St. Alban’s is part of the Anglican Communion, and the Episcopal Church. It is named after the 3rd century English saint who gave his life to save a Christian priest from Roman persecution. The first church built to honor St. Alban is the Cathedral & Abbey Church of St. Alban’s in England.
St. Alban’s was organized as a mission of the Diocese of Newark in February of 1959. On Palm Sunday of that year 125 persons from Oakland and Franklin Lakes joined together for the first time to worship at the Ramapo Mountain Lakes Country Club. St. Alban’s congregation grew and in 1962 the present church building was constructed and dedicated. Through good and lean years, the mission and activities of St. Alban’s were maintained by its committed and dedicated members. Under the guidance of the Rev. Lauren Ackland from 1988 thru 1996, St. Alban’s grew and prospered. In January 1997, the Annual Convention of the Diocese of Newark voted to welcome St. Alban’s as a parish. In November 1997, the Rev. Carolyn Lumbard was called to be our first rector. In January 2000, Carolyn was called to another Diocese. In that same year, Rev. Prince Singh was called to be our new Rector.
In April 2002, Phase 1 of our Expansion Plans was completed; it involved renovating and expanding our parking lot. In Sept. 2002, a Visioning Document was completed by the church; it described the need for expansion. Also in Sept. 2002 we started planning for a Capital Campaign. In mid-2003, expansion plans were presented to the parish and a Capital Campaign Feasibility Study was conducted. The plans included a parish hall and kitchen, expanded Pre-school space and an expanded Narthex. On Dec. 14, 2003, we had a Kickoff Gala for our “Open New Doors” Capital Campaign. In Feb. 2004, we completed a successful Capital Campaign. In June 2004, we had a Groundbreaking Ceremony and started construction. In Sept. 2004, we completed the 1st floor and our Pre-School started its Fall session on time; the 2nd floor was completed in October. On Oct. 24, 2004, we dedicated our new building with assistance from Bishop Croneberger and several former vicars.
On Feb. 2, 2008, Rev. Dr. Prince Singh was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester, NY. His last service at St. Alban’s was on March 30, 2008.
On Sept. 14, 2008, Rev. J. Cooper Conway started as our Interim Rector.
On Oct. 31, 2009, Rev. Kathryn King was called as our new Rector and started on Dec. 20, 2009. Rev. Conway’s last Sunday at St. Alban’s was Jan. 10, 2010. Kathryn was installed by Bishop Mark Beckwith on April 20, 2010.
St. Alban's Episcopal Church 