St. Paul's Memorial Church was founded in 1869 by St. Mark's Church, Grand Rapids to serve the west side of the city. The first church sanctuary on Turner Ave. was built in 1869 and consecrated in February 1870. The church was organized into a parish in May 1871 and admitted into the union of the Diocese of Western Michigan later that same year.
In the 1890s and early 1900s, the church under the leadership of Fr. Charles Donohue reached out to the new and growing community of Armenian immigrants to Grand Rapids. Donohue was also responsible for establishing St. Matthews Mission to the north end of Grand Rapids.
In the late 1950s, with the notification that its property would be taken over to make way for an expressway, St. Paul's began planning for a new facility. Located on Leonard Street, the new St. Paul's began holding services in 1962.
In the 1970s the Episcopal Church underwent reforms which would eventually split St. Paul's and lead to its closing. The issues included such matters as the ordination of women and homosexuals as priests, the updating of the Book of Common Prayer, and the church's pro-choice position on abortion. A majority of the church broke from the Episcopal Church and its liberal policies renaming themselves as St. Paul's Anglican Church. The Episcopal Diocese was forced to sue to regain possession of the church property. The church reopened in 1983 with the remnant who had supported the Diocese. The dissenters never returned. With a dwindling membership, St. Paul's closed, and the building de-consecrated in the summer of 2006.
From the guide to the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Grand Rapids, Mich.) records, 1870-2005, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
