St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Southlake is planning a significant renovation that would add a new welcome center, expand seating and make its altar area accessible for the first time, as the congregation says attendance has grown dramatically in recent years. The church, located at 223 S. Pearson Lane, says the Southlake City Council approved zoning changes and renovation plans at its Sept. 15, 2026, meeting.
The centerpiece of the plan is a new narthex facing Pearson Lane, which the church describes as a welcome center for every person who walks through its doors. According to the church's own renovation materials, posted on stmartininthefields.org, the space would include a coffee bar and room to linger before or after services. As reported by Community Impact Newspaper, the broader addition would also expand the church's lobby and add seating.
Church leaders say the push for more room follows a surge in worshippers. The church's renovation materials state that typical Sunday attendance has grown from sixty people five years ago to more than one hundred and sixty today, a shift the congregation points to as the driving force behind the project.
Conflicting Numbers on How Much Seating Would Grow
Exactly how much seating capacity would increase depends on which account you read. Community Impact's report describes the church as currently seating around 175 people, with capacity expanding to 250 under the renovation. The church's own renovation materials put the current seating at roughly 190, growing to about 240. In a separate passage on the same page, the church describes its existing capacity as approximately 171, with an objective of accommodating about 75 additional worshippers. The figures don't line up precisely across the sources, but all point toward a substantial expansion of the sanctuary's capacity.
Beyond seating, the renovation plan calls for redesigning the altar area specifically with accessibility in mind, according to the church's materials. The choir would move from its current loft down to an expanded area at the front of the sanctuary. The church also says it plans to update its chapel for children and upgrade its audio and video systems.
A Tower and Walkway to Anchor the Design
Architecturally, the project would add a new church tower proposed for the west end of the current building, connected to the Parish Hall by a covered walkway, per the church's renovation page. The Parish Hall itself would be linked directly to the existing church building, and its main administrative entrance would be relocated as part of the broader site plan.
Formed in 1970 by six founding families, St. Martin-in-the-Fields has expanded its campus over the decades. The church notes that its campus sits on the Keller-Southlake city limits, surrounded by newer neighborhoods that have grown up around it since those early additions.
The Rev. Alan Bentrup serves as rector of the parish, according to epicenter.org. The council’s approval clears the way for the project to proceed. The church notes that it last received approval of a revised master plan back in 1999, when the campus looked considerably different than it does today.
