On September 23, 1945, a month after the end of World War II, 17 laypeople met with a diocesan missioner to discuss the formation of a mission near Westover, to better serve Arlington, which had more than doubled its population in four years. The group chose the parish name by consulting the Prayer Book and noting the closest Holy Day, September 29: St. Michael's. After holding services in a private home and school library, the congregation, under the leadership of its first pastor, Dr. George Weiser (serving from 1947 until 1955), moved to its new sanctuary on Ivanhoe St. on Christmas Eve 1948.

By 1957, with Sunday school classes meeting in every cranny and even in parishioners' homes, the vestry and new rector, the Reverend David Matlack (serving from 1956 until 1964), launched the building of our educational-administrative wing.

In 1964 St. Michael's bought the current rectory as a home for its third rector, Fr. George Pratt. He served us 20 years (until retirement), overseeing sanctuary renovations, including the installation of the Bible-story stained-glass windows. But another story was unfolding: our increased involvement in community programs and international missions. A part-time associate rector (and full-time lawyer), Fr. Jess Stribling, challenged us spiritually and organized fellowship opportunities. Another associate, Fr. Robert Craighill (RADM, USN, Ret.), drew us into nursing home ministry; he remained as our much-loved assistant rector, until his death in 1999.

In 1986 we called Fr. Charles Gill as our fourth rector. His ministry, with a focus on community outreach, attracted young families to St. Michael's; the Sunday school was revitalized, and we conducted a successful Growing in the Spirit capital funds drive that retired our debt and funded significant renovations, such as a new kitchen. When Fr. Gill left in 1994 to pastor his "idyllic" ocean-side parish in Nags Head, North Carolina, our assistant rector, the Reverend Jane Heenan, stayed on as interim.

The week of the Great Blizzard, in January 1996, we warmly welcomed Fr. Howard Humphrey from an Oklahoma City parish that had been affected by the tragic bombing. His leadership of a well-rounded program particularly emphasized strong biblical teaching. For part of his tenure, Fr. Howard was assisted by Fr. Bill Weiler, who retired and still worships with us, teaching as an adjunct professor of Hebrew at nearby Virginia Theological Seminary. We appreciated Fr. Humphrey's pastoral care, especially in his last weeks with us, when one of our daughters lost a Navy husband in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

The Rev. Leslie J. Hague accepted the call to become our sixth rector. She began her ministry at St. Michael’s in late November 2002. Joining the parish during the Advent season was a long-awaited blessing for us all.