St. John's Episcopal Church stands on the corner of North Michigan Avenue in Old Town Saginaw, its historic walls holding 175 years of worship, weddings, funerals, and the quiet faithfulness of a parish that has outlasted the lumber boom and the industrial changes that reshaped the Saginaw Valley. In 2026 the congregation is in the middle of a year-long anniversary, marking a sesquicentennial-and-a-quarter with stained glass tours, interview collections from longtime members, and the long-delayed opening of a Sunday School time capsule. The building itself sits on the National Register of Historic Places, but the people who keep it open each Sunday are the parish's true constant.
A Building on the National Register
The red-brick church at 123 North Michigan Avenue carries the kind of architectural detail that prompts its sexton, Al Gissendanner, to speak of his work as an act of service to God. Al has cared for the facility since 2007, continuing the role his father, Jim Gissendanner, held before him. Together they have shepherded a building that is recognized at the national level for its historical significance, and that was extensively restored in 2010. That restoration was less about freshening paint than about access: lifts and ramps were added so that the sanctuary, originally designed long before the Americans with Disabilities Act, could welcome worshipers who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices. If a guest cannot come forward for Holy Communion, the priest will come to the pew once an usher has been told.
The sanctuary is the parish's most photographed feature. Stained glass windows line the walls, each with a story, and on November 4, 2026, Tom Trombley of the Castle Museum and the Historical Society of Saginaw County hosted a guided tour of the windows as part of the 175th anniversary programming. Members who have worshipped under those panes for decades still learn something new about the figures and scenes they have been gazing at all their lives.
175 Years in Old Town Saginaw
The parish's anniversary year stretches across most of 2026. A centerpiece came on October 18, when the Sunday morning service was devoted to celebrating 175 years of ministry, with Tom Trombley returning to preach a homily on St. John's role in Saginaw's history. The year of observance began earlier, when the new Transitional Deacon in Charge, the Rev. Janet Huff-Worvie, found a sealed time capsule almost immediately upon exploring the building. The capsule had been buried by Sunday School students, most likely in 2001 for the 150th anniversary, and it was opened after the 10:00 AM service on September 13, 2026. Parishioners had guessed at the contents in advance: 14 hoped for photographs, 12 expected a letter, and one optimistic soul predicted a treasure map.
The anniversary has also been a chance to gather memories. Throughout the summer and fall of 2026, St. John's released a series of short video interviews with longtime members who can no longer attend worship in person and with clergy who served the parish in earlier years. The series has featured the Most Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, Assisting Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes; Bishop Todd Ousley; former Rector the Rev. Daniel Cannon, who served St. John's from 2011 to 2016; the Rev. Ann Grady; the Rev. Mike Houle; and many longtime parishioners including Ruth Samra, Mary Holmes Spence, Shirley Blodgett, Dave Humpert, and Paul Schaub. The interviews are available on the parish's social channels.
Worship on Sundays
Sunday is the parish's anchor. Holy Eucharist Rite Two is celebrated at 10:00 AM each week using the Book of Common Prayer, with the congregation's principal service supported by the organist and choir. The service follows the pattern most Episcopalians will recognize: gathering hymn, opening sentences, confession, readings from the Hebrew Scriptures, an Epistle, and a Gospel, a sermon, the Prayers of the People, the peace, the offertory, the Eucharistic prayer, and Communion. Members of the altar party, including lectors, acolytes, chalice bearers, and ushers, rotate through the roles.
For those who cannot attend in person, the service is livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings remain available in a service archive. A prayer for spiritual communion is printed for those watching from home, alongside the weekly bulletin and the prayer request form. The streamed music is licensed through ONE LICENSE (#723843-A) and St. James Music Press (#17512).
The Rev. Janet Huff-Worvie describes herself as "a safe place to struggle with the difficult questions of life." Her framing has become a kind of unofficial parish motto, repeated in slightly different forms. As she puts it, St. John's is a place to stay in the struggle long enough to discover God's blessing, and to be so secure with God's unconditional love that worshipers need not seek validation anywhere else.
Lent, Holy Week, and Advent
The rhythms of the church year shape the year-round calendar. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, observed with both a noon and a 7 PM service; the ashes are made by youth group members who burn the previous year's palms. Compline, a simple office of confession and evening prayer, is sung online at 9 PM each night during Lent. Adult formation during the season has centered on study of the Baptismal Covenant, asking the question "Will you...?" that begins each of the covenant's five commitments.
Holy Week follows the traditional shape. Palm Sunday's blessing of the palms takes place in the Community Room, with the congregation then processing into the church. Maundy Thursday at 7 PM centers on foot washing and the stripping of the altar. Good Friday is observed at noon with a bare altar. The Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday brings the lighting of the Paschal candle in darkness and moves into the first "Alleluias" of the year, accompanied by organ and brass. Easter Day itself closes the week at 10:00 AM with the renewal of baptismal vows.
In December, the parish holds its annual Festival of Lessons and Carols on a Sunday evening each year, nine scripture readings interleaved with choir anthems and congregational hymns. The service has in some years been joined by choirs from nearby Shepherd High School. Advent and Christmas also bring a community Soup and Rolls potluck, the parish's homegrown Apple Pie Fundraiser that benefits Christian Formation, and stewardship season.
Beliefs and the Book of Common Prayer
St. John's identifies itself clearly as a parish of the Episcopal Church, the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The parish subscribes to the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed as foundational statements of faith, affirms the Bible as the Word of God containing all things necessary for salvation, and confesses God known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Book of Common Prayer is the primary worship book and the unifying text across Anglican congregations. St. John's teaches that approximately seventy percent of the Prayer Book comes directly from Scripture, and that Episcopalians read more of the Bible in Sunday worship than nearly any other Christian body, following the three-year Revised Common Lectionary.
The seven sacraments and sacramental rites observed at St. John's are the same as those in the wider Episcopal Church. Holy Baptism is celebrated during Sunday services, with water and anointing oil, and is open to both infants and adults. The parish teaches that baptism shares in Christ's death and resurrection, marks entry into God's family the Church, and forgives sin. Holy Communion, also called the Eucharist or the mass, is the principal act of Christian worship, and at St. John's is open to all baptized Christians regardless of where they were baptized. Other recognized rites are Confirmation, Reconciliation of a Penitent (private confession), Matrimony (which the Episcopal Church celebrates for any two persons entering into a lifelong union), Ordination to the diaconate, priesthood, or episcopate, and Unction, the anointing of the sick and dying.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently in a transition. The Rev. Janet Huff-Worvie joined St. John's as Transitional Deacon in Charge with the intention of being ordained to the priesthood in late November, at which time her title becomes Priest in Charge. She is a lifelong Episcopalian, a native New Yorker, and a Michigan resident of more than twenty years who previously served as Director of Human Resources at Macomb Community College before her ordination.
The Rev. Pam Renna serves as Associate Priest. A retired Delta College French professor originally from southern Oregon but long resident in Saginaw, she assists with Sunday and Wednesday worship, oversees the team of Lay Eucharistic Visitors who take Communion to the hospitalized and homebound, and leads the parish's Invite, Welcome, Connect ministry.
Dr. Kevin Simons has been Director of Music and Organist since 2002. He also directs the choirs at Saginaw Valley State University and the Sewanee Church Music Conference and is an active member of the American Guild of Organists. Amy Simons has served the parish since 2007 in various roles and now holds the title of Director of Christian Education, with a bachelor's degree in education and a FORMA Children's Ministry certificate. She oversees nursery, Sunday School, youth ministry, and adult formation. Al Gissendanner maintains the historic building as sexton. He succeeded his father, Jim Gissendanner, in 2007.
Elected lay leadership is the Vestry, which consists of nine members elected in three classes at each annual meeting. In 2026 the Senior Warden is Barbara Ilkka; the Junior Warden is Kathryn Coman; the Clerk is Michael Keenan; the Treasurer is Burris Smith; and the other members are Mike Cierzniewski, Claire Ingersoll, Lucas Curell, and Jeremiah Kraniak. Committee chairs include Marcia Hoffman for Altar Guild, Ray Ilkka for Building and Grounds, and Melanie Hollman for Hospitality.
The Music Program
Music is one of the most visible ministries at St. John's. The volunteer choir sings at the 10:00 AM Sunday service every week, leading hymns, chanting the psalm, and offering anthems. Under Dr. Simons's direction since 2002, the program has grown to include major works such as Luigi Boccherini's Gloria and Mozart's Missa Brevis in D Major. The choir also runs a Choral Scholar program and a Voice for Life youth choir that develop younger singers for church music leadership.
The choir is open to anyone with a desire to sing and a willingness to commit to rehearsal and worship; no prior experience is required. Dr. Simon has been known to recruit singers, both joking and serious, with the observation that science has confirmed what choir members have always known: singing makes you happier. Occasionally the parish hosts a Pick-Up Choir, a low-commitment morning rehearsal before the service for anyone who wants to sing once without joining the regular rotation.
Children, Nursery, and Sunday School
Formation for the parish's youngest members is run through the nursery and Sunday School programs under Amy Simons's leadership. The nursery has been renovated into a space where caregivers can stay and play, with books and coloring pages from the Frolic First Bible series and a quiet area for feeding or rest. Parents are also encouraged to bring their children into the sanctuary; rocking chairs at the back of the nave, a friendly parish that doesn't flinch at a dropped toy or a Gospel-time diaper emergency, and the colorful stained glass windows all help families participate in worship together.
Spark Sunday School meets each Sunday from 10:00 AM to 10:35 AM for children in pre-kindergarten through second grade, using the Spark Activate Faith: Lectionary curriculum. Children join their families in the nave for the second half of the 10:00 AM service. The program breaks for the summer, though children's bulletins are always available in worship. Teachers include Lucas Curell and Melanie Hollman. All volunteers who work with young people require a background check and SafeChurch abuse-prevention training, and at least two adults must be present at any youth activity.
Children typically move from nursery to Sunday School when they can express needs clearly, follow a set of directions, are potty-trained, and are interested in being with older students. Registration is not required, though caregivers may be asked to sign students in on a given Sunday.
Youth: Disciples and Dragons
St. John's youth ministry has built itself a distinctive identity around "Disciples and Dragons," a Dungeons and Dragons-based program for middle and high school students written by Episcopal priest Joe Kennedy. Students create characters, take on quests, and re-enter iconic Bible stories from Cain and Abel through the plagues in Egypt to the Psalms, exploring along the way what it means to be an Episcopalian with "common prayer," armor in the form of vestments, and the gear of crosses and processional torches. The group meets Sundays from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, dinner included.
Players are asked to bring a Student Bible, an RPG dice set, and a copy of the Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook 5th Edition if they want their own. For parents curious about how the gaming ties to Episcopal life, the program recommends "The Ultimate Quest: A Geeks Guide to the (Episcopal) Church" by the same author. Youth interested in serving in the parish's liturgical life can serve as acolytes, altar guild members, choir singers, lectors, or ushers and greeters.
Adult Education and Book Groups
Christian formation for adults has moved into a rotating series of book discussions and video studies led by Amy Simons. Recent seasons have worked through Gary Thomas's "Sacred Pathways: Nine Ways to Connect with God," the Bible Project's "How to Read the Bible" video series, and "Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices" by Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe. The 2023 Lenten study examined the Baptismal Covenant through a workbook called "Will You?" These gatherings are intentionally informal ("not in a stuffy way like we're taking a history class," as one description puts it) and rotate times and topics through the year.
Worship Servers and Liturgical Roles
A Sunday at St. John's depends on more than a dozen volunteers behind the scenes. Acolytes process with crosses, torches, and banners, assist with incense, light and extinguish candles, and help set the table for Communion. The Altar Guild cares for all the linens, brass, silver, and glass vessels, prepares the sanctuary, baptistery, and sacristy for services, and gathers monthly for a dinner meeting. Lectors read one of the appointed lessons about once a month. Lay Eucharistic Ministers help administer the wine at Communion and must attend seasonal training plus a triennial recertification. Lay Eucharistic Visitors are LEMs who additionally take Communion to parishioners who are sick or homebound.
Ushers and greeters are the first point of contact at the door. Their duties are scripted in detail: arrive ten to fifteen minutes early, place bulletins at the Hancock Street and Michigan Avenue entrances, ring the bell about twelve times five minutes before the service, lock the doors and post signs once the Gospel reading begins, count everyone present, collect the offering, and unlock the doors again after Communion. The Ushers and Greeters' Guide, available online in full and abridged form, treats the role as a liturgical hospitality ministry rather than mere crowd management.
Members of the parish also sign up to host Coffee Hour, a simple but meaningful ministry: bring a treat to share, set up and clean up the table. The Altar Guild and Worship Server schedules are coordinated through online sign-up sheets.
Food Distribution and Outreach
Outreach at St. John's centers on food. The parish operates a Food Distribution ministry that gives out boxed groceries on a first-come, first-served basis several times a year. Past events have included a fall distribution at 3 PM, drawing on donations such as the 80 dozen eggs that Hidden Harvest once delivered in bulk and that needed to be packed into egg cartons for distribution. The parish building itself is also used as meeting and rehearsal space by community organizations, including the Saginaw Choral Society.
St. John's regularly produces apples pies in the fall as a fundraiser for Christian Formation. Volunteers and youth gather to assemble the pies, which are then frozen for the holidays; the 2023 pies sold for $20 each, and past editions have netted about ten dollars per pie toward Bibles, nursery materials, Sunday School supplies, youth group support, and volunteer training.
Joining the Parish
The Episcopal Church considers baptism the only requirement for membership, and at St. John's communion is open to all baptized Christians regardless of where they were baptized. Visitors who want to explore membership can fill out an online Connection Card, which offers options for receiving periodic emails, learning about baptism or confirmation, or simply staying in the loop as a friend of the parish.
For couples wishing to be married at St. John's, the expectation is that they attend the parish for at least a year before the intended wedding date. Funerals follow the Book of Common Prayer 1979 and are reserved for communicants in good standing and, in some cases, immediate family members. A funeral planning guide is available online.
Accessibility, Location, and Visiting
The church is at 123 North Michigan Avenue in Saginaw, with entrances on both Michigan Avenue and Hancock Street. The Community Room is at the Hancock Street entrance. Members come from across the Tri-City area, including Saginaw, Midland, Bay City, Frankenmuth, Freeland, Hemlock, and the surrounding countryside. Parking is on site.
Accessibility features added during the 2010 restoration include a lift and ramps designed to accommodate many mobility solutions while preserving the historic fabric of the sanctuary. If a guest uses a wheelchair, an usher can help with Communion arrangements so that no one has to climb steps to the altar rail.
First-time visitors should know that the dress is what one would expect in any mainline congregation: a range from business casual to "Sunday best," but no one is turned away for being under- or over-dressed. Children are welcome in the sanctuary. The 10:00 AM service runs about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half, including Communion. Those watching from home can find the livestream on YouTube, the weekly bulletin posted to Google Drive, and a back catalog of past services. Online giving is available through a secure portal and through the Vanco mobile app for iOS and Android. The parish also keeps an active Facebook page, a YouTube channel, an X (Twitter) account, and a podcast feed hosted by the Rev. Curt Norman.
Looking Forward
St. John's is a parish in transition and in celebration at the same moment. New clergy leadership is taking shape, the building is being opened in new ways to neighbors in need of food, the children's and youth programs continue to expand through the imaginative Disciples and Dragons curriculum and the Spark Sunday School curriculum, and the music program remains one of the strongest in the area. The 175th anniversary has invited the parish to remember where it has been; the day-to-day work of worship, formation, and outreach is where the next chapter is being sketched, one Sunday at a time.