St John’s maintains the Catholic tradition, which is an essential part of Anglicanism and we use Eucharistic services from “Common Worship”.

The tradition of openness and welcome in being the first Anglican Church in Taunton to have no “pew rents” is one that we strive to uphold and maintain today, underpinned by our mission and ministry and support of Inclusive Church.

St John’s story begins when the Reverend Frederick Jeremiah Smith arrived in Taunton in 1842 as the first perpetual curate of Holy Trinity Church. During his ministry, he worked hard and gave generously in order to improve the standard of living of the children and poor people in the parish. By 1858 he had resigned the living in order to build a new church in the Tangier area of Taunton.

It was to be dedicated to St John the Evangelist and was to be primarily for the poor.

Only the best was good enough for God, so the Revd Smith obtained the services of Sir George Gilbert Scott, one of the most eminent architects of the Victorian age and a leader of the Victorian Gothic Revival Movement, influencing buildings such as the Natural History Museum, Albert Memorial, Houses of Parliament and Keble College.

On 9th November, 1858, Master Frederick John Smith, the ten year old son of the founder, laid the foundation stone using a silver trowel with ivory handle, which is still kept at St John’s.

In 1863 St John the Evangelist, was dedicated, and at the luncheon afterwards, the Revd Smith made it clear that the church was primarily for the use of the poor, although the wealthy would be welcomed if they wished to attend. He announced that there would be no “pew rents” in the new church ignoring the class system of the time, becoming the first Anglican Church in Taunton where all pews were available for all worshippers. The new church had cost the Revd Smith £12,000 which was a huge sum of money at that time and worth just under one million pounds today.

The original parish covered Shuttern, Tangier and parts of Bishops Hull, thus serving the western part of Taunton. The first glimpse of the Church then, as now from all points, would have been of the spire, which sits upon an eighty-foot tower, the only Church in the town centre with a spire, “a veritable finger pointing towards Heaven”.

The “Father” Henry Willis organ was installed in 1864. On a part of the wooden screen behind the console is Willis’ autograph:
“Henricus Willis Londonii anno1864 mente concoepit, manu fecit”
- He conceived in his mind what he made with his hands.