In 1916 Bishop Lemuel H. Wells traveled by steamer across the Tacoma Narrows once a month to bring Episcopal church services to a small congregation living in the Gig Harbor area.

By 1925, when ferry service from Tacoma was available, Canon Arthur Bell, Rector of St. Luke’s in Tacoma , supplied the mission congregationof St. John’s on a more regular basis.

In 1948 ground for a new log church was broken by the Rt. Rev. Stephen Bayne on land donated by Mrs. Jenny Fuller.  By 1951 the building was completed and Church School was begun in 1952 with an enrollment of 35 children, which quickly grew to 50.  In 1953 the Rev. H. Frederick McLauchlan became St. John’s first full time vicar.

The present church building was constructed, and dedication services were held on St. John’s Day, 1959.  After the mortgage was burned, the building was consecrated on November 14, 1987.

In 1968 St . John’s and St. Bede’s in Port Orchard became “The Peninsula Parish.”  During the intervening years, the Rev. John Thomas and then the Rev. Charles B. Atcheson followed Fr. McLauchlan; and in 1973, the Rev. Dr. Charles F. Schreiner became vicar.  Shortly thereafter, the Peninsula Parish divided into St. Bede’s Mission and St. John’s Parish.  Fr. Schreiner became St. John’s first rector.  He served until his retirement in 1985 and was named Rector Emeritus.  In January, 1987, the Rev. Judith M. McDaniel became rector, serving until August, 1990, when she left to become Professor of Homiletics at Virginia Seminary.  In 1991 the Rev. Douglas S. Pollock became the third and current rector.

Fr. Doug, as he likes to be called, is married to Carol and has two adult daughters:  Ann (married to David Ferguson) and Kimberly (married to Christopher Martin).  Fr. Doug was born in Chicago , Illinois , and has served in parishes in Austin , Texas , Ogden , Utah , and Klamath Falls , Oregon. 

The Rev. Robert L. Williams (Fr. Rob) was the Associate Rector, married to Daphne, and they have five adult children.  He is now functioning as an interim and supply priest.

The Rev. Jennifer Pratt is married to Bill; she has two daughters, Darcie and Sandy, and two step-sons, Aaron and Sean.  Mother Jennifer grew up in California and moved to Bremerton in 1971.  She was ordained at St. Hugh in Allyn as part of the Total Ministry Program in 1997, and started working at St. John's in 1999 in charge of Christian Education.  Mother Jennifer is currently part of the Christian Education team and oversees Pastoral Care.

Parish History written by the Rev. Dr. Charles Schreiner and updated by The Rev. Jennifer Pratt.