Who We Are

Church of the Open Door...

…has been our ethos for many years. We strive to welcome all who seek a deeper and more meaningful life in our community of faith. For those who are new to the Episcopal Church or Christianity itself we offer opportunities to learn and ask questions in our Discover St John’s and Episcopal 101 classes or in our regular Faith Formation. We also encourage newcomers or those who are curious to reach out to one of our clergy or the staff person for Welcome and Connection.

We open our doors to support groups (AA, NA, Alanon, grief, etc.), affinity groups (Women, Men, LGBTQ, Young Adults, Elders, Youth, and more) and service groups (Creation Care, First Nations Kitchen, Hallie Q Brown). We are engaged in the wider community in direct service, social justice, and advocacy. You are just as welcome to join us for worship and to enjoy a concert or to one of our recurring celebrations like our Gathering Sunday potluck or our annual Christmas Party.

We invite you to come on in and see what’s going on at St. John’s. Our door is open to YOU!

Open and Affirming

St. John’s actively affirms the full inclusion of women and LGBTQ+ people in all sacraments and levels of leadership. Read our full statement here. Multiple LGBTQ+ clergy have served at St. John’s. And from same-sex weddings to rites of renaming for trans parishioners, St. John’s rejoices in walking with our LGBTQ+ parishioners through all the seasons of their lives. For information about our LGBTQ+ Spiritual Life group, please contact the church office.

Our Denomination

The Episcopal Church is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a collection of churches that are all descended from the Church of England. These churches share a common theological and liturgical heritage that weaves a via media or “middle way” between catholic and protestant beliefs and practices, and which, like all Christian traditions, seek to follow the way of Jesus, whose life, death and resurrection are the center of our faith. Episcopalians sources of authority are found equally in scripture, tradition, and reason, and follow a liturgical way of worship that centers on Eucharist each Sunday and a weekly services of prayer and reflection.

Our Diocese

St. John’s is part of a “diocese”—a network of faith communities across our state and under the guidance and pastoral leadership of a bishop—called the Episcopal Church in Minnesota (or ECMN for short). Our current bishop is the Rt. Rev. Craig Loya, 10th Bishop of Minnesota. In many ways we are one church found in many different places working together in a shared project: joining with God to heal the whole world with love.

We believe that together we are called to transformation by following Jesus’ way of love. Our ministry at St John’s is shaped by our commitment to the diocese’s four priorities of Justice, Vitality, Innovation, and Discipleship. These inform our activities and direction.

Our History

The congregation of St. John the Evangelist has been located in its current neighborhood since 1881, holding its first service in January of that year in a chapel at the nearby Dayton Avenue Presbyterian Church. Over the generations we’ve occupied spaces at the corner of Ashland and Mackubin as well as the corner of Dale and Portland, finally arriving at our present location at the intersection of Portland and Kent where we’ve been holding worship and transforming lives since 1902.

If you’d like to learn more about the full history of St. John’s, about the renowned architects like Cass Gilbert, and Clarence H. Johnston, Sr. who both contributed significant work to the final edifice of our faith community, or to learn more about the St. John’s Stained Glass Treasures, or to find out all about our pipe organ, built and installed in 1922 by the E. M. Skinner Organ Company of Boston (restored and expanded by the Schantz Organ Company in 2008), we’d love to share a copy of our beautiful full color parish history written and edited by James Frazier.

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