About Us

Stained glass window: A risen Jesus holds the cross and rises out of the grave.
Parishioners and their families pose outside at a large picnic gathering.

Serving Our Community

Our Mission

Growing in God’s Love. Working in God’s Spirit

At St. Michael’s, our emphasis is on worship, learning and serving the world in God’s love. Our worship is both inclusive and traditional where all are welcome. We are a diverse faith community serving the South Bay, honoring different faith perspectives. We are a congregation that believes that all are gifted by God and in baptism called to share the grace and mercy of God that we have been so freely given.

Fr. Joshua and a parishioner pose outside the church with Pride flags and symbols.

We believe that active faith is practiced through:

  • Loving our neighbors as ourselves.

  • Transforming our institutions to create an equitable society.

  • Being an advocate with and for others for change.

  • Celebrating the gifts of each person.

  • Respecting the dignity for everyone by being inclusive and open to all cultures and identities.

  • Reflecting the abundance God has given us by providing for the needs in our society.

  • Creating new possibilities by being unafraid to challenge ourselves and take risks.

  • Encouraging all people to grow both personally and spiritually by embracing each other’s stories.

Our Vestry

A group of parishioners sit smiling at tables on an outdoor patio.The vestry is the legal representative of the parish with regard to all matters pertaining to its corporate property. At St. Michael’s, our vestry members are elected each January and serve for a two-year cycle. The presiding officer of the vestry is the rector. There are usually two wardens, a Senior Warden and a Junior Warden. The Senior Warden leads the parish between rectors and is a support person for the rector. We have a treasurer and a secretary along with others who help support the church in various duties.

St. Michael’s is one of the most important things in my life, because it is the place I worship, learn, and feel God’s presence together with you, our wonderful loving congregation, and find in each other, the blessings of love, peace, encouragement, comfort, and sympathy.

— Jeanie, Vestry Member

The basic responsibilities of the vestry are to help define and articulate the mission of the congregation; to support the church’s mission by word and deed, to select the rector, to ensure effective organization and planning, and to manage resources and finances.

On behalf of St. Michael’s Church, we want to thank our dedicated vestry. And, that God richly bless them for their faithful service.

It’s important for me to give to St Michael’s exactly because St Michael’s IS important to me. It’s the way I can show my faith in our church community and in my Lord. We all need to be in this together for our church and our faith to thrive.

— Chris, Vestry Member

Line drawing of St. Michael's Episcopal Church showing the church set against a sky of billowing clouds, by E.O. Nielsen.

Our History

St. Michael’s is a living memorial and reminder that great blessings and dreams can be realized from small beginnings wanting a change. 

In 1928, a group of women and their children, attending St. Cross Church and Sunday School in Hermosa Beach, dreamed of forming their own parish in their community of El Segundo. As the group grew in number, they formed an El Segundo St. Cross guild, by-laws, and a choir, and they decided to look for a building to rent in El Segundo for their “church”.

During the 1930s and early 1940s, the group rented various El Segundo buildings to hold Sunday services, including the Christian Science Church, the Girl Scout’s building, where the children chose the name “St. Michael’s Church”, and the City Hall Auditorium. In the 1940s, the “church” bought three lots in El Segundo at Holly and Richmond Streets and a Lutheran Church building in Westchester. The building was moved to its present location in El Segundo and became the house of worship known as St. Michael’s Church.

Over the years, memorial donations have provided for a beautiful carved wood altar, altar rail, pulpit and several accessory items as well as stunning stained glass in all 15 windows showcasing the church’s light and beauty. The overall impression is one of peaceful and reverential atmosphere for worship.

During the 1950s, four additional lots were purchased and a building fund campaign was started and an overall plan for a future church, parish hall and classrooms was drawn up and built. The largest of the buildings (where the pre-school meets today) was originally built to be the main sanctuary but was repurposed to be used as the parish hall. It includes a large kitchen, and many spaghetti dinners and fish dinners were served here over the years. In addition, the women of the church opened a thrift shop on Grand Avenue with all proceeds going to the parish hall loan.

As the Curate for St. Cross, Reverend Gordon B. Yeaton was called as full-time vicar of St. Michael’s. The mission bought a vicarage at 612 Whiting Street. In the 1960s, St. Michael the Archangel received parish status. After Father Yeaton retired, Reverend Charles T. Rines was called to St. Michael’s. In the 1970s, Reverend Richard H. Duval was called as rector and a private nursery school started renting the parish hall, which provided additional income.

In the 1990s, Reverend G. Kevin Taylor was called as the new priest. Father Kevin came with much enthusiasm and new ideas. The old “office” area was demolished and a new smaller space, Yeaton Hall, was built as a home for parish events such as our weekly coffee hour, vestry and group meetings.

In the early 2000s, with the assistance of enthusiastic clergy and church members the dream of the church’s own pre-school, St. Michael’s Children Center became a reality with Melissa Albers, becoming its founding director. A weekly church service was held with the children from the school. Our pre-school is still in operation today.

Father David Bowser and Mother Elizabeth Morse were both part time clergy. After Father Kevin retired, the Reverend Elizabeth Morse was called as the new rector. She involved the congregation by creating ministries of chalice bearers, lectors, intercessors, ushers, and acolytes. Mother Elizabeth began a more involved outreach ministry including a local food bank and women’s shelter.

In the 2010s, the Reverend Dina Ferguson was called as the new rector. Mother Dina started our website, a book club, a bible study, and involved us in Seeds of Hope and Family Promise. After Mother Dina retired, the Reverend Joshua Wong was called as rector in 2024 and currently serves as our priest. 

Parishioners pose at various tables after sharing coffee hour refreshments.