WHAT TO EXPECT
We want you to feel as comfortable as possible when you visit St. John's. While we would love a chance to meet you, you don’t have to identify yourself as a visitor. You can slip into a worship service and check us out without identifying yourself to anyone, if that is what you choose. You’ll have the opportunity during the services to fill out a welcome card, where you can give as little or as much information about yourself as you wish—and let us know of any prayer requests that you may have.
OUR COMMUNITY
We are a community of caring individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds following an inviting and loving Lord. Energized and challenged by God’s spirit, we find ourselves to be a community called to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to be stewards of the world God has committed to our care. We are bound together on our spiritual journeys by common forms of prayer, by a vision of an inclusive church and by the desire to help one another grow in the ability to see Christ present in our daily lives.
WHAT WE DO
We share a rich, deep history that reaches beyond the founding of St. John’s Church in Crawfordsville in the 1830s. We share in the history and traditions of the Church of England, and beyond that, we share in the history of God’s working through all of Christian and Jewish History. Our rich history and Anglican tradition, like the bread and wine of the Eucharist, nourishes us as a faith community following the Way of Christ into a future shaped and inspired by the Spirit of God.
FIND YOUR FAITH
Whether you are a lifelong Episcopalian or don't even know what "Episcopal" means, you can find a home at St. John's! Many of our members were born Episcopalian, and many others have come to our church from Roman Catholic, Baptist, and nondenominational backgrounds, among others.
Whatever your background, you will find St. John's to be a community of lively faith, reverent curiosity, and passion for service. These quotes by parishioners are a testament of how St. John's has enriched their lives.
OUR STAFF
Fr. Jason Fortner
Priest-in-Charge
Father Jason comes to us by way of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette, Indiana where he served as curate for two years. He is a proud graduate of Bexley Seabury Seminary in Chicago. Before his ordination as a priest he enjoyed a glorious career as a public educator during which he extolled the wonders of the Spanish language and culture to high school students for over twenty-five years. Now that he teaches about the Gospel rather than verb tenses, he hopes to help others learn about God’s love for them and about the beauty of the Episcopal tradition of following Jesus Christ. He and his spouse Shelbi live in Lebanon with their two children and many four-legged friends.
Organist & Choir Master
Jerilyn has been involved with music at St. John’s as Organist & Choir Master for almost 39 years. She has a Bachelor and a Masters Degree in Music Education from DePauw University, and taught music in the Crawfordsville elementary school for 39 years! Jerilyn can also be found gardening (both flowers and vegetables), walking her dog, Murphy, and quilting.
Kelly Lynch
Parish Administrator
Kelly obtained her associate degree in culinary arts from Oakland City University in 2015 and is a certified chef, she is currently two years into her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources at Ohio Christian University. She loves spending time with her family, and cooking for those around her, she feels a well-made meal is the ultimate form of art, her kitchen is one of her happy places, “good food is a language we all understand”. She enjoys gardening and nature she is a huge advocate for local wildlife and has made a difference for many animals with her loving and compassionate heart. She believes in a world where you can be anything, you should always choose to be kind.
Sexton
Jessica’s career path has taken her from classrooms, to swimming pools, to library books — but currently she’s enjoying the role as full-time mom. She’s been a St. John’s parishioner since she was married here in 2017; she was confirmed here by Bishop Jennifer in 2019; and finally, in October 2023, she became the church sexton. Preparing the church for worship every week has been an exciting addition to her schedule. She loves spending time with her family and reading a good book (or a bad one).
Jerilyn Yerkes
Jessica Short
OUR VESTRY
Christopher Short
Sr. Warden, Class of 2027
"In 12 years at St. John’s, I have tried to make the best use of the gifts at my disposal. Starting with the most visible, I’ve been a member of the choir, an occasional composer of new church music, and, more recently, our supply musician for Sunday worship. Humble though it is, this has truly been some of the most rewarding work I’ve ever done. Meanwhile, as someone who’s dedicated—let’s face it—probably a bit too much of my lifetime to learning, I’ve also brought my discernment skills to the vestry for six years already, and to two successful priest searches. With the Pathways to Vitality team in 2019-2020, I helped to envision the future of our parish, and even now am working with the building committee on plans to expand the utility of Whitlock Hall, both for our parish and for the wider community we serve. Through it all, I’ve been drawn deeper into that aspect of God’s divinity that Mark McIntosh calls “a kind of abyss of love, a vortex of self-giving, that is drawing the whole cosmos toward its consummation.” (Oh, yeah: I’m also in the eighth and inal semester of EfM. I highly recommend it!) I came to St. John’s in 2013 with the approximate spiritual intelligence of a grapefruit; now I’m at least some sort of member of the animal kingdom. After two years away, I’ll approach this vestry term as a time of mutual development: I’d love to help grow the parish into what you’d like it to be, even as you continue to aid in my growth. Outside of church, I am a Wabash College alumnus, an editor of trivia games, a soccer referee, and an occasional substitute teacher. I’m also the husband of a world-class church sexton, and the father of two children who have been heard many times in our nave (but they’re cute!) And I thank you for your consideration." ~Christopher
Jr. Warden, Class of 2026
Peggy has attended St. John’s for 18 years. She was the Montgomery County deputy prosecuting attorney for 20 years, and in 2003 was
elected to the bench and served another 18 years as judge of Montgomery Superior Court 2. Although retired in 2020, she continues to serve as a senior judge for the surrounding counties. Through times of grief and through times of happiness, she believes St. John's congregation is always there for each other and the community. The rich history and tradition of the service consistently moves her to feel the Divine in a very personal way. Succinctly, St. John’s is
her home.