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The Parish of St. John the Divine in Courtenay is one of two Anglican parishes serving the people of the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, the other being St. Peter’s in Comox.
The Parish of St. John the Divine had its origin in the Comox Mission founded in 1863. That Mission became the Parish of Sandwick and Courtenay in 1917. It presently comprises two congregations: St. Andrew’s, Sandwick (established in 1871) and St. John the Divine, Courtenay (established in 1915).
St. John’s was built on its present site on Fifth Street on the edge of downtown Courtenay in 1915, under the direction of the then Vicar, the Rev. E. P. Laycock, a trained architect.
In 1967 the building was enlarged under the inspiration of the Rector at the time. The sanctuary was reordered, the nave enlarged and a choir gallery added, doubling the size of the original church. Further renovations were done from 2021-2023 which included adding a much needed washroom to the Narthex, improving access to the choir loft, building a new rector's office, adding a sink to the sacristy and new flooring in the church.