Teen Vogue calls Glen Ellyn church 'awesome'

St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn recently was named one of the 100 "most awesome" churches in the nation in a poll conducted by Teen Vogue, a New York-based website.

The media outlet listed five criterion by which it made the choice: does the church have a spiritually enriching community; does it have vibrant worship; is it a social justice warrior; is it fully LGBTQ-inclusive; and does it actively invite people into Christian identity/belonging.

St. Mark's is one of six churches in Illinois, and the only one in DuPage County, to be recognized. The Episcopal Church is known nationally for its progressive views and LGBTQ inclusion.

"St. Mark's is a church that practices unconditional welcome, and it is encouraging to me that this is seen as 'awesome,'" the Rev. George Smith said. "I invite people to come and see what the good news of welcome can be."

Teen Vogue says it wants to spotlight churches across the nation that are not from the conservative mainstream.

Previously reporting arts, fashion and celebrity news, the outlet has now reshaped its offerings to include current events and politics.

Rev. Smith said he's at a loss as to how the media outlet discovered St. Mark's. He said he had not been contacted by the organization before being notified that St. Mark's was on its list.

St. Mark's is an intergenerational, multicultural church involving people of all ages. Its work with teenagers includes youth groups, providing volunteers to DuPage PADS and the People's Resource Center, and annual trips to Appalachia and to a companion church in Mexico.

St. Mark's comprises more than 500 families from central DuPage, and is one of two Episcopal churches in Glen Ellyn.