About St. James Church
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Our Vision
To see an unmistakable move of God transforming our communities through
redemption, restoration, reconciliation, and revival.
Our Mission
To Engage our community with the good news of Jesus Christ
and Equip believers to become devoted followers of Christ.
St. James is a church that loves all, invites all, welcomes all, and declares to all the good news of the redeeming love of Jesus. Additionally, we desire to assist all in living sanctified lives that reflect the character and mission of Christ.
Our Core Values
Jesus: While each Person of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is God, and are one in essence, majesty, glory, and will, the Bible testifies, and we believe, it is Jesus who is the perfect sacrifice for sin. Reconciliation with Father God is possible only by placing our faith in Jesus. Therefore, it is Jesus we preach, teach, and offer to those that have not yet come to know Him as Savior and Lord. (John 3:16, Acts 4:11-12)
God’s Word: Jesus said that people cannot live by food alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. We believe that the Bible contains the sacred, unchangeable, undeniable words of God that are to be the foundation of everything we do. (2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Prayer: God desires intimate relationship with those created in His image and, by His grace, has provided access to Himself through prayer. We will seek the Lord and His will in all that we purpose, committing our way to Him, and trusting that He will act on our behalf. We believe in the power of God to transform lives as we pray for others. (Jeremiah 29:13. Psalm 37:5)
Discipleship: A primary commission given by Christ to His Church is to make disciples. Ultimately, the character of a disciple of Jesus is one who has wholeheartedly submitted his/her will under Christ. As the church and as believers, ours is the responsibility to teach, train, and equip others to know the Word and be bold in proclaiming the Word. We also teach and train so that others' lives are more and more conformed to the image of the Son of God. (Matthew 28:19-20)
Community: Communities can be geographical (towns, neighborhoods, areas where people live or work) or they can be relational (entities of people having a common interest). As a church, our calling is to both. First, we seek to proclaim the good news to the geographical communities in which we live or interact. Second, recognizing that we live out our faith best in fellowship with one another, we seek to form, promote, and support relational communities that at their core are Christ-centered and offer a place of belonging, caring, learning, worship, and accountability. (John 20:21, Hebrews 10:24-25).
Our Affiliation
On Sunday, December 17, 2023, St. James Church affirmed the Leadership Council's recommendation to join the Global Methodist Church.
Why join a denomination rather than be independent? The Methodist Church has always been a connectional church. It is in our DNA. In fact, the term Independent Methodist is an oxymoron. From the early days of Methodism's Classes and Bands, Methodists have sought to join with like-minded individuals, groups, churches, and the like to better engage in the mission and ministry of the church.
Connectional relationships make us stronger, enable us to learn from one another, provide varying levels of accountability, and present opportunities to unite for joint ministry in our communities and around the world. A denominational connection allows St. James to multiply our efforts in and for the Kingdom and ensure that our strength will be greater than the sum of our parts.
Why join the Global Methodist Church? While there are a number of reasons for affiliating with the Global Methodist Church, we feel the most important are that the Global Methodist Church:
Has a strong orthodox theology built on scriptural authority.
Does not have a Trust Clause (we will own our own property).
Empowers the local church to live out its calling with greater autonomy.
Provides greater accountability for Bishops, Presiding Elders, Clergy, and churches.
Enables us to use more of our funds for local ministry rather than supporting large institutional bureaucracies.
