Did you know the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy has a long and historical connection to St. Luke’s Hospital here in St. Louis? Personally, I had no idea until I started preparation to become Stated Clerk for Giddings-Lovejoy and was informed the Stated Clerk, in addition to the Presbytery Leader, account for two of the required seats on the hospital’s Board of Directors according to their bylaws. Over this past year, in addition to learning all the ins and outs of being a Stated Clerk, I’ve also had the joy of learning more and more about the Presbytery’s connection to St. Lukes, dating back to the 1940s, and about St. Luke history, which originates much farther into St. Louis’s history, over 150 years to date.
The hospital was originally founded by leaders and members of the Episcopal Church in partnership with local physicians, and admitted their first patient on February 28, 1866, in a small 25 room infirmary near what is present-day Interstate 55 and Russell Boulevard. The hospital started with a medical staff of only eight physicians, with family and friends providing nursing care. Just a few months after opening, a cholera epidemic broke out in St. Louis. The hospital provided care to more than 7,000 patients suffering from the pandemic, free of charge.
As medical services continued to increase in demand around the city, in 1881, St. Louis Philanthropist Henry Shaw donated $5,000 and land at the corner of 19th and Washington Streets for St. Luke’s to build a hospital. This new hospital operated for about 20 years before moving to Delmar Boulevard in 1904, the year of the World’s Fair in St. Louis… you know, “Meet Me in St. Louis,” Judy Garland, and all! The hospital system thrived, and in 1948 (4 years after “Meet Me in St. Louis” premiered, but unrelated I’m sure), the Presbyterian Church joined with the Episcopalians in their support of the hospital, together raising $4 million for expansion and improvements.
During the 1970s when St. Louis residents started to migrate westward more into St. Louis County, St. Luke’s Hospital opened its current location in Chesterfield in 1975, and in 1985, all hospital operations were moved to its current location. The Delmar location was listed for sale in 1984, and has since become Delmar Divine, “a collaborative space dedicated to maximizing the human and financial capital of St. Louis’ social initiatives and institutions, providing space for many national and local not-for-profits and social innovation organizations that improve the lives of children and families in the metropolitan St. Louis area.” (https://delmardivine.com/about-us/ ) During this transition, the Episcopal-Presbyterian Charitable Health & Medical Trust was established in 1985 as part of a redesigned partnership between St. Luke’s Hospital, the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, and the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy. The trust started with an initial investment of $8.5 million and created as a way of continuing the original mission to provide health care ministry to the underserved in the city of St. Louis. (https://epht.org/about )
This partnership between the two churches and St. Luke’s continues to flourish to this day as, in addition to the St. Luke’s Hospital Board, myself as the Stated Clerk and our Presbytery Leader, also serve as members of the Healthcare Trust’s board along with other elected members from both the Presbytery and the Episcopal Diocese. Together, the board and staff continue to identify and provide much-needed grant money to all sorts of organizations around the city serving and providing many different health care needs to our city residents.
So, if you’ve ever noticed and wondered why a St. Luke’s report is popping up in our Presbytery Gathering binder, or a St. Luke’s informational flyer going out with our Newsletter, now you know about this vital and historical connection to our Presbytery, and another one of many important ways we as Presbyterians have been called to ministry and witness within the community of St. Louis. In addition, if you’re ever in need of some incredible healthcare, St. Lukes continues to be recognized with national honors for excellence in healthcare quality, safety and patient satisfaction. So, check them out!
Rev. Dr. Brandan Eddy
Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy Stated Clerk
Pastor of John Calvin Presbyterian Church
