In the Beginning

Prior to 1957, the future town-site of Page, Arizona was a rocky wind swept desert mesa overlooking Glen Canyon of the Colorado River. Located north of the Grand Canyon, it was one of the most isolated areas remaining in the lower forty-eight states at that time. The occasional Navajo herdsman traversed the area, and only the most ardent outdoorsman enjoyed the Colorado River through Glen Canyon. That was to change in 1957 when construction on the Glen Canyon Dam was begun, and the government construction camp that was to become Page was started.

There were about twenty Episcopal families at that time and the lack of a proper church to worship in became an issue to these hardy souls. The first church services were held in the trailer office of Dr. Ivan Kazan, who later became the first warden of St. David's. When the Bureau of Reclamation set up temporary school buildings, services were moved to one of the classrooms. The teacher's desk became the altar and the student's desks became pews. Getting in and out of those desks proved to be quite a challenge for some of the adults of St. David's. It was obvious a real church building was needed.

By 1958 there were about 4000 residents of Page. The growth of the community prompted the Bishop's Committee to petition the Diocese of Arizona for seed money to build a new church. The funds were approved and plans to build St. David's began on a lot leased to them by the government for $1.00 a year. All the churches were given this option and today in Page you can find the churches lined up side by side on what is affectionately know as Church Row.

Initial plans called for the church hall to be built first with the addition of the church and rectory added later. When the bids for construction came in, they were quite a bit more than expected and it took all the money set aside for St. David's just to build the church hall. The church called for in the original plans was never built. The original hall is still being used today as St. David's church building.

The first christening in Page history was performed at St. David's. On Christmas 1958 the Reverend Adams Lovekin of Williams, Arizona officiated at the christening of Kathryn Lee Scott. Reverend Lovekin was to become very involved with the little mission church of St. David's in the next few years. Once a month he would brave the undeveloped reservation roads and drive nearly 200 miles to hold services in Page. The community of Page in 1959 was still quite isolated and remote.

Easter Sunrise Service 1959 Easter Sunday 1959 was a big day for St. David's. After the chilly Sunrise Service on the vacant lot that was the future site of St. David's, the official ground breaking ceremony took place. Earl Gilmore, the Architect, Reverend Adam Lovekin, and Dr. Ivan Kazan turned the first shovel of dirt that morning so long ago. St. David's.

By June 7, 1959 the walls of the church were complete and the first service was held in the new building. It was a good thing it was a sunny day as the roof had not been built yet! For the next month or so, the contractor would clean up his mess on Saturday afternoon so services could be held in the unfinished building on Sunday. When the building was finally complete, it was only a basic shell with lights and a restroom. The finishing of the church hall was completed by volunteers working nights and weekends.

In these early days of Page, St. David's was the first church to even have a hall and as such it was rented out for community functions. The money raised in this manner was used to offset the construction costs of the hall. The church hall was in high demand from the Lions Club, Glen Canyon Lodge No 59, Square Dance Club, and Duplicate Bridge Club. It was also used for Union Meetings and Wedding Receptions. The Masons even brought the benches that were used for services until 1962 when the Catholic Church gave St. David's some of their old pews. The Catholic Church was getting new pews and St. David's gladly accepted the old ones. Those pews are still being used today!

Reverend Lovekin still made his monthly pilgrimage to Page for services and St. David's had a lay reader the rest of the month. There were few intervals when St. David's had a resident priest, a pattern that would continue for the next 30 years. Times were tough for the little mission church but they weren't all bad. On September 24, 1959 the Episcopal Youth Club held their first dance, one of many, in the church hall. There were potlucks and get togethers that brought the small community closer. The first Episcopal wedding in Page was held at St. David's June 9, 1962.

St. David's Middle Years

Down through the years St. David's has survived. One of the oldest churches in Page, we are also one of the smallest. New families move in to Page and others move out. But our doors are always open to new members and the visitor alike. Though the original founders of St. David's moved on after the Glen Canyon Dam was built, their spirit and vision remain a viable part of what St. David's is today.

St. David's has seen its share of tragedy over the years. Dr. Ivan Kazan, St. David's first warden, was killed when his plane crashed while flying over Lake Powell in the 1970s. And the Reverend Timothy Kazan and his wife Karen were killed returning to Page from church business in Phoenix in 1994. Reverend Tim Kazan was the son of Dr. Ivan Kazan and was St. David's resident priest from 1991 until his death. Rev. Tim Kazan was well liked in the community of Page and a popular priest at St. David's.

St. David's is still going strong despite tragedy, fluctuating attendance, periods with no vicars, and little or no money. In fact, the later was a factor in the transferring of St. David's to the Utah Diocese from the Arizona Diocese in 2001. With the transfer St. David's gained a resident Rector, the Reverend Steve Keplinger. Under his guidance, the handful of worshippers here in 2001 have grown to over 150 members. There is a thriving social ministry program, including a food bank, emergency finanacial assistance, using support from other churches in town as well as community groups.

St. David's Today

In 2007, St. David's embarked on a new construction project, finally completing the sanctuary and restoring the former worship space to a fellowship hall. The new sanctuary was dedicated on June 12, 2008, and includes worship space with seating for up to 150 people, with the option to expand into the fellowship hall for an addtional 150 seats. The original fellowship hall has been modified to include a separate nursery area, updated kitchen and bathrooms. The grounds have been redone in desert landscaping with a Labyrinth and exterior fountain as focal points.