The seed of St. Paul's Church was planted in 1956 when Mrs. Florence "Mother" Thatcher gathered several other local Episcopalians together to organize a mission church in Cambria. The small group met in one another's homes, and their altar was a white cloth draped over a couple of whiskey boxes. By November 1957, they had a membership of 13 confirmed persons and were duly instituted as St. Paul's Mission of Cambria by Bishop Shires of the Diocese of California.

By 1959 St. Paul's had grown to 27 members and had begun a Sunday School. Soon the congregation was too large to meet in a home, so they moved their services into community buildings. Eventually Sunday services were held in the Masonic Hall using a portable, folding altar that was constructed by Air Force men who were attending the services. The altar was made from redwood plywood, with a small white pine cross in front.