Before 1946 the place of worship for Protestants was the one-room Longlac School House. This was a shared ministry from the beginning. In fact, the original title of this worship community was the Longlac Protestant Congregation (which encompassed the United Church, Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, Quaker, and Unitarian denominations).

In 1946 the congregation entered a 10 year lease with the Hudson Bay Company at $1.00 per year for land upon which the first church building was built. Named St. John in-the-Wilderness, the church was dedicated by Bishop Renison in 1948.

In 1951 the St. John's management committee bought the current site at the corner of Picnic Point Road and Forestry Road and relocated the original building onto a large basement/church hall and enlarged the church to include office, choir room and entry hall. They moved into the expanded facility in 1952. The present Hammond organ was bought in 1953.

In 1967 the Anglican community was successful in bringing the first resident clergy to Longlac (the Reverend Tom Granger). This group supported the purchase and maintenance of the rectory in addition to St. John's Church until 1980 when the founding Church Constitution was revised to include a Church Board comprised of a chairman, secretary, treasurer, Anglican rector's warden, Anglican people's warden, and up to six additional church members appointed or elected at the annual meeting. As well, all offerings (open and envelope) went to supporting the upkeep of the church building and the Anglican rectory. At the same time the corporate name was established as St. John in-the-Wilderness.

Two more constitutional changes in 1990 allowed non-resident members of St. John's to be voting members, and the incumbent to vote on board proposals by virtue of his or her office (ex officio).

The first Anglican clergyman was the Reverend Jim Watton (Geraldton), later to become Bishop of the Diocese of Moosonee, and Archbishop of Ontario. To the end of the century 16 Anglican clergy have provided service to Longlac and St. John in-the-Wilderness.

Present Ministries

The people of St. John in-the-Wilderness care very deeply about their community and offer their time, energy and worship space for such things as Brownies and Girl Guides.