History of St. John's Church
St. John's Church began in 1948. The first worship service was
held on October 10 in the 20th Century Club with 64 in attendance. A week
earlier, on October 3, 21 children attended the first Sunday School, which was held
in the YWCA next door to the 20th Century Club. The formal organization meeting
was held in First Christian Church on January 16, 1949. The Reverend Rafe
Martin, in whose honor Martin Social Hall is named, was the organizing pastor.
There were 105 charter members.
Experiencing an expanding church membership and continual growth in Sunday School, St. John's moved to new quarters in the Reno Little Theater, where the congregation continued to meet until moving to the present site in 1952. The first unit of St. John's buildings, comprising what is now the Choir Room wing and Martin Hall, was constructed primarily by the volunteer labor of the church members on land donated by a member of the church.
In 1961, the Reverend William Clawson became St. John's second pastor, and under his leadership St. john's growth continued. In 1962, St. John's hired its first director of Christian Education. The present Sanctuary was dedicated in 1969 and is a tribute to Dr. Clawson's inspiring leadership.
On June 17, 1973, the Reverend William L. Barrett became St. John's third pastor. During his ministry, the congregation continued to grow. Following a five-alarm fire on the night of February 26, 1976, which destroyed much of the Christian Education wing, St. John's rallied: within one year the Christian Education space was not only restored but was enlarged to twice the previous square footage.
Five additional building programs have
created the spacious facilities that now house St. John's ministries and
programs:
1) The Youth rooms on the second floor of the education wing were completed,
along with an apartment for the custodian;
2) A balcony was added to the sanctuary;
3) The pipe organ was installed;
4) The pipe organ was renovated and enlarged;
5) And most recently the commercial-quality kitchen was completed.
In September 1993, Dr. Ned Benson became St. John's fourth pastor. Under his leadership, St. John's Children's Center built the newest addition to St. John's facilities: a wing with two classrooms and a restroom designed for 3- and 4- year olds, and the spacious offices and teacher preparation area. At the same time the congregation of St. John's completed and dedicated Barrett Recreation Park in honor of Reverend Barrett.
St. John's Church has been a positive force for good, not only in Reno, but also through the world. We have sent 11 of our sons and daughters into full-time ministry. Through our mission work, St. John's is a major supported of Presbyterian missions. St. John's is the largest Presbyterian Church in Northern Nevada, and one of the largest Protestant congregations in Reno-sparks.
Our Mission - The mission of St. John's Presbyterian Church
is to share actively the good news of Jesus Christ. We are:
* A family of
believers in God's salvation through Jesus Christ who share their faith in
joyous worship;
* An inclusive
community where diversity is strengthened in mutual solidarity;
* A nurturing home
whose members minister to the needs of the outsider, the sick, the poor, the
lonely and the powerless;
* A training
academy to equip ourselves for ministry and mission in Jesus' name in both
church and world through fellowship, education and spiritual nurture;
* A church that
demonstrates to the world hopeful life where God's love and grace are sovereign.