Church of St. John the Evangelist

Our Story

In many ways, St. John's is typical of a downtown "Episcopal parish" - and in other ways, unique and distinctly called by God in discipleship.

Sharing Faith + Joined in Love + Christ-centered

St. John’s is located in downtown Elkhart on the corner of W Lexington Ave and 3rd.  We are known by sight as the church with the red doors or the tower.  We strive to live out our mission statement Sharing Faith + Joined in Love + Christ-centered.  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are central to what we do making us Christ-centered.  We are Sharing Faith through our actions and by telling others about our faith.  “For God so loved the world” scriptures tell us and through Jesus we are Joined in Love.

St. John’s longest ministry other than worship and discipleship is our Food Pantry.  The Food Pantry has served the community for over 30 years.  Our clients refer to St. John’s as the downtown church.  We added the Giving Tree to this ministry.  The Giving Tree is a tree in our parking lot where clothing is hung up each week for the homeless to use.

St. John’s is committed to staying downtown and encouraging relationships with our community, both those living around the church, the businesses, and the larger community.  We have previously been venues for Art Walk and the Elkhart Jazz Festival.  We are looking for new ways to be involved post pandemic.

The Episcopal Church at large is committed to global ministry.  We support students in Honduras and support Episcopal Relief and Development when disasters happen in the United States and around the world.  

The Episcopal Church at large and St. John’s in particular supports communities and schools.  Each year we collect school supplies for Beardsley Elementary School in Elkhart.  For Christmas, we adopt families providing gifts and basic needs items like food.  

As a Place of Worship

The origin of our congregation begins in 1845.  Like the disciples in the days after the death and resurrection of Christ, Episcopalians moved to the Elkhart region and met in homes for worship using the Book of Common Prayer (the edition of 1789). 

The first church building was erected in 1873 on the present location of the northeastern corner of Lexington Ave and Third.  Inadequate for the needs of a growing parish, this building was moved.

The second and current building was completed in 1895 and has since become an identifiable landmark in downtown Elkhart as "the Tower".  It is considered one of the best regional examples of architecture in the Gothic revival, replete with nave, sanctuary, and choir chancel.  The church is built roughly on a cruciform or cross-like design, with the eyes directed to focus on the altar and tabernacle.  Some of the existing stained glass windows are from this era, including the stunning rose window.  St. John's is well known for its famous wood carvings featured along the ceiling of the nave, including grape clusters and acorns.    

The sanctuary space was substantially altered in 1983 with the inclusion of a world class Casavant organ.  In recent years, St. John's works with organist and choral interns from the University of Notre Dame's Sacred Music Program. 

In 1953 the Parish Hall was erected on the eastern flank of the church building.  The Parish Hall included much needed office, classroom, and other utility spaces.  Since that time, the Chapel of Christ the King, the Common Room, the Theater Room, and Food Pantry space emerged. The Chapel of Christ the King includes the St. John's Columbarium (1992). 

As a Place of Worship

At the heart of St. John's as a place is our commitment to worship and ministry together through Word and Sacrament on Sunday and beyond.  We gather together to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  In worship you will hear the scriptures read and interpreted through the sermon.  You will feel the love of God through fellowship with those who gather.  You will taste the body and blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.  All the baptized are invited to receive Holy Communion.  Those who are not yet baptized will receive a blessing when they come forward.  This worship feeds and strengthens us in our call of discipleship.