St. David’s in the Pines was the first church in the Wellington real estate development that eventually became today’s thriving Village of Wellington. St. David’s began as an Episcopal Mission congregation in 1976, when the Rev. Leslie Jenkins, who was the rector of Holy Redeemer Church in Lake Worth, became priest-in-charge of the founding congregation.
The first services were held in the home of Frank and Rose Brass, with an average weekly attendance of 15 that increased to more than 20 in the following year. Guerry Stribling, president of Wellington, Inc., then led the effort in 1977 for the corporation to donate five acres of land at the corner of Wellington Trace and Forest Hill Blvd. to become the site of St. David’s. 
Construction began on what is now the Parish Hall and School building in 1977. The building was dedicated on Palm Sunday in 1978. With a growing congregation and resources, the mission became a full-fledged Episcopal parish in 1979, with the Rev. Michael Jones as its first rector.
During those early years, St. David’s also housed the fledgling congregations of Wellington Presbyterian Church, St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, and Temple Beth Torah, while they waited for their own properties to be developed.
In 1979, Father Jones left for another post, and the search began for the parish’s second rector. The Rev. John F. Mangrum was called to the position in late 1979.
A highlight of this era in history of St. David’s was the visit by His Royal Highness Prince Charles–now King Charles III of England–attended the 9:30 a.m. service on Easter Sunday and received communion alongside 140 other attendees who had not been told in advance that the Prince of Wales would be worshipping with them during his first polo-playing appearance in the U.S.
Under Father Mangrum’s leadership, the parish grew rapidly, adding a second Sunday service and eventually constructing a new 300-seat church building that was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day in 1987. The new building was situated to preserve the shady pine grove setting that inspired the name of the parish. The exterior of the building is characterized by the Florida coral rock that traces the geological history of our state. The dramatic interior is set off by the laminated wooden arches that line its vaulted ceiling and the tall windows that provide natural light.
The dedication of the new church building was graced by a special gift from the Church of Wales: a stone from St. David’s Cathedral, the seat of the patron saint of Wales and our own parish’s patron saint. The aged gray stone was permanently embedded into the altar, which is otherwise composed of coral rock, and is visible from the back.
Since the completion of the newer building, the original building has been used exclusively for education, fellowship, and meetings.
Father Mangrum remained rector until he retired in 1990. The Rev. Steven W. Thomas was called to become the parish’s third rector in 1991. Father Thomas remained as rector for a remarkable tenure of 32 years, until his retirement in 2023. During that time, he presided over the development of many new ministries, most notably spearheading the effort to establish St. David’s Episcopal School and then serving as its board chairman and chaplain until he retired.
St. David’s is currently in the process of searching for its fourth rector. During this time of transition, we have been blessed by the leadership of our Priests-in-Charge: the Rev. Todd Cederberg from Sept. 2023 – March 2024 and the Rt. Rev. Todd McGregor from April – October 2024.