Christ Church Episcopal has stood on North Lake Drive in Whitefish Bay since 1941, and across more than nine decades it has built a reputation for traditional liturgy, strong choral music, and a notable outdoor summer worship tradition. The parish welcomes anyone who wants to explore the Episcopal way of following Jesus, whether they grew up in the tradition or are arriving for the first time.
From a 1931 Mission to a Gothic Sanctuary
In 1931, a small mission was planted in the growing suburb of Whitefish Bay under the leadership of the first rector, Fr. Day. The early congregation met in a modest building on the south side of Beaumont Avenue, where a make-do spirit and a tone of devotion set lasting patterns for the parish.
Securing a loan for a new church during the Depression was no small feat, but in 1941 the parish completed the first phase of its present building. Fr. Day's knowledge of Gothic architecture and stained glass left a clear mark on the structure, and additions followed through the postwar years. Under Fr. Bolle, the parish grew to its largest numbers during the baby boom, with two consecutive Sunday schools needed to teach all the children. A Centennial Committee is currently gathering feedback on proposed improvements to the worship space.
Through the decades the parish has reached well beyond its own walls. Members helped found St. Martin's in Brown Deer and St. Simon's in Port Washington, partnered with Paul Rusch in Japan (where a small church carries the Christ Church name), and sent Fr. Bolle to Jamaica as a missionary. Women played a central role through guilds, social events, and fundraising, though they did not initially serve on vestries. The Rev. Sue Clark, who directed the Sunday school here, went on to become the first woman ordained priest in the Diocese of Milwaukee.
The parish saw lean years after the boom, a low point during a three-year interim between rectors, and a long rebuilding under the Rev. Lee Downs beginning in 2002. The Rev. Seth Dietrich arrived in 2007 as assistant priest and has served as rector since 2011.
Sunday Worship, the Chapel, and the Garden
Worship at Christ Church centers on the Holy Eucharist, also known as the Mass, Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, drawn from the Book of Common Prayer. Two Sunday services invite very different atmospheres.
At 8:00 a.m., a smaller and quieter congregation gathers in the side chapel for Holy Eucharist Rite II (Rite I in Advent and Lent). With no music, the service lasts about 45 minutes.
At 9:30 a.m., the larger congregation gathers for Holy Eucharist Rite II with music and congregational singing. From September through May, the service is held inside with the full choir and organ. From June through August, weather permitting, the service moves outside into the church garden, with children on the grass, adults in folding chairs, and music led by keyboard, guitar, or a small band. The Garden Service has been a distinctive feature of Christ Church since the 1970s and is one of the things the parish is best known for.
Both services offer Holy Communion, which is open to anyone who was baptized in any Christian tradition. Children may receive communion at any age; clergy are glad to talk with families about the meaning of the sacrament and offer short classes for children.
Nursery care is available for children from birth through age four during the 9:30 service from September through May, in a dedicated space at the back of the sanctuary. Parents are welcome to bring their children to worship instead, where activity bags, fidget toys, and children's bulletins are available.
A Music Program for the Whole Congregation
Music has long been a hallmark of Christ Church. The multi-generational Chancel Choir, which includes adult and upper-school-age singers, leads the sung liturgy almost every Sunday at 9:30 during the program year and rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30. The Director of Music and Organist, Michael Batcho, came to Christ Church in 2023 after 26 years as Director of Music at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Milwaukee. A West Virginia native, Batcho holds a Bachelor of Music from West Virginia University and a Master of Music in choral conducting from Virginia Commonwealth University.
The parish also keeps a 12-ringer Bell Choir that plays for the major seasons of the church year and rehearses on Wednesdays. The Director of Handbells, Karol Rehm, has more than four decades of experience as organist, choir director, handbell director, and children's music director.
For summer Sundays, the music relaxes into keyboard, guitar, and band, and solo and instrumental offerings by members and friends are welcomed throughout the year. Special services such as Choral Evensong and Advent Lessons and Carols are scheduled at various points in the church year.
Children, Middle School, and Confirmation
Christ Church takes seriously the formation of children and youth. Sunday school runs from 9:15 to 10:05 a.m. for children age 3 through fifth grade, with the Explorers (3K-1st) meeting in Room 12 and the Seekers (2nd-5th) meeting in the Youth Room. Children rejoin their families in the sanctuary for the Eucharist. The children's program follows a four-year cycle of themes (baptismal promises, prayer, liturgy and worship, and saints and service), and each year the entire parish focuses together on what it means to come to church and share in communion.
Once a month, the parish holds "Handing Down the Faith" Sundays, all-age services with youth readers, a children's sermon, and interactive songs.
Middle school youth gather twice a month on Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. for dinner, games, projects, and conversation, with field trips and service projects throughout the year. The current middle school curriculum explores God's love and the Bible's calls for social justice.
High school youth meet on the same twice-monthly Sunday evening schedule, with the confirmation track running for two years. The confirmation program begins with a September retreat at Havenwoods State Forest and aims to fully integrate youth into the adult life of the church through learning, service, mentoring, and regular participation in Sunday worship. Bailey Steger leads the high school youth and families, and Julie Davis leads the middle school youth and Sunday school.
Outreach Across Milwaukee and Beyond
Christ Church has a long tradition of looking outward, both in its Milwaukee neighborhood and across the world. Eight outreach ministries form the core of this work.
All Peoples Church, in Milwaukee's Harambee neighborhood, is a thriving partner. The parish supports All Peoples' food pantry through monthly giving, helps at their Partner Prayer Breakfast and Praise Dinner, supplies bag lunches for the Kids Working to Succeed Program, and brings youth groups together for monthly events and a yearly winter retreat.
Saint Vincent de Paul meal program. On the third Monday of each month, Christ Church donates, cooks, and serves a meal for around 150 guests at the north site, in the basement of All Peoples Church at 2600 N. 2nd Street. Volunteers of any age are welcome to donate, cook, or serve.
The Gathering is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee that provides meals and services for people who would otherwise go hungry. Christ Church supports The Gathering with financial gifts and serves lunch on six Saturdays throughout the year.
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity. Christ Church renewed its relationship with Habitat in 2025 as part of the Building on Faith initiative, supporting affordable housing through team build days, ReStore volunteering, and Habitat-focused events for adults and youth.
Tanzania. Through the Diocese of Wisconsin's companion relationship with the Anglican Dioceses of Tanzania, Christ Church has helped fund a church school building and a clean-water well at All Saints Church, and supports a sewing program for girls and the development of two additional parishes. The work began under the Rev. Oswald Bwechwa, who is now Clergy in Residence at Christ Church.
The Haiti Project is a diocesan partnership supporting St. Marc's Church and school and the rural village of Jeannette, with 90 percent of the project's budget going directly to Haiti.
Sojourner Family Peace Center is a Milwaukee organization serving families affected by domestic violence.
Gifts of Hope. Each year just before Advent, the parish hosts an alternative giving fair with 15 to 20 local and global nonprofits, allowing parishioners to give virtual gifts in varying amounts. An Angel Dollar activity helps motivate the youth in giving.
What Episcopalians Believe Here
Christ Church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Wisconsin, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The parish describes its tradition as a "middle way" between Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity, holding on to ancient liturgical structures while encouraging intellectual freedom and open questions.
Members follow Jesus Christ and believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They see God speaking through the Bible, through Church Tradition, and through human reason, and they see no inherent contradiction between faith and science. The parish holds to amendment of life, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting, and seeks to love neighbors and respect the dignity of every person.
The parish is fully inclusive. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are welcomed into all areas of parish life, and the rector is authorized to perform same-sex marriages. Both men and women, married or single, are eligible for ordination as deacons, priests, and bishops. Lay people have a strong voice in church governance, including the election of bishops. Communion is open to all baptized Christians, and children may receive at any age. Divorce does not bar anyone from the sacraments, remarriage is allowed with clergy consent, and decisions about birth control are treated as matters of personal informed conscience. The parish celebrates unity in Christ while honoring political, philosophical, and lifestyle differences, striving to put the work of love before uniformity of opinion.
Learning for Adults: FORUM, Theology by the Pint, and the Green Team
Formation for adults takes many forms at Christ Church.
After the 9:30 service, the parish hosts the FORUM, with speakers ranging from Marquette theology professors to local columnists. The coffee-and-donuts gathering known as the "15-Minute Feast" overflows from the Great Hall into conversations in the Good Shepherd Room. Parishioners often describe coffee hour as if it were another sacrament.
Theology by the Pint gathers on the third Thursday of each month from September through May at 5:00 p.m. for conversation about complex spiritual and ethical questions, from gun rights to abortion to interpretations of heaven and hell. Fr. Seth facilitates the discussions.
Book groups meet to read and discuss works of theology and literature. The Green Team engages members in sustainable living through weekly articles in the parish newsletter, household eco resources, gardening tips, and a twelve-week summer series on climate justice. The Beloved Community Team (BCT) leads the parish's work on racial reconciliation, with educational and worship offerings that take seriously the call to heal divisions. Men's retreats, women's book groups, and other small gatherings round out adult formation.
Clergy, Staff, and Governance
The Rev. Seth Dietrich has served as rector since 2011. A graduate of Wheaton College and Virginia Theological Seminary, Fr. Seth came to Christ Church as assistant priest in 2007. He is an Associate of the Episcopal Order of Julian of Norwich and completed the Spiritual Direction program at the Shalem Institute.
The Rev. Matt Phillips is the Associate Rector. A lifelong Episcopalian, Fr. Matt is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Nashotah House Theological Seminary, with a particular love for liturgy and the ways it continues to evolve.
The Rev. Deacon Nancy Hills was ordained to the Episcopal Diaconate in 2016 and has served Christ Church since 2017. A calligrapher and visual artist, she is also a longtime graphic designer who spent nearly 25 years with the City of Milwaukee.
The Rev. Drs. Jim and Mary Trainor serve as Clergy in Residence. Both are former scientists: Jim as a physicist (PhD, University of California) who served as deputy director for physics at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Mary as a biologist (also PhD, Cal) who served on the faculty at UW-Stevens Point.
The Rev. Oswald Bwechwa, a former associate priest, also serves as Clergy in Residence. The Rt. Rev. Michie Klusmeyer, recently retired bishop of the Diocese of West Virginia, serves as Bishop in Residence.
Music leadership includes Director of Music and Organist Michael Batcho and Director of Handbells Karol Rehm. The Lay Minister for Sunday School and Middle School Youth is Julie Davis, and the Lay Minister for Families and High School Youth is Bailey Steger. Communications Director Julie Thauer and Parish Business and Office Administrator Lori Sinclair round out the staff, with Dan Cotrone serving as Facility Manager.
The Vestry, the parish's elected governing board, includes Senior Warden Don Allen, Junior Warden Alex Rikkers, Clerk Emily Schley, and Treasurer David Short, with members serving three-year terms. The congregation gathers for an Annual Meeting at the end of January.
Joining the Parish
Christ Church invites anyone and everyone to become a member. The path typically begins with attending one of the Sunday services. Membership involves regular participation in worship, the giving of time and talent within the congregation, and a financial pledge prayerfully decided by each family. Baptized Christians can transfer their baptismal records; those who have not been baptized are warmly invited to receive the sacrament and join the body of Christ.
Many members also choose to be confirmed or received by the bishop, who visits every two years. Fr. Seth teaches a course called "Going Deeper: Exploring the Episcopal Church" for those who want to learn more. Visitors are welcome to arrive without checking in first; a member of the clergy, the newcomer committee, or a friendly parishioner is usually on hand to greet them. Those planning a visit can find practical information about parking, nursery care, what to wear (anything comfortable, from khakis to sport coats), and what to expect in the service.
Worship services are livestreamed on YouTube and archived for later viewing, allowing participation from home. Online giving and a parish directory are available to the congregation, and the weekly e-Weekly Broadcast, written by Fr. Seth, keeps members in touch with parish life throughout the week.