Our History
"The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone." Psalm 118:22
- 1941 - 1946
- 1947 - 1970
- 1970 - 1991
- 1991 - 1997
- 1997 - 2006
- 2006 - Present
On December 7, 1941, several faculty and students of Tillotson College,
now Huston Tillotson University, met with the Rev. John D. Epps, Dean
of the Colored Convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, to organize
a “Negro congregation.” This group of founding members formed the
Church of the Advent, the first name for St. James' Episcopal Church,
Austin. Fr. Epps, also Vicar of St. John's, Tyler, Texas, visited
Austin once each month to conduct services.
There was a need to organize a "Negro" congregation since during this period in the history of the United States, especially in the South, the Episcopal
Churches as well as other religious and educational institutions did not welcome "Negroes."
According to church records, there were sixteen persons, at least six of whom
were already confirmed Episcopalians, who met with Fr. Epps to form this congregation.
Determined to pursue their faith in a community of like believers,
the original members met in East Austin wherever they could find space
– members’ homes, the 12th Street Christian Church, a community center,
the East Austin YMC – before occupying their first dedicated site in
East Austin in 1947.
In 1947, now numbering 45 members, the congregation moved into its
first church home at 1624 East 7th Street. Shortly after this move,
the Church of the Advent was given the name of St. James' Episcopal
Church.
At the September 15, 1959 Bishop's Committee meeting, held at the rectory,
the Rev. Arthur J. Calloway, Vicar, recounted, "the business consisted
of a discussion of a new site for St. James'." A site committee
was appointed to investigate the acquisition of new church property
on which to relocate.
On February 22, 1960, Matthew D. Edwards, Senior Warden; J.O. Lawson,
Junior Warden; Harry Coleman, Clerk; and R.L. Wormley, Treasurer, signed
a note for the purchase of 2.47 acres of land on East 19th Street,
now Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Later, Mr. Matthew D. Edwards,
Senior Warden, and Mr. Archile Petit, Clerk, signed documents at First
Federal Savings to build the new church at 3611-3705 East 19th Street.
The congregation moved onto this site in 1970.
On
October 4, 1970, the 106 congregants of St. James’ triumphantly moved
into the new building on East Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
On February 2, 1987, the Bishop's Committee authorized Edward Elliott,
Treasurer, and Bertha Means, Senior Warden, to sign a note at First
Federal Savings on behalf of St. James' for the purpose of securing
a loan to purchase the land adjacent to the church, which became the
site for the church offices.
After a time
of spiritual discernment, strategic thinking and planning, the congregation
committed itself to becoming
an inclusive multicultural community of
faith. This era of growth was guided by the Rev. Will Spong. After
many years of being a primarily black congregation, the pews began
to fill with members of different racial and ethnic groups. The
Rev. William Miller ably led the congregation through the process of
moving from mission status to parish status. He transitioned from
Vicar to the first Rector of the congregation. During his tenure,
the church made another significant decision. The mission was expanded
to serve children in the broader community by creating St. James’ Episcopal
School.
On February 6, 1997 St. James' Church officially became a parish within
the Diocese of Texas. Its Vicar, the Rev. Bill Miller, became its
first Rector.
On March 16, 2001, after much work on the part of many, our very new second Rector, the Rev. Dr. Greg Rickel (now Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia), signed the closing documents on 20.5 acres of land on the corner of Webberville and Tannehill Roads, the current site for St. James' Church and School.
St.
James’ Episcopal Church and School moved to its current location at
1941 Webberville Road in October 2007. A gala reception was held on
October 27, 2007 to celebrate the grand opening of the new church.
The celebration continued the next morning with the Dedication and
Consecration of a Church. The Rt. Rev. Dena A. Harrison, Bishop Suffragan
of Texas, presided.
Not quite a year earlier, the church family had gathered for a blessing
of the dirt at the construction site at 1941 Webberville Road on November
19, 2006. Church members held hands as they surrounded the
outline of the church while the Rev. Greg Rickel led the prayers.
Parishioners were invited to put dirt from their home properties in
the foundation of our new church home. In addition, dirt was added
from the National Cathedral, Black sand from Hawaii, holy dirt from
Chimayo in New Mexico, dirt from old Mexico, and many other places.
Some made sure we had dirt from some of the homes of our older members
who could not be with us, as well as dirt from MLK Jr. site and the
site at 7th and Chalmers. 
The Rev. William Seth Adams was asked to write a prayer for this event, which has become a part of our history: The Blessing of the Dirt God of Creation, Maker of Heaven and Earth, you have given us this land on which to build and grow and flourish, soil in which to plant ourselves to be a blessing for this neighborhood and the larger world that surrounds us: Your son Jesus, our eternal foundation and cornerstone, took dirt like this to heal the blind, dirt like this to wash from the feet of his friends, dirt like this to rise from in glorious resurrection. It is dirt like this to which we will return in your good time and from which we too will rise in the Great Day to come. [Pour out the dirt brought in] Bless, O Lord, this dirt, now mingled with the dirt from our homes and our past, that the foundation poured upon it may give us a strong place to stand, a place to sing and praise your name, a place to announce your coming Reign, a place from which to go with energy to do the work you call us to do. Bless this dirt and all that grows here, Gracious God, and bless us, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.