A Brief History of St. John's
St. John's Westland
The first known service of an Episcopal congregation was a burial held in the Village of Wayne in 1896. In 1901 an Episcopal mission named St. John's was formed.
The first permanent home, a wooden frame building as built in what is now "downtown" Wayne. After World War II, this western part of Wayne County expanded rapidly. There was no room to add to the building in Wayne. The present property was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Mantous Uht and a fund was established to build a new building. On April 22, 1956 a service for laying the cornerstone was held. On the first Sunday of Advent 1956, the people of St. John's held their first worship service in the "new church". The rectory was built and dedicated in 1962. The need for an educational wing was soon recognized and planned. In 1963 the cornerstone for it was laid and the new addition dedicated in March of 1964.
St. John's has functioned as an integral part of the community, making its facilities available for numerous community service programs. Among those programs are Alcoholics Anonymous, CODA (Co-Dependents Anonymous), Narcotics Anonymous and TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly).
What We Believe
We Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As constituent members of the Anglican Communion in the United States, we are descendants of and partners with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church, and are part of the third largest group of Christians in the world.
We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world.
We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.
We believe that God loves you – no exceptions.