The Rector Welcomes You!
Our church has been preaching the Gospel in the Comox Valley for nearly a century. One of the “daughter churches” that sprang forth from St. Andrews, the first mission in the Comox Valley during 19th century, St. John the Divine was built in 1915 under the direction of the then Vicar, the Rev. E.P. Laycock, who was a trained architect.
My family and I arrived in April of 2004. I would describe myself as traditionally minded and seek to evangelize and reach out to the community through our classical heritage as Anglicans. The challenge of evangelizing a contemporary society which does not understand the importance of a relationship with God is foremost in my mind. St. John the Divine with its emphasis on outreach is eager to make the Church accessible to this generation without compromising the integrity of Holy Scripture or its Liturgy.
The parish commissioned the carving of an Eagle Lectern. The symbolism of the eagle reminds us that it is through contemplation and meditation upon Jesus Christ as he is revealed in God’s Holy Word that is the foundation of our salvation. I believe there was remarkable providence in the creation of this symbol for the parish. I had noticed during my interview that there wasn’t a lectern or a Bible in the nave, which I thought was very odd. I hoped after my arrival that one could possibly be added and I had it in my head that it needed to be an eagle lectern. I had even wondered how long I should wait before suggesting its addition to the parish. It wasn’t very long after I arrived that the minister’s warden brought to my attention that some of our parishioners were asking for a Bible and Lectern. With love and inspiration we found a local artisan to take on the project and who did a wonderful job.
The reward in my mind was a comment made by the artist, Mr. Ron MacDonald, who said, this is by far my best work yet as an artist. While the architectural attributes of this parish are impressive, it is the warmth and friendliness of its people that visitors find most striking.
The vision of the parish is to continue on its path of evangelism and outreach, while upholding the faith and teaching of Christ and His Apostles.
While we are glad that you are exploring our website, we hope that you will come out and be part of the family we love; that is, St. John the Divine!