A Century at Woodward and 11 Mile
St. John's Episcopal Church has stood at the corner of Woodward Avenue and 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak, Michigan since 1926, and the parish is celebrating that hundred-year milestone throughout 2026. The current building is much older than the parish itself. The congregation traces its origin to 1902, when three families gathered in the basement of the old Royal Oak school building at Fourth and Williams. By 1917 the growing mission had its first full-time clergy and a wood-frame building of its own, and in 1920 - one year before Royal Oak was incorporated as a city - the mission became a full parish. The corner of Woodward and 11 Mile was purchased in 1923, and the first service in the new building was held in 1926.
The congregation has carried a strong sense of social conscience from its earliest decades. In 1922 St. John's held joint programs with St. Matthew's African American congregation. Through the Great Depression the parishioners barely saved the building from creditors while continuing to run ministries for those in need. Before the Second World War the parish held services for persecuted members of the Jewish community, and after the war it helped resettle refugees. A new education wing went up in the 1950s, and in 1958 the open-altar worship space that is in use today was completed. Beginning in the 1980s the parish expanded its ministries to people who were poor, which today include the Open Hands Food Pantry & Garden. The centennial is being marked with special services and community events throughout the year, with a combined worship service scheduled at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2026, with Bishop Bonnie Perry presiding.
Sunday Worship and the Eucharistic Life
St. John's gathers for two Sunday Eucharists. At 8:00 a.m. the church offers the Liturgy of Holy Eucharist without music in the sanctuary. At 10:15 a.m. the same liturgy is offered with music, and that service is also livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot be in the room. Both follow the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer, and communion is open to everyone who comes to the altar seeking Christ - the parish is explicit that the table belongs to God, not to any one denomination, background, or life circumstance.
A Wednesday evening gathering at the church has historically been part of the rhythm of Episcopal life here, and the parish's weekly programming extends well beyond Sunday morning. The Healing Service takes place on Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. in the chapel, where the community gathers to pray and meditate on Scripture, reflect on the lives of saints, and bring joys, concerns, and thanksgivings with an invitation to anointing with oil. The chancel choir rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. under Music Director Dr. Steven McGhee, who shapes the sung worship at the 10:15 service. First Monday Meditation is offered online via Zoom at 7:00 p.m. on the first Monday of each month, hosted by Anne Baird.
Children, Youth, and Families
Children are treated as full members of the assembly at St. John's. Sunday School is offered during the 10:15 service for children ages four through fifth grade, with stories, discussion, and hands-on activities; the children join their families in the service at the Peace, just before communion. Sunday School meets every Sunday except holidays and during the summer.
The Youth Group, for sixth through twelfth graders, meets twice a month following communion. After receiving communion, the youth head up to the third floor for lessons and activities, and once a month they gather for an evening event with other nearby Episcopal churches. Emma Bruns, the Interim Director of Youth & Family Ministry, oversees both Sunday School and Youth Group, and the parish notes that all young people - regardless of race, gender, creed, class, or sexuality - are welcome to receive communion and to be baptized.
Three family-friendly spaces are set aside inside the building. A Kid's Room in the narthex offers coloring, busy bags, and fidget toys that children can bring into the sanctuary. A Soft Space at the front right of the sanctuary provides cozy seating, toys, books, and puzzles for children under three, with a grown-up nearby. Across from the Library, a Respite Room offers a rocking chair, a changing table, a crib, books, and toys for grown-ups and children together, with a large window looking back into the sanctuary.
Welcome at the Table: Beliefs and Inclusion
Episcopalians at St. John's follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection they believe brought salvation to the world. The parish is rooted in a tradition of inclusion, with lay members and clergy sharing in leadership and decision-making, and with individuals of all genders and sexual orientations serving as bishops, priests, and deacons across the wider church.
St. John's is one of a small number of congregations designated as a Believe Out Loud congregation, a designation that expresses the parish's conviction that each person is made in God's image. The parish's own statement goes further still: regardless of cultural background, ethnicity, gender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or heterosexual identity, economic status, or physical or cognitive ability, those who walk through the doors will be welcomed, affirmed, embraced, and celebrated. Greeters and ushers welcome first-time visitors and hand out a bulletin that explains the service; people are invited to dress comfortably, in whatever makes them feel at ease, and children are welcome, with all their wiggles and sounds, in the sanctuary itself.
Reaching Out: Open Hands and the New To You Shop
Two long-running ministries are at the heart of the parish's life beyond its walls. The Open Hands Food Pantry is a nonprofit organization serving more than 16,000 people with food and other necessities, and St. John's hosts it as part of its outreach to those who are food-insecure in the wider community.
The New To You Resale Shop operates inside the church building itself, offering gently used clothing, household items, décor, and unique finds at low prices. The shop is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; cash, Visa, and MasterCard are accepted, sales are final, and there are no holds. The shop is staffed by volunteers and managed by Heidi Muszall, and proceeds benefit community outreach efforts. A volunteer application is available online.
The parish takes giving seriously across its other forms too. Members and friends can make annual stewardship pledges online or by mail, give altar-flower memorials and thanksgiving offerings, contribute non-cash gifts such as stocks or real estate, and arrange planned gifts or bequests.
Groups that Gather Throughout the Week
Beyond the formal services, St. John's keeps a steady calendar of small gatherings. Coffee with a Cause meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in the Church Library, pairing fellowship with light work for the church. The First Sunday Breakfast opens the month with hospitality. The Daytrippers plan group outings. There is an SJRO Hiking Group, SJRO Lunch and Dinner Groups, a Card Ministry, and Community Conversations that bring members together around shared interests and current events.
Adult formation is supported through Bible-centered small groups and a faith-in-Justice social-justice group that connects the parish's spiritual life with its long history of public witness. Coffee Hour takes place after services, and the congregation also gathers for seasonal traditions including a Christmas Pageant and summer picnics.
A Parish in Transition
St. John's is currently in a period of transition as it searches for a new rector. The Rev. Dr. Maryjane Peck is serving as Interim Rector, leading the congregation through the transition period while providing the normal liturgical services and programs, pastoral care, and parish administration. Maryjane was ordained as a transitional deacon at Christ Episcopal Church Dearborn in June 2013 and to the priesthood at St. Paul's Cathedral in Detroit in December 2013, and she has previously served as interim rector in multiple congregations in the Diocese of Michigan. She is available Tuesday through Thursday by appointment.
A Rector Search Committee, working with the vestry and the bishop's office, has completed the written parish profile; the position has been posted, and the search is expected to move into an interview stage within eight to twelve weeks. Candidates apply through the Rev. Canon Susie Shaefer, Canon for Transitions and Formation for the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. The Rev. Dr. Peck is supported by Parish Administrator Jannah Cole (Monday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), Music Director Dr. Steven McGhee, Bookkeeper Alice Tumidanski, New To You Manager Heidi Muszall, the sexton team, and Interim Director of Youth & Family Ministry Emma Bruns. The vestry is led by Co-Wardens Jonatan Ascarruz-Asencios and Cathy Holcomb, with Peg Coury as secretary and Maria Walter as treasurer.
Visiting St. John's
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and can be reached at (248) 546-1255 or office@stjohnro.org. The church building sits along the Woodward FAST Bus Route, with parking available on site for those who drive. The sanctuary, chapel, library, and family-friendly spaces are all inside the same building, along with the New To You Resale Shop. Those who prefer to join from home can watch the 10:15 a.m. service live on YouTube, watch the recording later on the same channel, or follow along with the printed bulletin posted online before each Sunday.