"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as your self.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. — Matthew 22:36-40
Boulder was a thriving mining supply town when a small group of Episcopalians held worship services for the first time. The year was 1873, and the small group grew, becoming the founding core of the St. John's parish. Most early church records disappeared in subsequent years, although a list of rectors and signs of a growing congregation survive.
Construction of the church building commenced in 1903 with the laying of the cornerstone. It was 1920, however, before it was completed with construction of the tower. Fr. Hubert M. M. Walters led drives for tower funds, for the purchase of sanctuary fittings and for our current Austin organ purchased in 1931, which replaced three previous organs, each one worse than the one before.
Fr. Walters, whose tenure spanned 39 years, was a dominant figure both in the parish and in the life of the community. Following his example, many of St. John's rectors served as devoted parish priests and active community leaders. Among them were Fr. Robert Fowkes, Fr. Bruce Ravenel, and Fr. James McKeown, whose term spanned the years 1965 to 1991. During the turbulent times of the late sixties and early seventies, the parish struggled to assist in caring for the large number of street people living in Boulder. Fr. McKeown persevered in ministering to their needs, and in his efforts to gain city involvement in their care. Concern for low-income community members led Fr. McKeown to initiate plans for Boulder's first low-cost housing units, San Juan del Centro. With Federal assistance and parish support, the idea became a reality.
In 1991, Fr. Rolland Hoverstock succeeded Fr. McKeown as rector at St. John's. As Boulder grows and changes, so too does St. John's. The addition of new members, among them many young families, has led in turn to the formation of challenging new programs that give all parishioners opportunities to learn, to serve, and to grow in faith.
Under Fr. Rol's leadership, St. John's remains a welcoming haven for parishioners and newcomers, as well as a servant to the needy and homeless. It is, as it has always been, an affirmation of Christ's commandment to "love one another" and to be Christ's face in the community.
