About Us
Who We Are
Our mission statement at St. John’s is: “To live in the Spirit of Christ.” What this means for us right now is that we are trying to follow God’s call for us. We are trying to live into that call every day.
St. John’s Church is the oldest English-speaking parish in America, founded in 1610. That means that we have been meeting as a worshipping congregation for over 400 years. We are looking toward the future as we change with every new person. We would love for you to be part of this vibrant community of people who continue to aspire, perspire and inspire.
Founded in 1610
Our Core Values
- Worship. We value worship through the beauty, richness and tradition of liturgy that magnifies the Lord and feeds our spirit.
- Outreach. We value outreach to the wider community through commitment to generous and caring service, recognizing that we are God’s hands and feet in the world.
- Christian Formation. We value opportunities for all to explore and grow as disciples of Christ in a nurturing and accepting spiritual atmosphere.
- Heritage. We value our religious and cultural heritage, and we honor St. John’s as a witness to God’s abiding presence through the ages.
- Spirituality. We seek the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith, to forgive our sins, and to help us remember our many blessings as we aspire to live into the fullness of God’s grace.
- Community. As a parish community, we nurture Christian fellowship in a spirit of hospitality.
- Stewardship. We embrace the opportunity to grow in our commitment to Christ by sharing our gifts of time, talent and treasure.
- Evangelism. We seek ways to share our life in Christ that the world may know God’s love.
Our History
From our beginnings with English settlers in 1610 to our current journey over 400 years later, St. John’s has an exciting story. Find out more and come join the adventure. Read More
The Episcopal Church
“We Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As constituent members of the Anglican Communion in the United States, we are descendants of and partners with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church, and are part of the third largest group of Christians in the world.” Read More
If You’re New Here
We know you may have questions if you’re new to St. John’s or new to the Episcopal tradition. We’ve created a space to help answer some of your questions. Read More
Lisa Erdeljon
Rector
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The Rev. Lisa M. Erdeljon is excited to accept the call as Priest-in-Charge at St. John’s Episcopal Church, in Hampton, Virginia.
Born and raised in Virginia—spending time in Fairfax County and Virginia Beach, Lisa earned a Bachelors of Science in Intercultural and Mass Communication from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. After graduation, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the country of Georgia, returning home unexpectedly, when Russian troops marched through her village in 2008.
Following evacuation, Lisa earned a Masters of Public Policy in Peace Operations from George Mason University, in Arlington, Virginia, while also working on the science and technology side of Nuclear Nonproliferation.
After hearing God’s call and discerning in the Diocese of Virginia, Lisa attended Berkeley Episcopal Seminary at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. Her first call, after seminary, was as Curate/Associate Rector for Christian Education at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Barrington, Illinois, where she served for almost 4 years. After realizing that the ocean is very far away and it’s very cold in the Chicago area, Lisa returned to the east coast, answering a call to serve as Assistant to the Rector for Pastoral Care at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in downtown Southport, North Carolina. During her 3.5 years there, Lisa grew the lay Pastoral Care ministries, as well as assisted in developing a third Sunday worship service, based on Celtic theology, and introducing additional Adult Formation opportunities.
Lisa is excited to return to Virginia and to the Hampton Roads area, being closer to her parents, who are now retired, living in Sandbridge, Virginia Beach. In addition to spending time outside, running, using her standup paddleboard, and exploring the beach or a golf course, Lisa finds God most often when chopping vegetables and cooking, dancing (she taught ballet, contemporary, and acrobatics last year), and simply sitting with her dog Bedi (pronounced Bed-EE, brought home from Georgia at the end of Peace Corps service). She tries to do yoga every morning and look for the moon every evening, and she spends a lot of her time at home in quiet—hoping she might hear something from God that she hasn’t heard yet.
Deborah Carr
Director, Organist, Choir Master
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Patrick Crandol
Parish Administrator
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Michael Todd
Sexton