Rev. Polhemus to lead final summer service at St. John's

MEREDITH — This Sunday, Aug. 25, marks the end of St. John’s-on-the-Lake’s summer season. Guest minister will be the Rev. Philip Polhemus.

Rev. Polhemus is a native of New Hampshire, son of a Methodist minister, and a graduate of Guilford College in North Carolina and Drew Seminary in Madison, New Jersey. He earned his doctorate in Religious Communication at Andover Newton Theological School. He has served churches in Colebrook, Plymouth, Ashland, The Weirs, Moultonborough, Merrimack, and Manchester, as well as in Watervillle, Maine. He was council director of the New Hampshire Conference and has been an interim pastor in several churches in northern New Hampshire. Now retired, he currently serves on the board of Saint John’s and lives in Meredith with his wife, Rita.

Saint John’s was built in 1927 of native stone, with a wooden tower that encloses a structure that was originally a private lookout tower.

Today it is an ecumenical church with a birch altar and stained glass windows. One window is dedicated to Dr. and Mrs. Hopper, who served the chapel for 35 years. Another honors Dr. Sauerbrunn, the first president of the chapel association, and his wife. The third recognizes the efforts of John Ripley Forbes, who organized the association in 1955 and revived it in 1962.

Services are at 10 a.m. A well-marked footpath leads to the church from the docks in Church Cove near Dolly Island. In addition, there is a “taxi” service from Meredith Neck; email bear.island.church.ferry@gmail.com to arrange for transportation. All are welcome.

For more information, see www.stjohnsonthelake.com.