by David and Margaret Sloan

St. Paul’s was founded 180 years ago on October 26, 1846. During that time, we have had 17 notable Rectors and five sacred buildings, but the through-line from today back to that first day is a long series of faithful and exceptional parishioners and families. We hope to illuminate selected events in our history by highlighting three of the wonderful multi-generational families that have contributed to our parish over its eras.

Woven throughout the stories of these families is a visual timeline which puts them into the context of the broader history of St. Paul’s and provides additional information about the life of our parish, its leadership, and the communities we serve.

The Bill Conway and Mary French Conway Family

We are fortunate to be able to say our parish has a patriarch: Bill Conway, a deeply respected leader both in our church and our community. His wife, Mary French Conway, moved to Cleveland and St. Paul’s with her parents, Charles and Jeannette French, in 1935 (age seven). 

Beginning in the last few years of the rectorship of Dr. Walter Breed, Mary grew up at St. Paul’s, and her family was present through times of great change at the parish. 

The era of the formidable Dr. Breed ended with his death in March 1939. The young Theodore Evans followed him as Rector from late 1939 to 1947. Evans was informal, warm, and approachable, and he liberalized many of the practices, structures, and functions in the church. He was succeeded in 1947 by his Associate Rector, the popular and much-loved John O’Hear, and then by W. Chave McCracken in 1961.

During the tenure of Rectors O’Hear and McCracken, Charles French served on the Vestry for multiple, almost continuous terms from 1947 to 1962. Thus, he was in “the room where it happened” in the late 1940s when we raised the funds to complete St. Martin’s Chapel and the current Nave (dedicated in 1951). 

At this time, Rector O’Hear was influenced by the Liturgical Movement and he dramatically changed the interior design of the Nave—already under construction. He placed the choir and organ at the far end of the space (where the altar was traditionally located) and brought the holy table forward, toward the congregation. This position placed the priest among and facing the worshippers—a radical departure for the time. The altar now in St. Martin’s was brought from our previous church at Euclid Avenue and E. 40th Street. St. Martin’s chapel has the traditional configuration with the priest’s back to us while preparing for the Eucharist.

Following the dedication of the Nave, Charles French was the Vice Chairman of the Organ Committee, which raised the funds to acquire the Holtkamp Organ.
The Holtkamp Organ was built and installed in 1952 under the direction of Organist and Choir Director Walter Blodgett. 

Charles and Jeanette French’s daughter Mary wed Bill Conway in December 1950. Bill was an executive in the mining industry which took them to Minnesota and later to Australia. They returned to St. Paul’s to stay in 1973. 

Bill and Mary were active leaders during the tenures of the Rectors Chave McCracken, Nick White, Alan Gates, and Jeanne Leinbach. They both served on Vestries, Bill worked on Financial and Stewardship Committees, and Mary focused on Music and Education. Several of their grandchildren grew up at St. Paul’s. Bill and Mary’s son-in-law Joe Juster was the Senior Warden in 2004-2005.

Mary passed away in 2022. In honor of the many contributions of
the French and Conway families, the Holtkamp Organ was rededicated as the Charles Melvin French and Mary Virginia French Conway Organ. 

The Claudia Strong Fulton and David Fulton Family

A second, long-serving, multi-generation family is that of Claudia Strong Fulton and her husband David Fulton. Claudia’s parents were Bill and Marion Strong (Bill was confirmed at St. Paul’s in the 1930s). Bill and Marion married in August 1947 in St. Paul’s Parish Hall, which was our church sanctuary at the time (now named Tucker Hall after the former Bishop Beverly Tucker). More recently, Bill oversaw the reimagining of our thrift shop from the Side Door into the Act II Resale Shop. 

Claudia (born 1955) was baptized at St. Paul’s by John O’Hear. She and her two siblings grew up in the parish. Claudia married David Fulton at St. Paul’s in August 1980.
St. Paul’s 13th Rector, W. Chave McCracken, presided.

The Reverend W. Chave McCracken began at St. Paul’s in 1961 after John O’Hear accepted a call to a parish in Delaware. Chave was a scholarly, intellectual, and eloquent preacher. Like Evans and O’Hear, McCracken held progressive views on social issues and civil rights.

In its long history, St. Paul’s has had a great number of outstanding Assistant and Associate Rectors (Curates). Perhaps none was more exceptional than F. Washington (Tony) Jarvis, who served under Chave McCracken from 1964 to 1974. A warm, brilliant priest, a published author and an outstanding educator, he was an empathetic pastor who has been referred to as the “Pied Piper” for his extraordinary ability to welcome kids from all over the community to our youth programs. 

Claudia and David Fulton have faithfully served and led our parish in multiple ways. They raised three sons at St. Paul’s in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. Claudia’s interests and service include the Church School Board, Loaves and Fishes, Altar Guild, Confirmation advisor, and service on the Vestry. She currently serves on the N.B. White Gallery Committee. David served as Treasurer for ten years. 

In the 1990s, David took hold of our needs in finance and investment. He created our current investment committee and policies that have kept our endowment strong and growing. David served as both Junior and then Senior Warden at the end of Alan Gates’s tenure and during the Interim Rectorship of the Reverend Harold Lewis. Lewis was a retired Rector from Calvary Parish in Pittsburgh, PA, and the first African American Rector to lead St. Paul’s.

The Pete and Laurie Scriven Family

In 1926, ten-year-old Mary Lee Sperry moved with her family to Cleveland Heights. They joined St. Martin’s parish at Lee and Fairmount. Mary Lee walked to the church with her mother and siblings for Sunday School. 

St. Paul’s had recognized the eastward movement of its parishioners and identified a need to move to the Heights. By 1928, Dr. Breed and the Vestry had overcome the objections of the Bishop and the Diocese, and St. Paul’s had merged with St. Martin’s Parish. We built our tower and a new Parish Hall, now Tucker Hall. The current St. Martin’s Chapel gives life to that former parish.

In those days, churches on the Heights held Young Adult Social Events that rotated from one to another. Mary Lee met Albert (Bert) Scriven of the First Baptist Church at one of these events. They were married in 1941in St. Paul’s sanctuary, Parish Hall—now Tucker Hall. Mary Lee and Bert’s son, Pete Scriven, and his wife Laurie, are a third family with deep St. Paul’s roots who are still active in the parish today.

Pete was baptized at St. Paul’s, grew up in the Sunday School, and was confirmed here. In 1963, Pete was riding his bike by the church and saw a big crowd. Curious about the gathering, Pete made his way into the Nave. 

He sat on the floor to hear The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. King was just released from jail in Birmingham, AL, and the day’s address was a precursor to his “I Have a Dream” speech. Thanks to the principled invitations from Bishop Tucker and Chave McCracken, St. Paul’s was the only mainline White church to offer Dr. King a place to speak IN its Sanctuary, rather than outside on the steps.

In 1977, Laurie and Pete were married at St. Paul’s by Chave McCracken. Their two children were baptized and confirmed here, and their daughter, Beth, is an Episcopal priest serving as Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of San Diego. 

Pete has served as an usher for over 50 years, and he has served as a scheduler for Lectors and Chalice Ministers. Today, Laurie serves in the bell choir, and both have served in countless ways since their marriage, including Vestry terms, stewardship campaigns, teaching Sunday School, and as valued volunteers on the Archives Team. Both have served on Rector Search Committees: Laurie for Alan Gates and Pete for T.J. Freeman.

By the close of the 1970s, the energy of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s had waned. Attendance and pledges were falling. The endowment was invested only in bonds, and all the interest was needed to cover expenses. 

In 1983, the Vestry called Nicholson (Nick) White as our 14th Rector. He was an inexhaustible pastor and leader with a strong commitment to the community. He didn’t work alone. Diana White played a huge role in making the Rectorship warm and personal. She knew every parishioner and was a tireless hostess. She also served as a leader in the Vietnam Refugee Resettlement program. 

In his 19 years, among many other things, Nick restored the Eucharist into almost all worship services, organized our outreach program, and created the Outreach Committee. When school kids in the neighborhood were causing concerns after school, Nick led St. Paul’s to found the after-school program Open Doors Academy (ODA). Under his leadership, the South Wing was built. He led us in celebrating our 150th anniversary, oversaw long-range planning, stabilized our membership and our finances. He hired St. Paul’s first Black assistant rector and the very first female assistant rector. 

Nick White left behind a strong church for his successors, Alan Gates and Jeanne Leinbach. While Gates was a brilliant and gifted preacher, he also was cognizant of the needs of our facilities. During his tenure he led a campaign that resulted in the updating of infrastructure systems, acquisition and conversion of Coventry House, the construction of the North Entrance, and the refurbishing of the Nave and Tucker Hall.

Alan Gates’s successor, Jeanne Leinbach, brought to St. Paul’s in 2018 the Evangelism Matters Conference of the Episcopal Church, which included a visit from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. She led us through the social distancing and struggles of the COVID pandemic. She guided us from the building closure and into the world of online worship and virtual parish operation. She hired brilliant and talented associate priests, including the beloved Jessie Gutgsell Dodson—now Canon to the Ordinary at the Diocese.

Jeanne graciously and sensitively worked with Karel Paukert as he brought his brilliant musical career to a close. Jeanne hired Kevin Jones as our Director of Music. She led us to set up reserves to handle the likely times when we will suffer deficits. And, Jeannie has the distinction of being our first and only Rector whose own wedding—to Gary Walters—took place at St. Paul’s!

The three families of this story have all been deeply involved in service and leadership during the White, Gates, and Leinbach years. These kinds of devoted, multi-generation families are the bedrock on which current parishioners as well as newcomers to St. Paul’s can build their own lives of worship, spiritual growth, fellowship, and service in our Church, led by our Seventeenth Rector, T.J. Freeman.