St. James' Church is an Episcopal

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

located at the intersection of

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and 71st Street on the

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Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

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. Founded in May 1810 as a summer chapel for New Yorkers with country homes north of the then city, it has grown into one of the largest Episcopal churches in New York City. In addition to worship, it has programs for children and young families, youth and young adults, as well as a music program and a devotion to mission and service in the community. In 2021, it reported 1,559 members, average attendance of 165, and $2,749,445 in plate and pledge income.

Worship & music

St. James' Church worships in a variety of styles within the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

tradition. Four services of

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are celebrated every Sunday.

Music

In 2008–2009, the parish installed the St. James' Bicentennial Organ, built by Schoenstein & Co. Organbuilders (op. 156 & 157) in San Francisco. The organ contains a total of 5,538 pipes, with 4,407 pipes in the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

organ and 1,131 pipes in the gallery. The new organ was dedicated in October 2010.

Recent history

In 1996 St. James' called as rector the Rev. Brenda G. Husson, the first woman chosen to lead a parish of such size and prominence in the diocese. Under Husson's leadership, St. James' received a large private grant to establish the Partners in Mission program. The PIM grant currently supports ongoing partnerships with the

Diocese of Southern

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in Africa, three Episcopal parishes in

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, as well as regular work with the Osborne Association's outreach to children with incarcerated parents in New York. Husson retired in 2023, after 27 years as rector. St. James' was invited to participate in the

Lilly Endowment Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and among the largest endowments in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by Josiah K. (J. K.) Lilly Sr. and his s ...

's nationwide Transition into Ministry program for the mentoring of new clergy. The position of 'Lilly Fellow' was created in 2003 to train new priests in all aspects of parish life. St. James' celebrated its bicentennial year in 2010. The parish welcomed Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, for a festive service marking the culmination of the bicentennial year on November 14, 2010.

Rectors

Samuel Farmer Jarvis
(1811–1819) * William Richmond (1820–1837) * James Cook Richmond (1837–1842) * John Dowdney (1842–1847) * Edwin Harwood (1847–1850) * Peter Schermerhorn Chauncey (1851–1866) * Cornelius Bishop Smith (1867–1895) * E. Walpole Warren (1895–1903) * Frederick Courtney (1904–1915) * Frank Warfield Crowder (1916–1932) * Horace William Baden Donegan (1933–1947) * Arthur Lee Kinsolving (1947–1969) * John Bowen Coburn (1969–1975) * Hays Hamilton Rockwell (1976–1990) * Mark S. Anschutz (1992–1995) * Brenda G. Husson (1996–2023) * Zachary Thompson (2023–present)

In popular culture

* The 5:00PM St. James' Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols was broadcast over the local WOR and WQXR radio stations in New York City as early as 1934, and then annually from the early 1950s through 2000. * St. James' Church was the site of funerals for

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck ( ; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social percep ...

Edward R. Murrow Edward Roscoe Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25, 1908 – April 27, 1965) was an American Broadcast journalism, broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broa ...

, and

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered f ...

. * The exterior and interior of St. James' have been seen in ''

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'' (CW television series).

External links

Gallery

File:Christmas Eve2.jpg File:StJamesAltar.jpg File:Back of the church.jpg File:Balcony Organ.jpg File:Tutu children2.jpg, Desmond Tutu preaching a children's sermon, March 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint James' Episcopal Church, Manhattan 1810 establishments in New York (state) 19th-century Episcopal church buildings Anglican organizations established in the 19th century Churches completed in 1885 Churches in Manhattan Episcopal church buildings in New York City Episcopal Diocese of New York Gothic Revival church buildings in New York City Ralph Adams Cram church buildings Religious organizations established in 1810 Upper East Side