Christ the King Episcopal Church

Records maintained by the local newspaper, the Door County Advocate, indicate that the origins of Christ the King can be traced back to the formal organization of the “Episcopal Church society” on April 14, 1878. At that time the parish was known as Christ Church, so named by the then diocesan bishop, Bishop Brown. The church was served by The Reverend Francis Moore who also had oversight of other Episcopal churches in Door and Kewaunee counties. In its first days, the church community assembled at the Town Hall and subsequently in private homes and other non-Episcopal churches. Little is known of these early days beyond the recording of some baptismal and Eucharistic statistics. In 1890 a concerted effort was made to recharge the mission of the fledgling church, although this was met with mixed results, the church eventually being reduced to a single monthly service by 1909.

Beginning in the year 1913, Christ Church was served by various clergyman who shared responsibility for other churches including Algoma, Jacksonport and Fish Creek. Finally in 1927 the Diocese of Fond du Lac purchased a private home for use by the church which, at last, had a place to call its home.

The ensuing years continued to see the coming and going of various Vicars until in 1935 the Diocese indicated its plan to build a church that would better meet the needs of a worshiping community that “has already outgrown its quarters and offers prospects of quick growth.” However it was not until 1950-51 that two Nashotah House seminary graduates, one of whom was serving in Gardener and Jacksonport, proposed at the Annual Meeting the idea of building a church to serve the needs of the church in Sturgeon Bay. At this point the name of the church was changed to “The Church of Christ the King,” the building having been constructed by the cooperative effort of several regional priests, who labored on weekdays before returning to their own churches on Sundays, along with one skilled, paid laborer. The church, though not completely finished, was dedicated on March 28. 1953. A parish house and rectory were added in 1957 which continue to be used by the parish today, although the priest who serves the parish no longer lives on site.

2001 saw the formal decision to join the two church communities of Holy Nativity, Jacksonport, and Christ the King, Sturgeon Bay, into a single congregation served by the same Vicar.