Get to Know: St. John's Episcopal Church, Eolia
St. John’s Episcopal Church sits in the middle of farmland just outside the small town of Eolia, which is about an hour north of St. Louis. This beautiful little church is the oldest Episcopal church building in the Diocese of Missouri (1856) and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
With no electricity, water, or heat, St. John’s congregation meets from Easter through October, on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of those months. The parish has its homecoming celebration every year on the first Sunday of October.
St. John’s is the only parish in our diocese that has a cemetery on its grounds. More than 200 souls are buried in the land surrounding the church, including descendants of Thomas Jefferson.
The Rev. Michael Nchimbi began serving as a Rural Missioner for St. John’s and Calvary Episcopal Churches this summer. The two small parishes are about 20 miles apart, just a short drive through the rolling farmland. Rev. Michael is from Tanzania. He also lived in Kenya and the United Kingdom before coming to the U.S. to study at Eden Seminary in Webster Groves.
Vital Stats:
Church name: St. John's Episcopal Church
Address: Highway H / PO Box 528
City: Louisiana
Phone: 314-398-4081 (Rev. Michael's cell phone)
Email: [email protected] (new email address coming soon)
Website: (no website)
Worship Services: 1st & 3rd Sundays at 10 a.m. (Easter through October)
Clergy: The Rev. Michael Nchimbi, Rural Missioner
Membership: 12
Average Sunday Attendance: 9
St. John's Episcopal Church, Eolia