SJD 2030
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
On December 3, 1939, the Rev. Thomas Sumners led St. John the Divine’s first worship service at River Oaks Elementary School. From that humble beginning, God has used our church to Change Lives for God in Christ in Houston and the world.
As we look forward to 2030 and imagine the possibilities for St. John the Divine to be 'A Light for the City', brimming with new believers on a discipleship journey with Jesus that equips them take their faith into the world, we have an opportunity to prepare our campus to be a vital piece of ministry for St. John the Divine in 2030 and beyond.
SJD Master Campus Plan
As we discern God’s vision for SJD 2030 and into the next generation, we have an exciting opportunity to imagine new possibilities for our strategically located campus. We want to be bold, creative, and inclusive in considering how our facilities and location will reflect our call to be 'A Light for the City' with more people gathering in Christ, growing together, and going forth for others.
In 2024, we engaged Merriman Holt Powell Architects to work with us on a master plan. They held many meetings with key ministries and three public town hall meetings.
Master Plan Goals
- Deliver a campus Master Plan that supports The Church of St. John the Divine’s Mission of Changing Lives for God in Christ, as parishioners Gather in Christ, Grow as Disciples, and Go on Mission.
- Create inviting architecture that harmonizes with the existing campus and that reflects SJD’s values as it aims be a “Light to the City” and is committed to bringing God’s love beyond its campus.
- Provide facilities that serve a multi-generational congregation, attract new young families, and allow for SJD to grow by 100 parishioners per year for the next ten years.
- Carefully steward SJD’s property, by making spaces multi-purpose when possible, and by increasing the utilization of the North Lawn.
- Design a campus with spaces that build community, gracious hallways that allow intuitive flow, and prominently located assembly spaces that are easily accessed from primary circulation.
- Transform the Westheimer face of the campus to make it more visible and inviting, projecting the image of SJD as a vibrant and outward-looking church.
- Provide additional parking on the campus, enough to accommodate a typical Sunday attendance.
- Create a clear and gracious weekday main entrance and Welcome Center, and improve campus security by limiting the number of other entrances.
- Consolidate each ministry area on the campus to improve travel time and foster greater fellowship within them.
- Plan staff spaces that facilitate collaboration, group teams together, and that do not interfere with ministry programming.
- “Future proof” the campus as much as possible, through flexible spaces, accessible technology, proven MEPT systems, and durable, maintenance-friendly materials.
QUESTION ABOUT THE MASTER CAMPUS PLAN?
The Campus Master Plan design is complete and approved by the vestry, allowing the project to move into the detailed design phase. This current stage is expected to take approximately 14 months and will result in final construction documents ready for submission to the city for permitting. The permitting process is anticipated to take around 8 months. If all proceeds as planned, groundbreaking could begin as early as the Fall 2026. Construction is projected to take 20 to 22 months, with full project completion targeted for the third quarter of 2028.
The plan includes both new spaces and the renovation of some regions of the existing campus. On the first floor, construction will include a new dedicated modern worship space, a new fellowship hall, a coffee shop, a bookstore, and a grand gallery. On the second floor, we will have a new open mezzanine gathering area, a new chapel (moved from the basement), and a new parlor, while the classrooms and offices will be renovated. A new third-floor area will be dedicated to youth, featuring classrooms and gathering spaces, including large media rooms for high school and middle school students.
The Julia Garden provides a beautiful natural setting for our church—a peaceful place for reflection and gathering. Our vision is to preserve the spirit of the garden while relocating it to the North Lawn, where it will be expanded to include inviting gathering areas, winding pathways, lush landscaping, and elegant hardscape elements. We are currently interviewing leading landscape design firms to bring this new vision of the Julia Garden to life.
Yes, we plan to add 44 surface parking spaces, increasing the total from 113 to 157.
No, we’ve decided against constructing an underground parking garage during this phase of the project. Considering the significant financial commitment, we’re prioritizing our budget to build new facilities and improve our existing ones. We plan to maximize surface parking on campus and to ensure we meet city parking requirements.
Parking is often an issue, particularly during the week when we have many programmed activities. While available parking is not currently a significant hindrance to attending our worship services and Sunday School, it is not ideal, and we believe it will become an increasing problem as we grow over time. With this in mind, we believe it will be important to add parking to our campus while we continue to partner with our neighbors to satisfy a portion of our parking needs. We are now exploring ways we can consider adding parking to our campus.
No, we have decided not to construct an underground parking garage during this phase of the project. Given the substantial cost involved, we are prioritizing our budget to build new facilities and enhance our existing spaces. We plan to add ample surface parking to meet the city’s parking requirements. In Phase 2 of the project, we will evaluate the possibility of adding a parking garage or additional parking spaces.
During different phases of construction, access to our campus will be limited. However, we will ensure that access to the Church, Chapel, and Hall Life Center remains uninterrupted throughout the entire construction project. We are collaborating with our construction partner, Tellepson, to determine the precise timing of the access disruptions to our campus.
The existing basement will largely remain unchanged, except for minor renovations in a few rooms. However, we will add 7,500 square feet of new basement space directly below the new modern worship building. With this added space, we will have new music and creative teams rooms, offices, and classrooms, additional storage, and an expanded mechanical room.
At this stage, we estimate the total project cost to be $50 to $55 million. However, this figure is subject to change since the design process is still in its early phase. Factors such as the unpredictable impact of tariffs may affect overall costs, making contingency planning a key priority. We are committed to informing parishioners as the design evolves and cost estimates are refined.
None - the Episcopal Diocese of Texas does not fund the construction or refurbishment of buildings on parish properties.
You can email the project director, David Humphreys, or submit a form with your question.
Master Plan Committee
Merriman Holt Powell, Architects
| Jim Powell, President and Principal |
SJD Committee
| Chap Hutcheson, Chair | Kenny Meyer, Vice Chair |
| Leigh Spruill, Rector | Herschel Hamner, Sr. Warden |
| Suzanne Boué | Alicia Summers, Jr. Warden |
| Ross Adams | Elizabeth Galtney |
| Ted Gobillot | Candy Knudson |
| Jeff Megow | Larry Neuhaus |
| John Rosson | Howard Schneider |