The congregation soon outgrew the Paradise Center, and in March 1995, moved to a larger room in La Hacienda Recreation Center. In January 1996, nearly 90 members of this mission church traveled to Daytona Beach to attend the annual Convention of The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. During this convention. Bishop John Howe introduced our group to the Convention and announced that we had been accepted as a Parish of the Diocese. To be accepted as a Parish just slightly more than a year after we were designated a Mission is unheard of, and probably set a record.

The Parish continued to grow, as did the retirement community in which we are located. And God continued to bless us. The Villages' developer designed and built a church on Town Square, a beautiful cathedral-type structure. The Church on the Square, Episcopal, held its first service in this building on Easter, March 30, 1997. Designed for 750 worshippers, more than 1,100 attended that first Sunday. Although the Episcopal congregation and its first priest. Father Steve Raulerson, contributed to the design of The Church on the Square, it was paid for and thus owned by The Villages' developer, who also repaid a $25,000 "start-up" loan from the Episcopal Diocese. The Episcopal congregation shared the building with a non-denominational service and other musical celebrations. We are grateful to the developer and to Abundant Life Ministries for allowing us to use this gorgeous edifice as the spiritual home of St. George Episcopal Church, a name we officially adopted at our annual Parish meeting in January 1998.

When Father Steve Raulerson left us, Father Bob Richardson served as Priest in Charge, while a Search Committee began its work. In less than a year the Committee found and called the Reverend Roger Miller, who became our rector in October 1998.

The developer allowed us to use The Church on the Square for nearly five years, enabling us to build an active congregation and become financially secure enough to support a building of our own. When that time came, a Building Committee was formed, and the project to build a new church began in the summer of 1999. A "Charrette" was held, to allow all members of St. George Parish to tell the Building Committee what they wanted in a church. A parcel of land on the comer of Paige Place and Avenida Central was purchased from The Villages' developer, and an architect (John Dickerson) and building contractor (Clancey and Theys) were hired. A Capital Gifts Campaign was launched in October 2000, and with the help of a professional fundraiser, nearly a million dollars was raised or pledged. A bank loan was secured, and the exciting development of our own home was underway. We broke ground on our property in March 2001.

In May of 2002 Bishop John Howe dedicated and consecrated our new building and its contents, and St. George Episcopal Church, as we know it today, was born. It has become known as "the most beautiful church in the area," and is a favorite "photo opportunity" for visitors and residents. But St. George Episcopal Church is not just a beautiful building, it is the beautiful people who make up its congregation. We are grateful to the dedicated Episcopalians who had the vision to "plant" a church in The Villages, and to all who came along later to contribute to its success. It has been - and continues to be - an exciting and inspiring experience for all of us who call ourselves "St. Georgians," and who believe we can do "all things through Christ" who strengthens us. We can't wait to see where our journey takes us next.