About
St. John's Episcopal Church is an Episcopal congregation on Maryland Highway (Route 135) in Deer Park, at 5234 Maryland Highway. It is one of the two churches of The Episcopal Church in Garrett County, sharing clergy, a website, a phone line and ministries with St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Oakland. Year-round residents and seasonal visitors worship together here.
One Ministry, Two Churches
St. John's grew out of St. Matthew's mission work in nearby towns. Episcopalians first worshipped in a chapel at the Deer Park Hotel in 1886, and in 1923 the mission began meeting in Deer Park's Union Church, taking the name St. John's. The present church was funded by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland as a mission and built by Oakland contractor William A. Shirer. Ground was broken on July 2, 1961, and the first service was held in February 1962. Land for the parish house and vicarage was given by Mrs. D. W. Loomis in memory of her husband, Admiral Donald W. Loomis.
Today the two churches take turns hosting the Sunday service, which follows the Rite II liturgy and is livestreamed on YouTube, so check the shared schedule to see which building is in use on a given Sunday. The congregation describes itself as welcoming and affirming of all people, with room for questions and doubts.
Serving the Community
- Food pantry: for more than thirty years St. John's has been a distribution site for the House of Hope food pantry, with volunteers packing groceries for families House of Hope identifies.
- Shared outreach: members also support Stephen's Table free community dinners at St. Matthew's, It's in the Bag weekend food packs for schoolchildren, and the Nearly New resale shop in Oakland, whose proceeds fund outreach.
- Columbarium: a memorial space near the church for cremated remains.
- Fellowship: EpiscoPals social evenings bring members of both churches together.
If you're spending the summer near the lake, you'll find seasonal visitors in the pews alongside locals.
Address
5234 MD-135, Deer Park, MD 21550