TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — For 200 years, a building in downtown Tallahassee has inspired hope and faith.
St. John's Episcopal Church is one of the oldest episcopal churches in Florida. It was founded in 1829 to be a faith center in the heart of Tallahassee, a city established in 1821.
"Tallahassee was halfway between Pensacola and St. Augustine," Senior Associate Rector Mtr. Abi Moon said. "Where the two older episcopal churches of the diocese are, so St. John's was a natural half way point."
Mtr. Moon said the church helped travelers and community members by "giving them a space to find a place to belong, to center, to serve and to grow in their own faith".
This message still rings true today for lifelong parishioner Mary Call Proctor. She said her family has been worshiping here since the beginning.
"My great-great grandfather was a founding member of the church," Call Proctor said. "It's my heart and soul. It's my foundation and so much of that is because it lives on in other people."
As young families celebrate new life here through baptisms and renovations continue to help restore its long-lasting history, Call Proctor knows there’s a lot more left to be done here.
Mtr. Moon said the walls of this building are more than what meets the eye through the stained glass windows.
"St. John's really opens the doors to allow people to be part of the community," Mtr. Moon said.
This makes St. John's Episcopal Church a place that is Totally Tallahassee.
