About Us

Who We Are and What We Believe

We profess the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Faith professed by the whole Church before the disunion of East and West; more particularly, as professed by the Church of England as it adheres to the doctrine of the Cross.

Adapted from Bishop Thomas Ken (1637-1711)

Saint Peter’s is a parish of the Diocese of the Western States and a founding member of the the Anglican Province of Christ the King. We are Christ-centered, celebrating Apostolic Christianity in the Anglican tradition. Our beliefs are founded on Holy Scripture, the ancient creeds of the Church, and New Testament morality. They are expressed in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, used in our worship services.

A Short History of Saint Peter’s 

Saint Peter’s is Founded 

In 1909 the Rev. Edgar F. Gee, Rector of St. John’s, Oakland, held afternoon services in a store on Shafter Avenue in the Rockridge area. Bishop Nichols confirmed the first group of Confirmands, and on February 4, 1912, made Saint Peter’s a mission with fifteen communicants.

We Become a Parish

On March 26, 1913, the mission petitioned to organize as a parish, and on June 29 the cornerstone was laid. The building was completed and the first service held on Palm Sunday, April 5, 1914. The first floor served as the sanctuary and the church school rooms, and the second floor was the community room and stage. A distinctive feature of the building was four gargoyles at each corner, two which remain today. On April 18, 1916, a special meeting called for the purchase of additional land on the adjoining corner of Broadway and Lawton Avenues, where the present church is now located.

St. Peter’s, 1938

We Grow Sacramentally 

St. Peter’s has been blessed with a wonderful spirit since its founding. Our rectors have each added their own talent to our growing community of believers. The Rev. Canon Lewis Gottschall served from 1935 to 1966 and oversaw plans for the present church.

In 1957 the cornerstone was laid and blessed by Bishop Karl M. Block. Many memorials, such as the brilliant stained glass windows, were included in the new church.

The late Most Rev. Robert Sherwood Morse, served as Rector from 1966 to 1984. The Rev. George Clendenin served from 1984 to 2005, the Rev. Roderick Pomroy from 2005 to 2011. Today the Rev. Michael Mautner serves as Rector of St. Peter’s.

Today’s Parish 

Blessed with a stunning sanctuary, large parish hall, Church School classrooms, and nursery, Saint Peter’s has many opportunities to worship God and serve the community. Children grow up in the faith and return with their children. Grandparents remember the early days. We are a family of God, generations woven together with Scripture, Creed, and Sacrament.

While the parish was originally composed of Rockridge area residents, today’s members come from as far away as northern Marin County and Contra Costa County.

Saint Peter’s welcomes all who seek the love of God and an eternal and unchanging faith, founded in Christ and expressed in a timeless liturgy.

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