If you’re looking for an Anglican church in Door County, Wisconsin, there’s something you should know: Door County has Episcopal churches, but no Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) congregation or other separate Anglican denomination that we’ve been able to identify.
That’s a distinction worth explaining.
The Episcopal Church is the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Its worship, history, and traditions are thoroughly Anglican. But in recent decades, some Anglicans have separated from the Episcopal Church over questions of biblical authority, sexuality, ordination, and other theological matters. Many of these congregations belong to the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
So, if you’re simply looking for traditional Anglican worship while visiting Door County, there are several Episcopal churches to consider. If you’re specifically looking for a more conservative Anglican congregation, however, your options are considerably more limited.
We’ll introduce the five Episcopal church locations in Door County, explain a little about Anglican Christianity, and then suggest one church that isn’t Anglican at all—but might offer much of what you’re looking for.
Churches in the Anglican Communion in Door County
1. Christ the King Episcopal Church — Sturgeon Bay
Located at 512 Michigan Street in Sturgeon Bay, Christ the King is one of Door County’s established Episcopal congregations.
Christ the King shares its pastoral ministry with Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Jacksonport. The two congregations are closely connected, although they maintain separate worship locations.
Like other Episcopal congregations, Christ the King belongs to the Anglican tradition. Its worship follows a liturgical pattern centered on Scripture, prayer, and the Eucharist (Holy Communion). Visitors accustomed to the Book of Common Prayer will find much that is familiar.
Christ the King is a particularly convenient option for people living in or visiting Sturgeon Bay and the southern part of the peninsula.
Location: 512 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
2. Holy Nativity Episcopal Church — Jacksonport
Holy Nativity is located at 3434 County Road V in Jacksonport, on the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula.
The congregation has roots in the nineteenth century, and its historic church building dates to 1886. Its small scale and traditional architecture make it a particularly interesting example of rural Episcopal church life.
Holy Nativity shares its clergy and pastoral organization with Christ the King in Sturgeon Bay. Its worship is rooted in the Episcopal liturgical tradition, with the familiar Anglican emphasis on Scripture, prayer, and the sacraments.
For people staying around Jacksonport, Baileys Harbor, or the eastern side of Door County, Holy Nativity may be a convenient place to attend Episcopal worship.
Location: 3434 County Road V, Jacksonport, WI 54209
3. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church — Sister Bay
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church serves northern Door County from its location at 2336 Canterbury Lane in Sister Bay.
The congregation traces its beginnings to Episcopal worship gatherings organized in the 1990s. Today, St. Luke’s has a permanent church home and an active parish life that includes worship, educational opportunities, fellowship, and community service.
Sunday worship centers on the Eucharist, following the Anglican liturgical tradition. St. Luke’s also provides accessible facilities, including step-free access to worship and fellowship areas.
The parish is involved in supporting a variety of local charitable organizations, making it more than simply a seasonal worship destination.
For Episcopalians visiting Sister Bay, Ephraim, Ellison Bay, or other communities in northern Door County, St. Luke’s is a natural place to begin.
Location: 2336 Canterbury Lane, Sister Bay, WI 54234
4. Church of the Atonement — Fish Creek
The Episcopal Church of the Atonement in Fish Creek is a little different from the other congregations on this list.
It is a historic summer chapel, closely associated with Door County’s long tradition as a vacation destination.
Located along Cottage Row, the chapel offers a particularly distinctive setting for Episcopal worship. Its history and architecture reflect an era when summer residents established small churches and chapels along the peninsula’s waterfront communities.
Atonement is especially worth knowing about if you’re spending the summer in Fish Creek or nearby communities and would like to attend traditional Anglican worship.
Because it operates as a seasonal chapel, visitors should confirm the worship schedule before making plans.
Location: Cottage Row, Fish Creek, WI 54212
5. Church of the Precious Blood — Gardner/Brussels
The Church of the Precious Blood serves the southern Door County area around Gardner and Brussels.
This small Episcopal congregation is part of the county’s historic rural church landscape. Like the other churches on this list, it belongs to the Episcopal Church rather than ACNA or another Anglican denomination.
Precious Blood is geographically distinct from the Episcopal congregations farther up the peninsula. For residents of Brussels, Gardner, and southern Door County, it may be the closest Episcopal worship location.
Because smaller rural congregations sometimes have limited or changing worship schedules, it’s wise to confirm service arrangements before visiting.
Location: Gardner Township, near Brussels, Wisconsin
What’s the Difference Between Anglican and Episcopal?
The words Anglican and Episcopal aren’t opposites.
Anglican Christianity developed out of the English Reformation in the sixteenth century. It retained bishops, historic liturgical worship, and many of the ceremonies and customs of the medieval Western Church while embracing important elements of Reformation theology.
The Church of England eventually gave rise to Anglican churches around the world, including the Episcopal Church in the United States.
Historically, Anglicans have looked to the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the church’s historic episcopal structure as important expressions of their identity.
But Anglicanism has always contained considerable theological diversity.
Some Anglicans emphasize the Protestant and Reformed character of the English Reformation. Others emphasize continuity with the ancient Catholic Church. Still others occupy positions somewhere between these traditions.
That’s why two churches can both be Anglican and nevertheless differ considerably in doctrine and worship.
What About the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)?
The Anglican Church in North America was established in 2009, bringing together Anglicans who had separated from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, along with other Anglican groups.
Many of these Christians believed that their former denominations had departed from historic Christian teaching, particularly on questions involving biblical authority and sexual ethics.
ACNA generally maintains more conservative theological positions than the Episcopal Church, although it also contains a variety of worship styles and theological emphases.
If you’re searching for an ACNA church in Door County, we haven’t identified one within the county.
The Episcopal churches listed above are genuinely Anglican in their historical tradition and liturgical heritage. But they are not ACNA congregations, and someone looking specifically for conservative Anglican theology should understand that distinction.
Looking for Historic, Liturgical, and Confessional Christianity? Consider St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.
Now we’re going to recommend a church that isn’t Anglican.
Not even a little bit.
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Forestville belongs to the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), a confessional Lutheran denomination.
Why mention a Lutheran church in a guide to Anglican churches?
Because Lutheranism and Anglicanism share some important historical characteristics. Both emerged from the sixteenth-century Reformation. Both retained significant elements of historic Western Christian worship. Both have deep traditions of hymnody, liturgy, biblical preaching, and sacramental life.
And if you’re drawn to Anglicanism because you want something more historically rooted than contemporary evangelical worship, you may find much to appreciate at St. Peter’s.
Historic Christian Worship
At St. Peter’s, worship follows the historic Lutheran liturgy.
You’ll hear Scripture read, sing hymns accompanied by the pipe organ, confess the Christian faith in the ancient creeds, and participate in a service structured around God’s Word and Sacraments.
The congregation worships in a traditional church building dating to 1946, with stained glass, Gothic architectural elements, and furnishings that reflect the continuity of Christian worship across generations.
We aren’t trying to reinvent Christianity every Sunday. We have inherited something precious, and we intend to hand it on.
A Confessional Church
St. Peter’s is unambiguously Lutheran.
Our doctrine is grounded in Holy Scripture and confessed in the Lutheran Book of Concord, including the Augsburg Confession and Luther’s Small Catechism.
We teach that sinners are justified by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Jesus Christ alone.
We baptize infants, confess that Baptism truly gives God’s gifts, and believe that Christ’s body and blood are really present in the Lord’s Supper.
These are not simply historical customs. They are convictions about what Christ has promised and what He gives to His Church.
There are real theological differences between Lutheranism and Anglicanism, especially given the considerable diversity within Anglicanism itself. But for someone seeking a church that takes historic doctrine, liturgy, and the sacraments seriously, St. Peter’s deserves consideration.
A Small Congregation With Deep Roots
St. Peter’s was founded in 1875 and has served the Forestville community for more than 150 years.
We’re a small, rural congregation. You’ll find traditional worship, a close-knit community, and a pastor who believes that preaching and teaching the Scriptures are rather important parts of his job.
We also serve our wider community through outreach efforts, including English-language instruction and ministry to Spanish-speaking neighbors.
We don’t offer a cathedral, a bishop, or the Book of Common Prayer.
But we do offer the historic Christian faith, the preaching of Christ crucified and risen, and a congregation gathered around His Word and Sacraments.
If that’s what drew you toward Anglican Christianity in the first place, we’d be glad to meet you.
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
316 Main Street, Forestville, Wisconsin
Website: https://doorcounty.church/
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Frequently Asked Questions About Anglican Churches in Door County
Are there any Anglican churches in Door County, Wisconsin?
Yes, in the broader sense of the word. Door County has five Episcopal church locations, and the Episcopal Church belongs to the Anglican tradition. However, we have not identified any congregations in Door County affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) or another separate Anglican denomination.
Is the Episcopal Church the same as the Anglican Church?
The Episcopal Church is the American member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. However, not all Anglicans in North America belong to the Episcopal Church. Some belong to ACNA or other Anglican jurisdictions.
Is there an ACNA church in Sturgeon Bay?
We have not identified an ACNA congregation in Sturgeon Bay. Christ the King Episcopal Church is located in Sturgeon Bay, but it belongs to the Episcopal Church.
Are Episcopal churches Catholic or Protestant?
Episcopal churches belong to the Anglican tradition, which emerged from the Protestant Reformation while retaining historic bishops, liturgy, and sacramental worship. Different Anglicans emphasize the tradition’s Protestant and Catholic elements to different degrees.
Are Lutheran and Anglican churches similar?
In several respects, yes. Both traditions emerged from the Reformation, retain historic liturgical practices, and emphasize Scripture, preaching, and the sacraments. However, there are important differences in doctrine, church government, and confessional identity.
Where can I find traditional liturgical worship in Door County?
Door County has several Episcopal congregations offering Anglican liturgical worship. Traditional liturgical worship is also central to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Forestville, a congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
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