Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, has been without any
House of  Worship of the historical Church hitherto although an organization, St. Peter’s  Free Church, has existed for about twelve
years in Tunkhannock, the County Seat.   A lot was purchased
and a quantity of stone bought about that time but services were
only held occasionally for many years.

The Rev. George D. Stroud is actively and usefully engaged at Tunkhannock … doing missionary work … hitherto the congregation
has met in one and other hired hall.  They are few in numbers and not rich in resources.  They have an eligible lot paid for.  They are encouraged by the generous zeal of their minister in making an
effort to build a little chapel in which to worship God.  And the
 Rev. Mr. Stroud is endeavoring to secure help for them. 
I pray to God to crown his effort with success.

This 1882 article appeared in what was probably the Diocesan newspaper and aptly describes the start of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  Although a charter was approved for the incorporation of St. Peter’s on June 13, 1872, the first recorded meeting place of the congregation was in October 1880 in the Platt’s Opera House, Tunkhannock.  In January 1881, services moved to the third floor of the Billings establishment.  The Rev. Mr. Stroud was indeed crowned with success in the spring of 1883.  St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on Second Street, Tunkhannock Borough, was completed, and on May 21, 1884 was consecrated, debt free, by the Rt. Rev. M.A. DeWolf Howe, Bishop of Central Pennsylvania.  The Rev. George D. Stroud served St. Peter’s during these years of accomplishment, leaving in 1886.

            During the ensuring seventy years, the church was without a resident clergyman more often than not, being largely dependent upon visiting clergy and lay readers to continue services.  Notable exceptions include the ministry of the Rev. F. DeForrest Johnson from 1920 to 1926, the Rev. William Schmidgall from 1946 to 1951, and the Rev. Robert Schakles from 1954 to 1957.

            In June of 1959, the Rev. Edward P. Townsend held his first service at St. Peter’s.  During the next two years the congregation enjoyed a marked increase in participation and membership.  The communicant status almost doubled, a church school was launched, a choir formed, and a youth group organized.  These factors, along with a faithful attendance, made this present facility inadequate. 

The general feeling among the membership was that the church could better serve its forward-looking community with a better-situated and more attractive building.  The members, therefore, voted at their annual meeting to allow the vestry to determine the need and act accordingly.  Plans got underway to build a new church on a three-acre plot off Route 6 in the Shadowbrook area, the present location of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  This “Venture in Faith” was completed one year later and dedicated on May 13, 1962, by the Rt. Rev. Frederick J. Warnecke, Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem.  The new church was built to include adequate kitchen space and room for group meetings, thus enabling the parish to carry on a well-rounded, 7 day-a-week program of activities for all ages.  In March 1964, the building was flooded by waters from the adjacent Tunkhannock Creek.

During the next few years the church grew in many ways under the leadership of the Rev. Bruce M. Shortell.  In May 1972 a special Service of the Holy Eucharist and Mortgage Burning was held.  A few weeks’ later hurricane Agnes arrived and flood waters just missed the Sanctuary.  Unfortunately, the undercroft was under water for several days.  It was not until two years later that the undercroft was restored under the leadership of a new rector, The Rev. Richard Risser.

Hurricane Eloise came in September of 1975, the third disastrous flood the church experienced, and again the undercroft was devastated.  With the financial support of Bishop Gressle, a dike was built around the church grounds and concerned members of the parish were finally able to sleep on rainy nights.

At their annual meetings in January 1976, St. Peters’ Church, Tunkhannock, and St. John’s Church, Lacyville, officially declared themselves joined as “The Wyoming County Ministry of the Episcopal Church”.  This action recognized the fact that the two parishes encompass all of Wyoming County, Pennsylvania.  Parishioners came not only from Tunkhannock and Laceyville but also from Nicholson and Factoryville to the east, Springville and Lake Carey to the north and Center Moreland to the south.  During this period the church school grew, the attendance at worship increased, and lay readers from St. Peter’s took on the responsibility of St. John’s services. 

In the fall of 1977 the parishioners were again looking for a new priest.  They were looking for one that could not only “… turn back the floods” but also a capable man who was willing to give his time, talents and concern to a devoted group of Christian people.  The Rev. Raymond J. Howe was called in the fall of 1978.   In the fall of 1982, a Christian Education Wing was added to the church.  With support from the federal and state government, St. Peter’s reinforced its dike system, affording even greater protection from future flooding.

 During his tenure Fr. Howe was assisted by Deacons Maureen Hipple, Estelle Webb and Vivian Bennett.  Rev. Vivian Bennett later served as associate priest during the interim period. In May 2003, Rev. Cynthia Guthkelch was installed as rector of St. Peter’s.