Our Past

All Saints' Episcopal Church, initially called Zion Church, was founded in 1837 by the Rev. Algernon Hollister, rector of St. John's parish in Troy. He saw a need for a mission in Pontiac, then a village of 1,000 residents. In 1854 a new stone church replaced the simple wooden structure at the corner of Pike and Williams Streets. The congregation labored on for many years although the congregation remained small. After a period of growth at the beginning of the 20th century the parish was renamed All Saints.'

In 1922 The Rev. Bates Burt was called to be Rector, and under his leadership the parish grew to nearly 200 families. Rev. Burt and his son Alfred were both accomplished musicians, and along with Wihla Huston, the parish organist, they composed a series of pieces for the Christmas season that came to be known as the Burt Carols.  Rev. Burt guided the congregation through the hard times of the Great Depression, and during his tenure a social hall, gymnasium, and classrooms were added.

In 1948 the church had a devastating fire and burned to the ground, and services were held in a nearby hall until the church was rebuilt in the early 1950's. In 1958 a new Aeolian-Skinner organ was installed, and its use continues today.

During the 20-year tenure of The Rev. George Widdifield both the city of Pontiac and All Saints' went through a period of intense social change as discrimination laws were overturned and the local schools were integrated. As All Saints' began welcoming their African-American neighbors into their midst the parish experienced a period of turmoil, but leadership remained committed to these changes. The Rev. Roger Derby, who arrived in 1974, continued Rev. Widdifield's commitment to integration and the social gospel, and it is through their hard work and visionary leadership that All Saints' was transformed into a diverse and welcoming congregation.  Rev. Derby was succeeded in 1993 by the Rev. Catherine Waynick, who served All Saints' as its first female rector until she was elected Bishop of Indianapolis in 1997. She was succeeded by the Rev. Robert Hart, who spearheaded a capital campaign to make the church building universally accessible to all. We are now served by the Rev. Karen Johanns, who joins us as All Saints' 28th rector.

Our Legacy and Our Future

At All Saints' we take pride in our legacy as the mother church of Oakland County and as a congregation committed to seizing new opportunities and welcoming diverse leadership. We have helped to establish five neighboring parishes, and in addition to our legacy of evangelism we also take pride in being one of the first Episcopal parishes to fully embrace the leadership of women. The first woman was elected to our vestry in 1958, and the first two women clergy associates in this parish served in the early 1990s. We have been served by two female rectors since the ordination of women commenced in 1979. Three of our rectors have been elevated to the episcopate - the Reverend Herbert Fox was consecrated bishop of Montana in 1920, the Reverend Ivol Curtis became bishop of Olympia in 1964, and the Reverend Cate Waynick became bishop of Indianapolis in 1997, the seventh woman to serve as a bishop in the Episcopal Church. These are all important accomplishments. However, the real history of the All Saints’ parish is told in the ways that God’s grace has sustained us and continues to call us to strive for greater faithfulness, and with God's help we will continue in our tradition of worship and of service to our community.