St. Andrew's History

In 1870 St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Wolcott Avenue began to nurture the development of what would become Beacon’s second Episcopal Church.  At that
time, Sunday School in Fishkill Landing was held over the First National Bank.
 In 1875 the Sunday School was moved to the DeWindt Street Chapel .  In 1894
 the Sunday School Association purchased what is now the current Parish House
for St. Andrew's Church. It was the carriage house for the residence located across
the street.  From 1875 until an independent parish was formally organized at St. Andrew's in 1899, the rectors of St. Luke's Church ensured and directed the regular services at both the DeWindt Street Chapel and the carriage house chapel on South Avenue.
 
In June 1899 permission was given by the Standing Committee of the Diocese
of New York for the chapels to be established as a separate parish. On July 3, 1899 the congregation met for the purpose of completing their re-organization.
The Rev. Joseph P. Cameron was called as the first Rector of St. Andrew's.
St. Andrew's Church building and rectory were donated by Mr. Rider,
 the president of the Rubber Company on Tironda Avenue. On Monday
 May 15, 1900 ground was broken for the new church which featured three
picture and twelve ornamental Tiffany windows.
In 1954 The Rev. Otis Charles came to St. Andrew as Rector.  He saw that the demographics of the neighborhood had changed and invited the people living
 around the church to worship. The congregation changed dramatically over the
next 40 years. In the early 1960’s Eleanor Roosevelt made visits to the Summer Program. The Rev. Gerald Humphrey was Rector at that time.
The Rev. Thomas A. Moneymaker was installed as Priest-in-Charge of
St. Andrews in 1965. During the next 40 years, under his leadership, the
 church became an ethnically and economically diverse congregation of God's
children who reach out to serve the community and witness to their faith.

In 1968 Father Moneymaker encouraged the formation of the Martin Luther
 King Cultural Center. Today the Center provides an after school program for elementary age children, a work program for teenagers and a transportation and meals program for senior citizens.
After Father Moneymaker’s death in 1998, the parish was served by series of
interims: Mother Jean Campbell, Mother Claire Woodley-Aitchison and
Father Tony Cayless. 

From 2002 to 2008 The Rev Samuel Reddimalla was Priest-in-Charge at St. Andrews.  In the fall of 2008, The Rev. Frank Alagna came to St. Andrew’s
 to serve as our Interim Vicar.   The parish is currently engaged in a search
process toward calling its next rector.

 
                      Bishop Otis Charles visited  St. Andrew's in Nov. 2006.