The Mother Church of Anchorage Episcopalians
All Saints' Episcopal Church has stood at 545 West Eighth Avenue in downtown Anchorage since 1953, but the congregation was born with the city itself. The first service was held in the summer of 1915 in a log social hall on Government Hill, Anchorage's original neighborhood. A purpose-built church followed in 1917, and within a few decades the building was relocated to a new downtown lot where it served for thirty years. By 1951 the parish had outgrown that second home, and construction began on the present building. The church was dedicated in 1953 and finished with the installation of its handcrafted birch pews in 1955, the same pews that still seat the congregation today.
Episcopalians across Anchorage often call All Saints' the "Mother Church" of the region because so many of the area's Episcopal congregations trace their roots to mission work begun here. The parish remains a stable, traditional presence in the heart of Alaska's largest city, with a continuing emphasis on the historic forms of Anglican worship.
Sunday Worship
The heart of parish life is the Sunday celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 10:30 a.m., sung using Rite I of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, the more traditional of the Prayer Book's two communion rites. The service follows the centuries-old shape of word and sacrament: readings from Scripture, a sermon, congregational singing, prayers for the world and the parish, and the sharing of bread and wine.
Anyone who has been baptized and trusts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is invited to receive communion. Visitors who prefer not to receive are welcomed to come forward for a blessing instead. The service is led from the altar by the rector, assisted by lay readers, acolytes, the choir, and ushers. Activity bags are available at the door for young children who need a quiet distraction during the liturgy.
Wednesday Midday Eucharist
On Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m., All Saints' offers a brief midday Holy Eucharist, at times combined with a healing service. The service gives downtown workers, retirees, and parishioners a chance to mark the middle of the week with prayer and sacrament, a small but steady rhythm that has been part of the parish's life for many years.
Christian Formation at 9:30 a.m.
Christian Education is offered every Sunday morning during the school year at 9:30 a.m., one hour before the main service, with parallel classes for every age:
- Children from kindergarten through sixth grade meet in the Elliott Room for Children's Sunday School.
- Youth in seventh through twelfth grade meet from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. down the hall from Fenn Hall, the fellowship hall.
- Adults gather in the Elliott Room from 9:30 to 10:50 a.m. for study and discussion.
A staffed nursery for children from birth through age four is open on Sundays just down the hall from the sanctuary, so that parents of the youngest children can take part in the service without worry.
Tuesday Evenings and Men's Breakfast
Tuesdays bring two anchors. At 7:00 p.m. the parish gathers for a Bible study, working through the readings appointed for the coming Sunday. Earlier in the day, at 8:00 a.m., the men of All Saints' meet for breakfast at the Village Inn, a long-running tradition of food and fellowship.
Young Adults
For adults in their twenties and thirties, a Young Adult Group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. The group offers a smaller setting for prayer, conversation, and friendship outside the main Sunday gathering.
Faith and Values
All Saints' describes itself as a committed gathering of Christian disciples standing in the fellowship of the Anglican Communion, affirming the great truths of orthodox and evangelical faith: the sovereignty of God the Holy Trinity, God's free grace for salvation through a living faith in Christ alone, and the primacy of Holy Scripture. The parish also affirms and confesses sacred Tradition in the ancient Creeds of the undivided Church and welcomes all Christian people from any denomination, or none, to worship.
Members commit themselves to a threefold pattern of life. Upward: gathering weekly for worship and Christian nurture, keeping Holy Scripture central, exercising a discipline of prayer, and learning to hear, trust, and obey Jesus as Head of the Church. Inward: supporting one another in daily life, welcoming all ages and gifts, encouraging every member to discover and use their God-given gifts for ministry, and participating in formation for all ages. Outward: providing an abiding Christian presence to the downtown Anchorage community, being a place of rest and beauty in the neighborhood, engaging the city's civic life as a resource for the common good, and joining in ecumenical witness.
Mission in a Sentence
All Saints' sums up its work in a single line: to respond to, and share, the love of God in Christ Jesus through service, education, and worship. In the parish's shorthand, that is work, study, and pray.
The Ministries That Make Sunday Work
The Sunday liturgy at All Saints' is supported by a network of lay ministries that share the work of worship. The Altar Guild prepares the sanctuary for every service, caring for linens, candles, vessels, vestments, and the bread and wine of the Eucharist. It is one of the parish's quiet but essential callings.
Acolytes, ages 8 through 18, assist at the altar, carrying torches, the processional cross, and the Gospel book during the liturgy. The acolyte corps is one of the most visible forms of lay service at the parish.
The parish choir leads congregational singing and offers anthems at the principal Sunday service, drawing on the Anglican choral tradition.
Worship leaders include lay readers and chalice bearers who proclaim the readings and assist with the distribution of communion.
The Prayer Ministry gathers about thirty minutes before each Sunday service in the church parlor to pray for the parish prayer list. Visitors are welcome to join the circle and add their own prayers.
Operation Christmas Child
Each fall, All Saints' serves as a drop-off and relay point for Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child, the international shoebox gift ministry. Parishioners fill simple cardboard boxes with school supplies, toys, hygiene items, and personal notes, and return them to the church by mid-November. The parish covers the per-box shipping donation from its outreach funds, so the focus stays on packing and praying rather than paperwork. The ministry is described at All Saints' as a tangible way of sharing God's love in Christ with children in need around the world, alongside the local churches that distribute the boxes.
Weddings at All Saints'
All Saints' hosts weddings for couples who share the classic Christian understanding of marriage set out in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer: a lifelong union of husband and wife intended for mutual joy, help and comfort in prosperity and adversity, and, when it is God's will, the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord.
Couples are asked to meet four practical requirements. Both parties must be legally eligible for marriage and hold a valid license from the State of Alaska by the time of the wedding. At least one, either the man or the woman, must be a baptized Christian. Both must commit to the understanding that marriage is a lifelong covenant and take part fully in clergy-led marriage preparation. The ceremony must include at least two witnesses and follow the Book of Common Prayer and the canons of the Church. The clergy reserve the discretion to decline to solemnize or bless any marriage. There are no fees for parish members or their immediate family members.
Funerals
All Saints' ministers to families at the time of death through the funeral rites of the Episcopal Church. A parish policy spells out practical steps for members who wish to plan ahead, working with the rector on readings, music, pallbearers, and the order of service.
Meet the Rector
The Rev. David Terwilliger, known as Fr. Terwilliger, leads the parish. Alaskan born and raised, he previously served as All Saints' Associate Rector and has also ministered in Northern British Columbia, in the Diocese of Yukon of the Anglican Church of Canada. Educated in both the United States and England, he has worked as a mental health counselor and as a high school philosophy teacher. He describes his calling as educating, equipping, and encouraging others in the Scriptures as God's word and the Holy Sacraments, in order to witness to the world the free grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Affiliation and Wider Connections
All Saints' is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska and a member congregation of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The parish draws on resources across the Anglican world for prayer and study, and it partners with other Christian communities in downtown Anchorage for ecumenical witness and shared work in the city.
Visiting All Saints'
All Saints' is at 545 West Eighth Avenue in downtown Anchorage, with a small on-site parking lot that is free for visitors and members. The parish acknowledges that downtown parking can be tight and keeps a printed parking map on hand to help newcomers find their way. The church office can be reached at 907-279-3924 or allsaintsanchorage@gmail.com. All are welcome to come as they are; the rector and congregation are glad to greet first-time visitors at both the Sunday and Wednesday services.