St. Thomas of Canterbury Anglican Church (Reformed Episcopal / ACNA) began in 1980 when a group of laity in the Houston area left the Episcopal Church to form an Anglican mission parish. These founding members left the the Episcopal Church because they were concerned by TEC’s drift away from Biblical moral standards and its gradual loss of the traditional faith and doctrine of the English Reformation.
 
St. Thomas started as a mission parish that met in a home located in the West University area of Houston. In 1985, the parish acquired its present land and a chapel (built in 1947) that had originally served as the church sanctuary of the First Methodist Church of Pearland, Texas.
 
In 1989 the parish paid off its original indebtedness. 1995 brought the completion of a new parish hall/class room building and the calling of its third Rector, the Rev. James T. Payne.  

In 1997, St. Thomas became a parish of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC). The Reformed Episcopal Church is a traditional Anglican jurisdiction that was founded in 1873 when a George David Cummins, a Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church (as it was then known), left the Episcopal Church to form a new Anglican (Episcopal) jurisdiction that stressed fidelity to the Bible and subscription to the 39 Articles of Religion, which set forth the historic doctrinal positions of the Church of England.

In 2009, the REC became a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Globally, Anglicans are the third largest body of Christians in the world, totalling over 80 million members in total. The REC, as a constituent member of the ACNA, is in communion with the vast majority of Anglicans worldwide.

Since joining the REC, St. Thomas has gone through a number of upgrades - the church was refurbished, and 8 additional stained glass windows were installed. In 2002 the parking lot was expanded and in 2005, the James Pittman Organ was dedicated.

In 2015, under the leadership of Sr. Warden Steven K. Howell, the parish raised nearly $400,000 in pledges towards a new classroom building and additional parking. The parish also sold 3 acres of land to make construction possible. The new classroom building is on track to be completed before the end of 2024.

The Rev. Payne retired as the Rector of St. Thomas during July 2023, but he continues to serve actively as the Archdeacon for the REC’s Diocese of Mid-America. On August 6, 2023, the Rev. John W. Clay became the fourth Rector of St. Thomas.

St. Thomas is committed to upholding Holy Scripture as the ultimate standard for moral behavior and true Christian doctrine. Come join us in our work to further the Kingdom of God and convey the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world!