The Church of the Epiphany sits three blocks east of the White House at 1317 G Street NW, on ancestral land of the Anacostan, Piscataway, and Nacotchtan peoples that the parish acknowledges at the top of its pages. Founded in 1842, Epiphany today calls itself "a diverse Episcopal community in downtown DC" that works "toward Christ-centered transformation in our hearts and the world by seeking justice, and loving our neighbors as ourselves." That mission is carried out, the parish states, "primarily through our service to the poor and through the gift of music" - two threads that shape nearly everything that happens inside the limestone walls of its 1852 building.
Founding on January 6, 1842
Epiphany began with an organizing meeting on January 6, 1842, followed by a first service on January 23. The cornerstone was laid on August 14, 1843, and the parish achieved formal standing in May of the next year. The building was consecrated on June 3, 1852. Transepts, a chancel, and the original tower were added in 1857, and in December 1858 the parish opened the Epiphany Church Home to care for the sick and the poor - a thread of direct service that runs unbroken to the present.
During the Civil War, the church served as a hospital for Union troops from July to December 1862, and the funeral of General Frederick Lander was held there on March 6, 1862, attended by President Lincoln. The tower's original bell was removed and melted down for its metal during the war; the present tower, with its chime of fifteen, was built in 1922 and dedicated as a tribute to the seventh rector, Dr. Randolph Harrison McKim. These were the first true set of church bells in the city of Washington and include a tenor bell inscribed, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth Peace, Good Will Toward Men." They rang for the inauguration of President Coolidge in 1925 and for every president since.
Other milestones include the 1893 launch of what became the first mixed vested choir in the city of Washington; the 1895 meeting of the Maryland Diocesan Convention at Epiphany that created the new Diocese of Washington; the 1905 marriage of John J. Pershing and Helen Warren inside the building; the 1968 dedication of the church's fifth and current organ; and a 1991 distinction when parishioner Pamela Chinnis became the third Epiphany member and the first woman to serve as President of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church. In 1995, the parish began its Welcome Table outreach ministry, which continues today in a new form. The parish honors the Anacostan, Piscataway, and Nacotchtan peoples as the original inhabitants of the land on which it now stands.
Sunday Morning at Ten
The Sunday Eucharistic Service is the heart of parish life. It begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary and runs about forty-five minutes, ending around 10:45 a.m. The liturgy is the Episcopal Church's Rite Two, in English, in a family-friendly setting. The worship is livestreamed each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. via Zoom and on the church's YouTube channel, so members who are traveling or homebound can join from wherever they are. The service is also the visible peak of a Sunday that begins much earlier and reaches well beyond the pews.
Visitors are welcome to come as they are. The parish states plainly that there is no dress code and that the hope is that all worshipers "will feel comfortable enough to participate in the liturgy at the level they desire." The congregation, in the parish's own description, is "diverse in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, age, theology, ability, politics, and socio-economic status" and includes those who live in the city, the suburbs, and the DC shelters.
Wednesday at the Noon Hour
Midweek worship at Epiphany takes the form of a Wednesday Healing Service at 12:10 p.m. - a brief, non-Eucharistic service that has become a refuge for those who work downtown and want a moment of prayer in the middle of the week. The service is held in the Sanctuary and is open to all.
The same Wednesday noon hour is shared with the Parish Community Hall next door, which hosts an Alcoholics Anonymous twelve-step meeting from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. These meetings are not run by the parish but are hosted in the building, and all are welcome. The church notes that AA meetings are not held on days when the building is closed, such as national holidays.
Wednesday evenings bring a free-will-offering yoga class at 6:00 p.m., described as a session of "foundations, fun tricks, and meditation," with mats and props available for those who do not bring their own. All levels are welcome, and modifications and variations are encouraged.
The Welcome Table Cafe
For more than twenty-five years, Epiphany has served breakfast and offered companionship to people experiencing homelessness in downtown Washington. The original Welcome Table program paused during the pandemic. After consulting with guests, the parish returned in a new shape called the Welcome Table Cafe, opening Sundays from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. The model is simple: hot coffee and tea, bottled water, a breakfast sandwich, fruit, and trail mix, with toiletries and items such as blankets, coats, hats, gloves, and scarves given away as they are available.
The parish is explicit that the cafe is more than a food program. As the church states, "there are places that provide food, but there are no places where our community can sit, talk, charge their phone, or simply take a moment to themselves. We have that safe space. You Are Welcome Here!" Volunteers can sign up through the parish office, and donations can be made through an Amazon Wish List or by way of the church's online giving page.
Sundays Before the Service: Narcotics Anonymous
Each Sunday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m., the Willard Conference Room on the second floor is home to a local Narcotics Anonymous group called "Open Door to Freedom." The DC-area NA community organizes the meeting, and all are welcome. More information about the group's region is available through the Chesapeake & Potomac Regional NA website.
Friday Afternoon: Jumuah Prayer at Epiphany
Each Friday from 1:15 to 1:55 p.m., the church building is host to Jumuah, the Muslim congregational prayer. The service is organized by the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, a partner of the parish. Those attending are asked to make wudu (the ritual ablution) before arriving. Information is available through the Adams Center, ADAMS' community and outreach arm.
The Skrabl Organ and the Tuesday Concert Series
The Skrabl organ, the parish notes, is the church's fifth pipe organ, dedicated on March 3, 1968, after the sanctuary was renovated and air-conditioned. It anchors a music program the parish has cultivated for more than a century, going back to 1893 when the Epiphany Choir became the first mixed vested choir in the city of Washington.
The music reaches its most public expression in the free Epiphany Tuesday Concert Series, which presents a different artist each week at 12:10 p.m. The series is curated by Dr. Jinsun Cho, the Director of Music. Recent and upcoming programs have included solo organists performing works by Messiaen, Bach-Busoni, Ravel, Chopin, and Dvořák; vocal recitals pairing a soprano with a pianist in works by Schumann and Clara Schumann; the Washington Bach Consort performing Buxtehude and Bach; and ensembles of the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own." Programs often pair classical repertoire with music by living and Latvian composers, jazz transcriptions, and seasonal works. All concerts are free and open to the public.
Guest performers and ensembles outside the Tuesday series use the Sanctuary as a recital venue. The church also rents the Skrabl organ to outside musicians for concerts and recordings.
Bells on the Quarter Hours and at Noon
The 1922 chime of fifteen Meneely bells rings out from the tower on a regular schedule. They chime the quarter hours and ring hymn-based peals on Sunday mornings and weekdays at noon. The bells were featured on national radio after the inaugurations of Presidents Truman and Eisenhower and remain a fixture of downtown Washington's soundscape, in addition to the tradition of ringing for every presidential inauguration since 1925.
Weddings in the Sanctuary
Epiphany hosts weddings for both members and non-members of the parish. The Sanctuary, with seating for 450 to 500 including the south balcony and transepts, is filled with light through stained-glass windows dating to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage is treated as worship in which the couple enters the covenant of marriage, and the congregation promises to uphold them.
The rector, the Reverend Glenna J. Huber, meets with couples four to six times before the wedding to walk through family systems, communication, conflict resolution, shared faith, and the planning of the service itself. Building use for parishioners is $1,500 plus a $150 sexton fee; clergy honorarium is suggested at $250 and an Epiphany organist can be engaged for $350. For non-parishioners, the building fee is $3,000 plus sexton, with a suggested clergy honorarium of $350 and an organist fee of $500. A reservation deposit is due with the form, and full payment is due thirty days before the wedding. Detailed policies and reservation forms are available through the parish office.
The Columbarium
Epiphany maintains a columbarium for the interment of cremated remains. Members and others may arrange for inurnment in the parish columbarium by contacting the parish office.
The Mission Center and Other Spaces for Rent
The parish welcomes outside groups to use its spaces. Four are described in detail:
- Sanctuary. Ideal for choral, orchestral, or oratory performances. Seating capacity is 450 to 500 including the south balcony and transepts. The performance area is about 37 feet deep by 38 feet wide. The fee is $300 for the first hour and $175 for each subsequent hour, plus a sexton fee, with a one-hour minimum.
- Parish Community Hall. A 1,650-square-foot multi-purpose room suitable for banquets, town-hall presentations, and lectures. It features WiFi, an overhead projector with a retractable screen, a 14-foot oval wooden table, folding tables and chairs, and can seat 150 in theatre style, 100 at tables, or about 200 for a standing reception. The fee is $175 for the first hour and $125 for each subsequent hour, plus a sexton fee.
- Willard Conference Room. A 468-square-foot room with a Yamaha upright piano, internet connectivity, a 37-inch wall monitor and webcam, and four large whiteboards. Seating is around 14 at conference tables plus 19 along the walls, or 50 standing. Pricing is $80 for the first hour and $25 for each additional hour, plus a sexton fee.
- Epiphany Mission Center. A 37-and-a-half by 48-foot overnight space that welcomes mission and youth groups. The Center sleeps up to 40 people and includes two bathrooms with showers and a kitchenette with sink, refrigerator, and microwave. Rolling partitions allow the room to be divided; four whiteboards support group agendas. Guests bring their own air mattresses and bedding. The cost is $40 per person per night. Groups may also participate as partners in the Welcome Table Mission (Sunday mornings) for an additional contribution.
Reservations begin with a call or email to the parish administrator. The parish notes that it cannot guarantee parking availability for groups using the building.
The Sanctuary, the Building, and the Surroundings
The Sanctuary, with its stained glass, oak pews, balcony, and transepts, is open to visitors on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The building sits near the intersection of G Street and 13th Street NW, three blocks east of the White House and a short walk from the Metro Center station on the Red, Blue, and Orange lines. Visitors are asked to use the 13th Street exit.
The Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by the Reverend Glenna J. Huber, the fifteenth Rector. Before joining Epiphany, she served as Vicar at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Baltimore and has worked as a consultant for urban congregations on community organizing in congregational development. She holds a Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary and a degree in history from Spelman College. Her work has earned the Distinguished Alumni award from Holland Hall, a Community Service Award from the Baltimore Police, and an honorable mention as Marylander of the Year from The Baltimore Sun.
The Reverend David F. Potter serves as Associate Rector. The Reverend Dr. Margaret McNaughton, who has been a member of the parish since 2004, serves as Assisting Clergy; she was ordained in 1982, taught Christian spirituality and practical theology at Virginia Theological Seminary for nearly fifteen years, and earned a Doctor of Ministry in Spirituality and the Suffering of God from Wesley Theological Seminary.
Dr. Jinsun Cho is the Director of Music and Tuesday Concert Series. Trained at Yonsei University in Seoul, the Peabody Conservatory, and the Catholic University of America, Dr. Cho has concertized in the United States, Europe, South America, and South Korea, and has won prizes in the Arthur Poister Organ Competition and the San Marino Organ Competition.
Antoinette "Toni" Burriss serves as Community Engagement Coordinator. A Spelman College graduate in political science, she brings experience in event coordination, mentorship with formerly incarcerated individuals, and marketing for environmental education.
Parish governance is carried out by a vestry led by Senior Warden Sandi Ingram and Junior Warden Susan Weinbeck, with members in classes of 2026, 2027, and 2028. The vestry's bylaws, norms, and candidate expectations are available as downloadable PDFs.
Mission Statement
The parish states its mission plainly: "The Church of the Epiphany is a diverse Episcopal community in downtown DC. We work toward Christ-centered transformation in our hearts and the world by seeking justice, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We manifest God's love primarily through our service to the poor and through the gift of music." That sentence is the parish's own description of itself and the lens through which the rest of its work - the Welcome Table Cafe, the Tuesday Concerts, the Mission Center, and the Sunday Eucharist - is offered.
Getting Involved and Practical Notes
Visitors are welcome to drop in for the Sunday Eucharist at 10 a.m. or the Wednesday Healing Service at 12:10 p.m. The Tuesday Concert Series at 12:10 p.m. is open to the public and free. The Sanctuary is open to visitors Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The parish office is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be reached at 202-347-2635 or info@epiphanydc.org. Volunteering, particularly with the Welcome Table Cafe, is coordinated through the parish office; the church also supports an Amazon Wish List for ongoing supplies. Donations are accepted online through the church's Realm giving page, by texting EpiphanyDC to 73256, and through AmazonSmile. The church follows the U.S. Government's weather cancellation decisions for events. Use of face masks during worship and events is currently optional but recommended.
Whether one arrives as a worshipper, a neighbor in need of breakfast, a musician tuning the Skrabl organ, a wedding party, a twelve-step member, or a Friday prayer, the building on G Street is the same: a downtown landmark whose fifteen Meneely bells still ring the quarter hours and mark the noon of every weekday, and whose doors have opened to the city of Washington, in the parish's own phrase, for more than 180 years.