Northpinellas: Church named one of the nation's best

They also may be why the 800-member church at 1676 S Belcher Road was named one of the 300 "best of the best" Protestant churches in the country. With the designation, St. John's will be mentioned in the book, Excellent Protestant Congregations: The Guide to Best Places and Practices, scheduled to be published in April.

St. John's is the only Protestant Tampa Bay area congregation mentioned in the book by Paul Wilkes, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He recently completed a similar work, titled Excellent Catholic Parishes: The Guide to Best Places and Practices.

"When we say the "best of the best,' we mean churches that make a difference in our lives, our communities," Wilkes said. "I call them churches with a soul. These churches are fabulously alive. They are only meant to be a good "sampling' of excellence. We don't want to infer these are the only outstanding parishes and churches in the country."

Marlene Eichelberger, administrator at St. John's for the past three years, credited Father Philip Duncan II, the church's first rector, with much of the church's success. He led the congregation from 1972 to 1993 and recently was elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Florida Gulf Coast, which covers parts of the Panhandle and Alabama.

"Father Phil's stamp is very evident here today," said Eichelberger, a member of the church for more than 20 years. "Part of his legacy is a really welcoming spirit."

"Father Phil thought of lay ministry long before it was a popular notion," she said.

St. John's Church also was the first Episcopal church in its diocese to have a female priest, the Rev. Tanya Beck, in the early 1990s. The church offers, among other things, music and children's ministries, retreats, a thrift shop, a Web site at www.stjohns-online.org and monthly socials.

And don't forget the Eager Beavers.

"The Eager Beavers include about a dozen men who do just about everything around here, from carpentry work to taking down the Christmas decorations," Eichelberger said of the ministry, which is led by church sexton Thelma Lipp. "If we had to pay them, we couldn't afford them."

As Eichelberger outlined the church's qualities, Garie Glaze and Le Rona Hammett walked into Eichelberger's office. They belong to the church's Altar Guild, which sets up all the sacraments -- baptisms, weddings and funerals -- and keeps the church's sanctuary clean.

"This is my home away from home," said Hammett, a church member for more than 20 years. "St. John's is accepting of everyone who walks through its doors."

Glaze, who has attended St. John's for about nine years, said, "This is a warm, loving community."

Besides his associates, Wilkes worked with a panel of 20 scholars, pastors, religion journalists, professors and denominational leaders throughout the country to compile the book. The team also consulted recently published books and religious journals for reports on thriving congregations and parishes.

Team members visited 17 of the 600 churches that were nominated, including eight Catholic churches and nine Protestant churches. Each of those churches received a chapter in their respective books. Churches that weren't visited sent substantiating information.

"The size of the church didn't matter," Wilkes said. "We considered churches with only 60 people and some who had 12,000 members."

In selecting the churches, team members looked for diversity, joy, thoughtful worship, emphasis on spirituality and a deep relationship with God -- not just social interaction -- along with proof that a broad section of the members were involved and helped make decisions.

-- For information about the Pastoral Summit Project, Call (910) 962-7225 or visit www.pastoralsummit.org

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