St. John the Divine, the well-connected Episcopal parish in River Oaks, is gearing up for a roughly $58 million overhaul that would reshape its entire campus with a new worship center, classrooms and larger gathering spaces. Church leaders say it would be the parish's first major capital project in 32 years and that the work is meant to serve future generations while keeping key historic pieces in place.
The project, detailed in a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and in a church news release, calls for a modern worship center that can seat more than 400 people, upgraded audiovisual systems, a relocated gift shop and a new entrance on Westheimer that would include a coffee shop. As reported by the Houston Chronicle, the filing suggests construction could start in December 2026 and continue into late September 2028. The parish has selected Merriman Holt Powell as architect and Tellepsen to lead development.
The broader effort is wrapped into a master-campus plan branded the "Shine Forth" campaign, which breaks down phasing, permitting needs and site changes in a public FAQ. According to St. John the Divine's planning page, the team is budgeting about 14 months for design work, roughly eight months for permitting and around 20 to 22 months for construction, assuming both permitting and fundraising stay on track.
Rev. Dr. R. Leigh Spruill has framed the renovation as "an investment that will serve not only our church today, but generations to come" in the project's announcement. The announcement and subsequent reporting note that the parish serves a weekly congregation of more than 900 and that members are being asked to pledge toward the estimated cost through an online giving portal, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Design and builders
Merriman Holt Powell has a long track record of liturgical projects that lean on warm materials, flexible gathering rooms and careful tweaks to historic campuses. St. John the Divine says those same design priorities will guide the look and feel of the renewed interiors. Tellepsen brings experience managing large, complex religious projects across Houston, a background the parish is counting on as it stages work across an active campus. Portfolios and past projects for both firms can be found at Merriman Holt Powell Architects and Tellepsen.
Parking, gardens and neighborhood watch
The master plan also tackles two perennial neighborhood hot buttons: parking and green space. Instead of digging an underground garage, the church says it will add new surface parking and give the Julia Garden a new home by relocating and expanding it to the North Lawn. According to St. John the Divine's FAQ, River Oaks property rules limit commercial uses on the North Lawn, and some campus access will be tightened during construction, though the parish plans to keep the main sanctuary and chapel open throughout the work.
Because the project is still in the design and permitting phase, church leaders acknowledge that both the schedule and the final budget could shift. The parish says it will post updates as fundraising progresses and permits move forward. Parishioners can follow the Shine Forth campaign and make pledges through the church's campaign site, where the parish also expects to share construction and access notices once work is underway.
