Our Stories
All Souls: The First Ten Years
All Souls Anglican Church began in early 2015 under the leadership of Fr. Stephen Hall, emerging from prayerful conversations about planting an Anglican church in Portland. Initial gatherings took place in parishioners’ homes with morning prayer and eucharist, and the church was formally registered as a nonprofit later that year. In 2016, All Souls found a stable worship home at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, where Fr. Stephen was ordained to the priesthood and the congregation began to grow both spiritually and numerically. By 2017–2019, the parish had established regular worship, confirmations, a proto-vestry, and a strong sense of community, with average Sunday attendance reaching 70–80 and more than 100 people considering All Souls their church home.
During these formative years, All Souls developed a distinctive parish culture marked by deep liturgical life, hospitality, and service. The music ministry flourished through the leadership of Lyndsey Hall and a growing team of musicians and singers, incorporating chanting, choral elements, and Orthodox influences while intentionally de-emphasizing performance. Community life extended beyond Sundays through shared meals, small groups, prayer gatherings, and creative celebrations such as the annual Epiphany party. The parish also engaged in outward-focused ministry, most notably partnering with Refugee Care Collective to help resettle an Afghan family, an effort that involved the whole congregation in long-term, relational care.
The onset of COVID-19 in 2020 forced All Souls to adapt quickly, moving services online while finding creative ways to sustain fellowship and sacramental life until in-person worship gradually resumed in 2021. That same year marked a significant transition as Fr. Stephen discerned a call toward Orthodoxy, a journey shared by some parishioners and supported by diocesan leadership. After his departure in early 2022, the vestry and clergy leadership guided the church through an interim season until Fr. Andrew White arrived later that year to serve as rector. With many original members having moved on, All Souls entered what felt like a “church plant 2.0,” carrying forward its foundational values into a new chapter of life and leadership.