Organization When the city was founded, Fayetteville's Episcopalian families had no congregation of their own. Because the town's population was mainly of Scottish descent, Episcopalians typically worshiped together with the
Presbyterians. In 1816, John Winslow went to
Wilmington to consult the Rev. Dr. Bethell Judd, and the following year St. John's Episcopal Church was founded in Fayetteville. The Rev. Dr. Judd became the church's first rector.
Original church The foundations of the original church building were laid in 1817 by the local chapter of the
Masonic Order. The church had a single spire which housed the town clock, and the total cost was about $16,000. In 1831 the Great Fire destroyed the church building, along with hundreds of other historic downtown sites.
Current building and recent renovations The current church was constructed in 1832. The main church, which has a seating capacity of over 400 people, features stained glass windows from
Munich, Germany depicting Biblical scenes. The Chapel of the Beloved Disciple provides a more intimate setting for smaller services. In 1990, St. John's purchased the
Kyle House, a 139-year-old home adjacent to the church which is often used for receptions, classes, and meetings. In 2002, the parish dedicated a building project which connected the original church structure to the Kyle House. The project also included the addition of a gymnasium, a pre-school facility, and an expanded fellowship hall.
Rectors St. John's has had nineteen rectors since its organization. • The Rev. Bethel Judd (1817–1818) • The Rev. Gregory T. Bedell (1818–1822) • The Rev. William Hooper (1822–1824) • The Rev. Henry M. Mason (1825–1827) • The Rev. Philip B. Wiley (1828–1830) • The Rev. William G. H. Jones (1830-1831) • The Rev. Jarvis B. Buxton (1831–1851) • The Rev. Joseph Caldwell Huske (1851–1888) • The Rev. Thomas Atkinson, Jr. (1888–1893) • The Rev. Isaac Wayne Hughes (1894–1909) • The Rev. Charles Tyndall (1910–1912) • The Rev. Archie Boogher (1912–1938) • The Rev. Tate Young (1938–1942) • The Rev. J. F. Ferneyhough (1943–1954) • The Rev. Roscoe C. Hauser, Jr. (1954–1974) • The Rev. Robert L. Ladehoff (1974–1985) • The Rev. David M. Chamberlain (1987–2002) • The Rev. Louanne Mabry-Loch (2003–2007) • The Rev. Robert M. Alves (2009-present) ==Worship==