Saint John's Episcopal Church: Where Diversity Is Celebrated

On one of Montclair's loveliest streets, Montclair Avenue, sits a beautiful church at the corner of Christopher Street. Outside, flies a Rainbow Flag. Inside, sits Rev. Andrew Butler, who replaced Diana Clark as pastor in September. Clark retired in May after 19 years at the church. Indeed, St. John's Episcopal Church is not immune to change, having started life as a mission of St. Luke's Church in 1896. In March 1901, permission was obtained from the diocese to become a formal mission named St. John's Diocesan Mission. Then, on June 2, 1902, St. John's was declared a self-supporting parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. Patch recently sat down with both Butler and also Deacon Peter Jackson, who has been at the church for five years, to find out more about what makes the congregation so special. 

Q. How many members do you have?

A. Membership here is rather porous. I'd say we have an average of about 120 people coming to worship on Sunday.

Q. So how long have you been here?

A. I started September 1. I came from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, where I was assistant rector at the Church of the Redeemer.

Q. What do you like about Montclair?

A. I like the diversity. I like the socio-economic and the racial diversity. And I also love the sense of community here.

Q. Do you have a lot of long-term members? Are you getting a lot of new members?

A. We have people who were baptized here who are still members. They've been members for decades. We also have a lot of new members who have only been here a few years. We get a lot of people through word of mouth. For Episcopalians, it's a bit unusual ... it's interesting how people here are not afraid to invite others here. Many people have just passed by. The pride flag has brought a lot of people here. It's been up about two years. Several gay/lesbian members have seen it and have come here. We make no distinctions here. We welcome everyone.

Q. What makes your congregation so special?

A. One of the things about this congregation is that it is small enough so that people know each other. We're like a family here. We have members whose partners are of other faiths.

(Deacon Peter Jackson adds that the congregation "has a special spirit. There are three Episcopal churches in Montclair. This one is very relaxed. And it's very active.")

We also have a good church school. We have an active youth group. The congregation is for parents who are looking for a progressive community but want that religious base. We have a very diverse congregation. There are lots of newcomer events. We have coffee hours on Sundays after the service. But we're also looking for more ways to get the church out into the community.

Q. What kind of outreach do you already do?

A. We have a group that visits the St. Paul's men's shelter in Paterson once a month to take food and to serve. We're planning mission trips for our youth. The middle school group will likely go to Philadelphia in the summer and the high school group will hopefully go to New Orleans.

We had a pumpkin sale on the lawn recently and the community recently supported it. This is what is unique about this congregation. There is mutual support between the church and the community. We donated $1,000 from that pumpkin sale to the Human Needs Food Pantry.

In addition, we also host an AIDS support group here and an overeaters' anonymous group, and other 12-step groups here. We are a little parish with a big heart.

Q. When was your last vacation?

A. I went to Fort Lauderdale in August but I kept getting phone calls from the church when I was on the beach.

Q. What do you like to do in your spare time ... or do you have any spare time?

A. I don't have a lot. Not only do I have my work here, but I am the single parent of three children, 18, 15, and 12. I am a musician and I do play the piano and the organ. And I read a lot of theology, as well as The New York Times. I think it's important to link the church with what's going on in the world.

Q. Where do you like to go in Montclair with your kids?

A. We eat out a lot ... too much. We've been trying to find our favorite pizza. So far we like Mr. Dino's.

Q. What's your favorite TV show?

A. Well, I actually like Jersey Shore, which I probably shouldn't say. I'm new to New Jersey and so I'm trying to find out more about what New Jersey is like. And I like Glee too. I watch that with my kids.

The Saint John's Episcopal Church is at 55 Montclair Avenue. Services are on Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. For more information go here.