A Parish at the Heart of the Back Mountain
Prince of Peace Episcopal Church sits on Main Street in Dallas, Pennsylvania, in the center of the Back Mountain region near the Pocono Mountains. The parish has been a fixture on that street since 1929, when the Church of the Prince of Peace was first established. Today the congregation is a member of the Diocese of Susquehanna, a regional body that includes 117 congregations and about 18,000 baptized members, and through the diocese it belongs to The Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Its location is as central as its name suggests. The stone church sits on a quiet town street that runs through one of the most recognizable small communities in Luzerne County, and its identity is bound up with the surrounding Back Mountain. Visitors who arrive on Sunday morning will find a parish that is small enough to greet each new face by name and rooted enough to have spent nearly a century on the same block.
Since 1929 on Main Street
The Church of the Prince of Peace was first established in 1929, and its history is told through the symbols of its parish shield. A cross at the center stands for Christ, the Prince of Peace. An olive branch represents peace. A dove represents the Holy Spirit. Together they form a coat of arms that has belonged to the parish for almost a century, and they picture in symbols what the parish tries to live out in practice.
The mission statement printed beneath the shield puts it this way: to be "sowers of peace," so imbued with the Spirit of Jesus that the congregation becomes instruments of God's peace and sows that peace through acts of love, forgiveness, faith, hope, and joy. The same words are echoed in reflections posted by parishioners, who speak often of being a giving people from a giving church and of extending a hand beyond the parish's stone walls.
Sunday Worship at 9:30 AM
The principal service of the week is the Sunday celebration of Holy Eucharist, which begins at 9:30 AM. The liturgy follows Rite II of the Book of Common Prayer and is shaped by a broad ceremonial style that draws on the flexibility of the Anglican tradition. A typical service lasts about an hour. Ushers are on hand at every service to greet newcomers, hand out service leaflets, and answer questions.
All baptized Christians are welcome to receive Communion. Those who are not baptized are invited to come forward to the rail to receive a blessing. The parish welcomes everyone, member or visitor, Episcopalian or not, to take part in the worship.
Music from the Episcopal Hymnal
Music at Prince of Peace draws mostly on the Episcopal Hymnal 1982 and traditional service music. The congregation sings traditional hymns, supported by an organist whose playing has become a small tradition of its own; regular worshippers have lingered in the sanctuary after a service to hear the closing piece. The result is a worship setting that is recognizably Anglican: structured, hymn-based, and centered on the Eucharistic liturgy.
What to Expect on a First Visit
There is no dress code at Prince of Peace. Most people arrive in business casual attire, though some dress up in suits and dresses and others wear jeans. The only thing that matters, the parish insists, is that you are present. Ushers will hand you a service leaflet at the door so you can follow along with the readings, prayers, and responses.
The Sunday service is followed by Bible study with Deacon Barb and a time of coffee and conversation. The church office is open Monday and Thursday from 9 AM to noon, and the building sits close to the rest of Main Street, making it easy to find.
Children and the Church School
Children are welcomed into the worship of the parish. The Church School program gathers school-aged children through grade 5 in the lower level of the church at 9:15 AM, just before the 9:30 service, and runs from September through May. A nursery area is also available for babies and young children and their parents, located in the parish hall behind the church, next to the music studio.
The parish sees children as the backbone and future of the church. Generations of families have attended together, and the parish has watched grandchildren of longtime members sit in pews alongside their grandparents. Father Rafferty is available after the service to talk with parents about baptism or any other sacrament.
Bible Study and Midweek Prayer
The rhythm of the week extends beyond Sunday. Bible study with Deacon Barb meets on Sundays following the worship service, with coffee provided, and is open to anyone who wants to dig deeper into the lectionary readings.
On Wednesdays, Deacon Chris leads a noonday prayer and discussion at 10:45 AM. It is a quiet midweek pause built around prayer and conversation about the appointed texts. The parish points worshippers to the Lectionary Page for those who want to read ahead of time, and the schedule of lay ministers for each Sunday is posted for those who serve in roles such as lector, intercessor, acolyte, or Eucharistic Minister.
A Grief Support Group that Spans Denominations
On the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM, Prince of Peace gathers with neighbors for a Grief Support Group that meets at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. It is one expression of the parish's relationship with other Christian congregations in the Back Mountain, and an acknowledgment that grief does not keep denominational boundaries. Anyone grieving a loss is welcome to attend.
Reaching Out Beyond the Stone Walls
The parish describes its community outreach as extending well beyond the stone walls of its church building. Members volunteer time, effort, and money at a long list of partner organizations across the region, including the Back Mountain Food Pantry, Kadema Nursing Center, Misericordia Women and Children, Dallas Junior High School, and Blue Chip Animal Rescue. Parishioners describe the list of partners as a host of others, suggesting that the parish responds wherever a need arises.
Each fall, Father Joe and Debbie Rafferty sponsor a Thanksgiving Food Drive to benefit the Back Mountain Food Pantry. Monetary donations can be mailed to the church or placed in the offering plate, and non-perishable items can be dropped off at the bin by the back door or brought in on Sunday mornings. Suggested items include cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, boxed dried potato mix, canned sweet potatoes, canned gravy, canned fruits and vegetables, rice, pasta, canned evaporated milk, hot chocolate mix, canned hams, peanut butter, jelly, Jell-O, pudding mix, cake mixes, canned frosting, and soup.
Other ongoing ministries include the parish's monthly prayer list, which refreshes at the beginning of each month, and the Sanctuary Candle, which can be dedicated each week in memory or honor of a loved one for a suggested donation of $5.
The Seasons of the Church Year
Prince of Peace observes the seasons of the Anglican liturgical year, including the full arc of Holy Week. Palm Sunday begins with the Liturgy of the Palms and moves into the Sunday of the Passion. Maundy Thursday includes a soup and bread supper, the Holy Eucharist, the stripping of the altar, and foot washing, with the chapel open after the service for prayer at the altar of repose. Good Friday brings a midday service of prayer and veneration of the cross and an evening Stations of the Cross. The Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday is the service of all services, with the lighting of the New Fire, the singing of the Exultet, the renewal of baptismal vows, and the first celebration of Easter Eucharist. Easter Sunday itself brings the celebration of the Holy Eucharist followed by an Easter egg hunt in the church yard for children ages 10 and under.
Lay Ministry and Beliefs
Prince of Peace places a strong emphasis on lay ministry. Parishioners serve in many roles during worship, including Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Intercessor, and Acolyte. The Catechism of the Episcopal Church teaches that the ministers of the church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons, and that lay persons bear witness to Christ wherever they may be. Anyone interested in becoming a lay minister is encouraged to contact Father Joe, Deacon Chris, or the church office. The parish is also home to an Episcopal Church Women chapter, an Altar Guild, and a choir that supports the liturgy.
As Episcopalians, the parish believes in and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world. It holds that God loves without exception, and embraces a legacy of inclusion in which people of all genders and sexual orientations serve as bishops, priests, and deacons. Laypeople and clergy work together in leadership and governance.
Clergy, Wardens, and the Diocese
The parish is led by The Reverend Joseph P. Rafferty as Rector, supported by two deacons, The Reverend Christine Sutton and The Reverend Barb Gessner. Carl Goeringer serves as Senior Warden and Debbie Higgins as Junior Warden. The parish is shepherded by The Right Reverend Dr. Audrey C. Scanlan, Bishop of the Diocese of Susquehanna, and The Right Reverend Kevin Nichols, Assistant Bishop.
The wider Diocese of Susquehanna gives the parish a connection to a regional body of 117 congregations and about 18,000 baptized members. Through the diocese, Prince of Peace is part of The Episcopal Church, a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion, with 106 dioceses and one mission area across 22 countries or territories. The mission of the church, as stated in the catechism of the Book of Common Prayer on page 855, is "to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ."
Office, Giving, and Getting in Touch
The church office is open Monday and Thursday from 9 AM to noon. The building is at 420 Main Street, Dallas, PA 18612. The phone number is 570-675-1723 and the email is princeofpeace@epix.net. Donations can be made online through the church's giving page, by texting POPGIVING to 73256, or by mailing a check to the church.
Prince of Peace is on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where parish content is shared. The full calendar of services, meetings, and events is posted online and updated through the church office.