Bishop Howe. The first Vestry was appointed and services began in parishioners’ homes. There were 11 to 13 families in the congregation.
1997 – Father Paul Wolfe was appointed Vicar by Bishop Howe. An anonymous donor paid for the five acres of land. The congregation grew to 25 families and began to meet at the nearby Polish American Club. Groundbreaking began for the Church of the Nativity on Del Rio Boulevard. A sanctuary, small kitchen, Sunday School room, bathrooms and office space were built.
1998 – Dedication & Consecration of Nativity was held. Later that year, the Outdoor Chapel and Memorial Garden were dedicated.
2001 – Two new Sunday School classrooms and a small parish hall were added.
2005 – Nativity was financially independent and became a fully independent Parish. Services were held at 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM. Later that year, a 9:00 AM Children’s service was added.
2007 – Groundbreaking and dedication of Wolfe Hall were held, with Bishop Howe officiating. Due to illness, Father Paul Wolfe retired.
2008 – Reverend Mary Rosendahl was hired as Rector and was installed by Bishop Howe. Under her leadership, the Church continued to grow and thrive. New ministries were formed.
2011 – Stained glass windows depicting the Nativity scene were added.
2016 – Reverend Mary Rosendahl retired.
2018 – In October, a Search Committee began the process of selecting a new Rector.
2019– Mother Tracy Dugger accepted the call to become our next rector and began her ministry with us in October of 2019
2020– With Covid 19 our Church underwent rapid change. Switching to meeting digitally online primarily at first, before resuming our in-person services. We continue to offer in-person services at 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30.
2024– We are presently offering in-person services at 8:00 and, 10:30 with choir and Children’s Church (ages 4-12) during service. We have in-person Adult Bible Study (Sunday) and Virtual Bible Study (Wednesday).
From here we hope to continue to grow our partnerships within St. Lucie County. We hope to continue as we began, a missionary outreach to connect more people with the love of Christ and a community to support them in faith.