The Parish Church of the Most Holy ProtoMartyr St. Stephen was founded in 1858 and was nicknamed St. Stephen-in-the-Fields because of its rural setting at the time. The lands and building were donated by Col. Robert Denison, member of the prominent Denison Family of Toronto. While the norm in the city was paying pew rental, St. Stephen’s was open to all as a free pew parish and has a history of social activism through the many outreach projects it has initiated through the years. Our heritage building is used regularly for worship by St. Stephen’s congregation as well as two other congregations. We strive to work together with The Free Church and The Toronto Worship Center to continue being a presence in the Kensington community and open our doors to the arts community on a regular basis. Although we are three congregations with different styles of worship we are united in Christian ministry, our desire to honour God, to proclaim the Gospel and to willingly serve God’s people where we are able.
As Anglicans we hold our heritage of being a bridge church that embraces a catholic and reformed understanding of the Christian faith. That understanding includes the priority and authority of the Holy Scripture as the source of our knowledge of God and guidance from the Catholic Creed of the Apostles, Nicea and St. Athanasia. Our core belief is that salvation comes from God and is given by the grace of God and the use of liturgy which is faithful to scripture embodies the experience of the Church in worship over the centuries. We are governed by Bishops, Priests, deacons and lay persons. With the celebration of the two Gospel sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist, we recognize that the visible unity of the Church on earth is God’s will and the priesthood of the whole church as a worshipping, praying and serving community.
Our liturgy reflects our heritage. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist is our main act of worship and the daily offices of prayer are a hallmark of Anglicanism. Reverence, dignity and beauty are considered to be appropriate for the worship given to God. Care is taken with the reading scripture and preaching. Worship, prayer and teaching strengthen God’s people to minister in the world and disciples of Jesus, God’s divine son and Word. You are cordially invited to share in the life of St. Stephen’s Church.
Fr. David Bryan Hoopes
Priest-in-Charge
Thursday, February 02 2012 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Saint Stephen-in-the-Fields has had a web presence since 1998. The current site is the third major redesign, and follows a relatively long fallow period when there was no active or up-to-date website in the church’s name.
The Saint Stephens sanctuary and church hall are available for a wide range of events. Download our 
This instrument is catalogued by the Organ Historical Society as his Op. 149. The organ is an interesting example of New England tonal design at the end of the 19th century, based upon characteristics of pipe organ sound which originated in Germany. This is evident in the clarity and individual character of the flutes, and in the forthright richness of the diapasons. The voicing of the reeds, too, suggests the brilliance of an earlier period, while still giving the warmth of contemporary ideals.
This page features a downloadable list of weekly Sunday service leaflets. Unless otherwise noted, the format is 