Our story is still unfolding.
Every community has a story—moments of faith, change, and growth that shape who we are. At Saint Peter’s, our story is one of ordinary people learning to follow Jesus together, in every season of life.
Artistic rendering of the church, 1963 with Stafford Street entrance.
Our Beginning
Saint Peter's was founded in 1961 by members of a neighboring Arlington congregation who felt called to something new. On a snowy January morning, more than 100 people gathered for the first time at James Madison Elementary School—and a church was born.
They were government workers, lawyers, military families, neighbors. Ordinary people. And they believed the church should look like that.
They chose the name “Saint Peter” with intention.
Peter was not perfect—he was faithful, impulsive, and deeply human. And still, he was called.
From the beginning, this community has seen itself in that story: a people learning, growing, and trusting that God works through imperfect lives.
Ministry Timeline
January 1961 First service held at James Madison Elementary School
January 1962 Diocese of Virginia grants Mission Church status
February 1962 5.89 acres purchased on North Glebe Road
June 1962 The Rev. Edward S. "Ted" Gleason called as first Rector
March 16, 1963 Groundbreaking — Bishop Chilton officiating
December 15, 1963 First service in the new building — 349 worshipers
1984 Official consecration of the church following completion of chapel and administrative wing
2014 Consecration of the church following the completion of new narthex, parish hall,
kitchen, choir loft.
Why Saint Peter?
The name was chosen with intention. Peter was a fisherman — a working person, not a scholar or a saint by reputation. He was impulsive, faithful, and deeply human. He denied his Lord and was still entrusted with the church.
The founders saw themselves in that story. Like Peter, the new congregation has often denied the Lord but continues to be forgiven. We are persevering in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
That identification has never left us.
We are sent out
"With a window in glass behind the altar, the world can come in and the word of God can go out." — Helen Coe, St. Peter's parishioner
When the church building was designed, it was built with clear windows—a quiet but powerful reminder that our life of faith is not meant to stay inside these walls.
From the start, Saint Peter’s has understood its calling as something lived in the world:
in relationships, in service, and in the everyday lives of its people.
That vision continues to shape who we are today.
We are growing
Over six decades, Saint Peter's has grown and changed alongside the Arlington community. The building has been expanded. New ministries have been born. New generations have found a home here.
Through each season, the parish has remained rooted in worship, learning, and service — shaped by faithful clergy and lay leaders, and by the countless ordinary people who have made this place their own.
Some of what makes Saint Peter's Saint Peter's simply grew organically. The Moravian Star in the Nave during Advent and Christmas echo the Moravian roots of Elizabeth Campbell. Needlepoint kneelers sewn by parishioners’ hands over decades, each one dedicated to a feast or a saint. Icons written in our chapel by iconographer Irena Beliakova since at least 1998.
These traditions are the accumulated witness of people who loved this place and left something of themselves behind.
This is us today
Today, we continue that story—
learning to follow Jesus in our own time,
and listening for where God is calling us next.
We are still a community of ordinary people,
Gathered together by Christ
Transformed by God’s grace
Sent out to serve
Leadership
Over the years, faithful clergy and lay leaders have guided this community through seasons of growth and change, helping Saint Peter’s become the parish it is today.
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First Rector: The Reverend Edward S. Gleason (1962-1966)
Second Rector: The Reverend Jess H. Stribling Jr. (1967-1974)
Third Rector: The Reverend Dr. Timothy W. Dols (1975-2001)
Fourth Rector: The Reverend Dr. Craig A. Phillips (2002-June 2021)
Fifth Rector: The Reverend Jenifer C. Gamber (2023-current)
The Rev. Jenifer Gamber, Fifth Rector
Join Us
Today, we continue that story—
learning to follow Jesus in our own time,
and listening for where God is calling us next.