A block south of Lancaster Avenue, where the old commercial strip of Devon gives way to tree-shaded side streets, St. John's Presbyterian Church has occupied its corner on Berkley Road for more than a century. The congregation first gathered in 1892 as a Sunday School, chartered as "Devon Chapel" the following year, and officially joined the Presbyterian Church in 1903 under the name St. John's. Today the church is recognized in the community for its single, well-attended Sunday morning service, its wide range of music ensembles, and its decades-long partnership with the Devon Horse Show, which doubles as the congregation's largest youth fundraiser.
A Single Sunday Service, Rooted in Tradition
Worship at St. John's takes place at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday and runs about an hour. The service is described by the congregation as relatively traditional, with communion observed on the first Sunday of every month and everyone welcome at the table. Music plays a central role in every service, and the chancel fills with different ensembles throughout the year: the Chancel Choir, the Devon Chapel Bells, the Rejoicing Ringers, the Devon Brass quartet, and the contemporary group the Joy Messengers. Most Sundays include a Children's Time for Pre-K through fifth grade before the children depart for their own classrooms.
The sanctuary was recently renovated, and ongoing work overseen by an Implementation Team is replacing a two-decade-old audio system with new digital mixers, microphones, and streamlined wall-mounted speakers, along with an expanded livestream workspace in the western transept.
Children, Nursery, and Sunday School
Children are woven into the rhythm of Sunday morning rather than separated from it. Following the Children's Time, students from Pre-K through twelfth grade move to classrooms on the lower level for Sunday School during the school year, then rejoin the congregation for fellowship at 10:45 a.m. During the summer months there is no formal Sunday School, but children Pre-K through grade 5 may take part in a story hour.
Infants and young toddlers under five are cared for in the church nursery, located on the lower level just off the Fellowship Hall. Drop-off begins at 9:15 a.m. and pickup runs as late as 10:45 a.m. A nursery worker is present every Sunday, and children are signed in and out by the same parent. Each fall the church marks a special Sunday when third graders receive their own Bibles from the congregation, a moment that connects to the baptismal vows the church family makes on their behalf. Other family touchpoints throughout the year include the Easter Egg Hunt, Advent Craft Night, the Fall Festival, Fall Family Fun Day, an interactive Christmas Eve family service, and spring Sacrament Workshops led by Pastor Ridgley that introduce Communion and Baptism to children and their parents.
Youth Group, Confirmation, and the Devon Horse Show
Pastor Ridgley Beckett, who joined St. John's as Associate Pastor in 2017, oversees ministry with children, youth, and young families. A Youth Advisory Council made up of adult advisors, the Associate Pastor, and student representatives in grades five through twelve plans gatherings and shares leadership of the youth group. Junior and senior high students meet regularly through the year, while eighth and ninth graders are invited into Confirmation Class, a season of study, mission projects, retreat, and one-on-one time with an adult mentor that culminates in the students being received as members on Confirmation Sunday in spring.
Two annual trips anchor the youth calendar. Each summer, high schoolers spend a week at the Montreat Conference Center in North Carolina, joining other youth groups from across the country for small-group study, keynotes, evening worship, and a day of service in the greater Asheville area with Youth Mission Co. Middle schoolers spend four days at the Massanetta Camp and Conference Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in a program led by high school Advocates. A fall or spring retreat for grades nine through twelve rounds out the year.
Every spring the youth program also benefits from one of Devon's most distinctive traditions. For ten days, while the Devon Horse Show runs nearby, St. John's opens its grounds for parking, with rates lower than any other lot in town. Every dollar raised supports youth activities and benevolence chosen by the youth themselves.
Wednesday Nights at St. John's
For ten weeks each in fall and winter, the Fellowship Hall fills on Wednesday evenings for Supper at St. John's, one of the church's most beloved fellowship events. Dinner is served at 6:00 p.m., free and prepared in the church kitchen by members and friends. At 7:00 p.m., while children are supervised at play, adults gather for study, ranging from Bible study to lectures and small-group discussion on Christianity in the modern world. Recent seasons have featured visiting teachers and parish-based series on spiritual practices. The whole evening runs from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and newcomers are always welcome.
Wednesday mornings offer a quieter counterpart. Companions In Prayer meets from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. year-round in the Kean Room, lifting up the needs of the world, the local community, and the church family. On alternate Wednesdays, the Men's Book and Bible Study gathers in the Carriage House from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. under the leadership of the Senior Pastor.
Music That Brings the Chancel to Life
Music at St. John's is shaped by Director of Music Janet Kaido, a native of Racine, Wisconsin, who studied oboe at Temple University and the Curtis Institute, earned a Master of Music in Sacred Music from Westminster Choir College, and later studied organ and improvisation at the Franz Liszt Conservatory in Weimar, Germany. Before arriving at St. John's she served as organist at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton for eleven years and at Swarthmore United Methodist Church and Christ Church Ridley Park.
Around her, the music program draws together a deep bench of volunteers. The Joy Messengers, the church's contemporary ensemble, brings together vocal harmonies with guitar, piano, keyboards, accordion, ukulele, banjo, flute, and percussion, blending folk, rock, gospel, and hymns at least once a month and turning up the energy at events like the Fall Festival. The Devon Brass quartet rehearses on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and adds sacred and classical repertoire to Sunday worship and special occasions. Two handbell choirs share the workload: the Devon Chapel Bells, an adult choir that rehearses on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., and the Rejoicing Ringers, a youth choir for students in grades five through twelve that rehearses on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Music reading is helpful but not required to participate. A dedicated Music Playlist page invites members and visitors to add favorite and inspiring songs to the church's shared library.
Learning for Adults
Beyond Wednesday nights, adults at St. John's have a steady menu of small groups and classes. Two Women's Book Groups meet on Sunday morning and Monday late morning for prayer and spiritual book study led from within the group. Inquirer's Class introduces newcomers and long-time visitors to the history of the church, the roles of the boards, and the many opportunities for service and fellowship; the next session is announced in the weekly bulletin, the newsletter, and the church calendar. Special Seminars, including retreats, book studies, movie nights, and current-events programs, appear throughout the year.
Mission Beyond Devon
The church's commitment to mission runs through nearly every area of its life. Locally, members support organizations addressing hunger, housing, health care, education, and employment, including the Chester County Food Bank, Great Valley Food Cupboard, Paper Mill Food Hub, Philabundance, The Greenhouse Project, Broad Street Ministries, Gemma Services, Habitat for Humanity, Hayes Manor, Phoenixville Free Clinic, YoungLives, Ryan's Case for Smiles, Cornerstone Christian Academy, and Baker Industries. The Great Valley Food Cupboard in particular draws on volunteer energy from St. John's for collecting children's books and toys, packing grocery bags for families including refugees, growing vegetables in the church garden, and assembling backpacks with Gemma Services.
Internationally, the congregation supports Church World Service through an annual hygiene-kit packing project; La Estacion Community Center and the Wellspring Karitas Foundation in Cuernavaca, Mexico; PC(USA) Mission Co-Workers Jed and Jenny Koball in Peru; Haiti Health Promise of Holy Name and Hopital Sacre Coeur in Minot, Haiti; One Great Hour of Sharing; Rise Against Hunger meal packaging; and Adopt a South African Pre-School (ASAP), which funds Educational Toy Library Training Centers for vulnerable children in South Africa.
Pastors, Staff, and Leadership
The Rev. Dr. Patrick Marshall has served as Senior Pastor since June 2013. A Vanderbilt University literature graduate who went on to Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, he completed his Doctor of Ministry in Missional Leadership at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2024, writing on how churches can nurture understanding between people who believe differently in a polarized society. Before St. John's he spent eight years as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Wahoo, Nebraska.
The Rev. Ridgley Beckett joined St. John's as Associate Pastor in June 2017. A graduate of Converse College with a degree in business economics, she earned a dual Master of Divinity and Master of Practical Theology with a focus in Christian Education from Columbia Seminary. She has also served churches in Atlanta, Spartanburg, and Charleston.
The staff supporting the pastors and congregation includes Annie Carruthers, Church Administrator; Nancy Arico, Treasurer; Brian Bouvier, Financial Secretary; Janet Kaido, Director of Music; and Betsy Miller, Handbell Choir Director.
The church is governed by three boards. The Session, made up of elders elected to three-year terms and moderated by the Senior Pastor, oversees the life and ministry of the church and meets on the second Monday of each month. The Deacons, often called the caring arm of the church, deliver flowers to those who are hospitalized or shut-in, organize food and clothing drives, arrange transportation, send care packages to college students and military personnel, and coordinate meals for those in need. The Trustees care for the church's property and finances, including investments, insurance, the annual Stewardship Campaign, and oversight of buildings and grounds.
The Building, the Grounds, and a Century and a Third of Welcome
The church building sits on Berkley Road near the intersection of Waterloo and Berkley, one block south of Lancaster Avenue, with parking available on site. The Fellowship Hall, where Wednesday suppers and many fellowship events are held, is the social center of the congregation and is also available for group use. The recently renovated sanctuary offers an intimate setting for worship and is used for weddings as well, with pre-marital counseling required of the bride and groom and at least one member of the wedding party expected to be active at St. John's.
For more than 130 years, St. John's has been a steady presence on Berkley Road, holding a Sunday morning service, welcoming newcomers in every season, and serving Devon and the wider world through music, study, mission, and care. Whether someone arrives on foot from the surrounding neighborhood, pulls in for parking during the Devon Horse Show, or joins the livestream on YouTube, the doors and the welcome are open.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is one Sunday morning service at 9:30 a.m., lasting about an hour. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month, and all are welcome at the table.
What should I wear? Dress at St. John's is very diverse, and there is no dress code. While some members wear dresses, suits, and ties, the majority dress more informally.
Children from Pre-K through twelfth grade join the worship service for roughly the first twenty minutes, including a Children's Sermonette on most Sundays, then move to Sunday School during the school year. In summer, children Pre-K through grade 5 are invited to a story hour.
Nursery care is available every Sunday for children under age five, beginning at 9:15 a.m. and continuing through 10:45 a.m. The nursery is on the lower level just off the Fellowship Hall.
Yes. The Sunday service is livestreamed on YouTube each week at 9:30 a.m. ET, and past services, sermons, and bulletins are available in an archive.
Giving can be done online through the church's giving page, by texting a donation amount to 84321, by mail to P.O. Box 399, Devon, PA 19333, or in person during a worship service.
The church is located at 217 Berkley Road, Devon, PA 19333, one block south of Lancaster Avenue (Route 30) near the intersection of Waterloo and Berkley Roads. On-site parking is available.