St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Mission began as just a few families commuting about an hour from Davenport, Iowa, to attend St. Raphael of Brooklyn Orthodox Church in Iowa City. Together with the families of some University of Iowa students from the Quad Cities who were also attending St. Raphael, this group was approached by Bishop MARK, then Bishop of Toledo and the Midwest with the Antiochian Archdiocese, about the idea of starting a mission in Davenport. After meetings with Bishop MARK, the late Father Peter Gillquist, and then Deacon James Mackoul, the group decided to start holding a weekly Vespers service. The first service (pictured below) took place on May 4, 2010, in the chapel at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport, and was led by Father Ignatius Valentine, the rector at St. Raphael of Brooklyn.

This dedicated group was able to celebrate its first Divine Liturgy on August 29, 2010, in the Rogalski Center on the campus of St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Father James Mackoul officiated, with the assistance of Father Elias Khouri. Shortly thereafter, Divine Liturgies began to be served a few times each month in a classroom at the Institute for Therapeutic Massage on Locust Street in Davenport by Father James Mackoul.

In February 2012 we moved to a space in the Village of East Davenport where we spent the next four years. In 2013, we were blessed with the name St. Nicholas the Wonderworker by His Grace Bishop ANTHONY, Bishop of Toledo and the Midwest. Then, having outgrown this space, in August of 2016 we moved to our current location at 2841 Brady Street, in the Melody of Hope Advocacy Center.

Fr. Jared Johnson is currently pastor at St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and one of its founding members. He served here for many years as a deacon before being ordained to the priesthood on June 5, 2022. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker has been keeping a regular, weekly schedule of services since that time.