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Saint James Anglican Church

James Island, South Carolina

Parish Profile and Profile of a Rector

2025


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Search Committee

Saint James’ Guiding Principles and Statement of Faith

History of Saint James

Buildings and Grounds

Parish Life

  • Vestry
  • Worship Services
  • Audio-Visual Team
  • Music
  • Christian Study and Small Groups (Daughters of the Holy Cross, Friday Women’s Bible Study, Men’s Prayer Breakfast and Services, Prayer Teams)
  • Fellowship Activities
  • Lay Readers
  • Greeters and Ushers
  • Office Volunteers
  • Altar Guild
  • Flower Guild
  • James Island Outreach
  • Missions
  • Stewardship
  • Fall Market

Parish Staff

Youth at Saint James

  • Minister of Family and Youth
  • Acolytes
  • Children’s Chapel
  • Middle-School Youth Program
  • Nursery
  • Scouting
  • Day School
  • Vacation Bible School

Camino Counseling Center

Community Setting

Saint James’ 2024 Vital Statistics

Portrait of a Rector


INTRODUCTION

Saint James Anglican Church is a family-oriented parish located on a South Carolina sea island, adjacent to the historic peninsula of Charleston. Founded in 1720, the church and its community reflect the long-standing Anglican tradition of fellowship, liturgy, and belief in the Savior Jesus Christ.

The current membership is 240 communicants. Some parishioners view services via means of live-streaming in their homes. We have several strong programs, as described in this profile.

To aid in our search for a full-time rector, this profile of Saint James was prepared by members of the Search Committee. Bishop Chip Edgar assisted the members of this committee, and he and the Rev. Louise Weld acted as consultants to provide input and counsel in the search process. This portrait not only reflects the setting, history, activities, and organization of our parish, but also portrays the members’ vision for this parish and our new rector. Through the development of this document and through the significant input provided by the members of this church, the Search Committee has attempted to portray the special needs of the parish and to discern God’s will for it. We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the rector of our Lord’s choice to Saint James and prepare us to receive him.

SEARCH COMMITTEE

The Search Committee selected by the vestry of Saint James consists of the following members:

  • Joel Cochran (chairman)
  • Virginia Bartels
  • Charles Holliday
  • Amy Knox
  • Jay Millen
  • Lisa Rehm
  • Zach Volousky


SAINT JAMES’ GUIDIING PRINCIPLES

Saint James’ Mission Statement is as follows: Love God. Love People. Build Community.

Saint James’ governance document is a Constitution with XI Articles, along with by-laws. Additional guidelines exist, including safeguarding youth and using church facilities.

In 2016 Saint James adopted a Statement of Faith, declaring its beliefs.

A Statement of Faith

Saint James Church, a parish in the Diocese of South Carolina, is an Anglican congregation. Our vision is to “Love God, love people, build community.” We are committed to our mission, “Proclaiming the Grace of God in Jesus Christ.” As members of Saint James Church in the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, we ascribe to the following as our core doctrine:

  • A belief in the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; three distinct persons co-equal in glory and coeternal in majesty and of one substantial Godhead, such that there are not three gods but one God.
  • A belief in the Holy Scriptures as divine revelation, trustworthy, carrying the full measure of His authority, containing all things necessary to salvation, and to be submitted to in all matters of faith and practice of life.
  • A belief in the One Savior of mankind, Jesus Christ, who in His person is both fully God and fully man; of one substance with the Father as regards His Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards His manhood.
  • A belief in the perfect obedience of Christ; His true and actual suffering, His substitutionary and atoning death on the cross, and His bodily resurrection and ascension as the only means given for our salvation and reconciliation with God.
  • A belief in faith alone as the only grounds for the merits of Christ being imputed to us for our justification before God (justification by grace through faith in Christ), leading to good works empowered by the Holy Spirit.
  • A belief in the consummate return of Jesus Christ in glory to judge the living and the dead, and a belief in the bodily resurrection of the dead and their entrance into either eternal damnation or everlasting blessedness.
  • A belief in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church as those souls that have been redeemed entirely by the work of Christ and called out of bondage into freedom, out of darkness into light, out of error into truth, out of death into eternal life.
  • A belief that historic Anglican polity organizes the visible Church under the offices of Bishop, Presbyter, and Deacon. Furthermore, the Church exists to worship the Triune God and to lift up the Savior Jesus Christ before all people through the faithful preaching and teaching of the Gospel, through prayer, and through the faithful administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion or the Eucharist).
  • A belief in the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds as accurate representations of the essence of the Christian faith and affirmation of the (39) Articles of Religion as a coherent and concise expression of Anglican doctrine. Furthermore, we believe Christians are called beyond mere membership to the lifelong journey of discipleship, learning to faithfully live what God has revealed about us. (Matthew 7:24-29, Mark 8:34-36, Galatians 5:22)
  • We believe all people are created in the image of God, who wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct complementary genders reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis 1:26-27). In the Church, we believe marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in Holy Matrimony, a single, exclusive, lifelong union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25; Mark 10:1-9). This signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and His Church, reconciling and re-uniting two complements. Because God has ordained marriage and defined it as His covenant relationship between a man and a woman, the parish will recognize and solemnize a marriage that is only between a man and a woman. The facilities and property of the parish shall host weddings only between one man and one woman.
  • We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
  • We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of the parish.
  • Finally, this statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible is the trustworthy Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of humankind. For purposes of the parish, in faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, the Bishop is the final interpretive authority on matters of doctrine and their application. In order to preserve the function and integrity of the parish as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a Biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the parish in any capacity, or who serve as leaders, agree to abide by this Statement of Faith. (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22.) We are committed to Biblical and classical Anglican Christianity. We celebrate and stand for the unchanging truth of the Gospel as centered in the grace of Jesus Christ, in the gift of Biblical revelation, and the moral vision expressed in historic, Anglican Christianity.


HISTORY OF SAINT JAMES

In 1707 the Commons House of Assembly of the Carolina Colony established ten parishes to provide for the religious needs of the Anglican population in the New World. One of these parishes was St. Andrews, and its boundaries included James Island. Initially, in 1707, the pulpit of St. Andrew’s Parish provided the Anglican communicants on James Island with a worship service, usually once a month. Over the next two centuries, Saint James’ congregation experienced many trials and setbacks, including hurricanes and wars, as well as faith-based perseverance. Many missionaries and priests served the congregation, whose size varied with circumstances of the time.

It was not until the post-World War II years that Saint James began to thrive. James Island, which had been essentially an agricultural community, began a progressive change towards suburban status. In 1946, under the able and dynamic leadership of Rev. Edward B. Guerry (1946-1960), the fifth parish house was built. Ten years later, construction of the 1959 sanctuary (the sixth on the original site) was begun. A rapid increase in all phases of church activity occurred.

Rev. Charles Duvall (1962-1970) oversaw additions to the parish hall. As a result of the continuing parish growth, the first assistant rector was hired during the rectorship of Rev. Richard Dority (1970-1979). With Rev. Morris Lent (1979-1987) all activities of the church grew considerably, both in variety and scope. Rev. Paul Zahl (1988-1992) and Reverend Samuel Johnson Howard (1993-1997) mentored many outstanding assistant rectors and led the parish in building relationships with each other and the community. Rev. Arthur Jenkins was Saint James’ rector from 1998 to 2022, working diligently with eight assistant priests and the building of the Ministry Center (2004).

In 2012, Saint James, along with twenty-eight other Episcopal churches in the Diocese of South Carolina, declared itself disassociated from the National Episcopal Church (TEC). After over a decade of legal debates, in 2017, Saint James became a member of ACNA (Anglican Church of North America) as well as GAFCON (Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans). In 2023 Rev. Toby Larson was hired as rector. The congregation held its last service in the sanctuary at 1872 Camp Road on November 20, 2023. After a search for a temporary place of worship, Saint James met at the James Island Town Center until the predominantly African American congregation, First Baptist of James Island, offered their historic church building to rent at 1101 Camp Road. In 2023 the vestry asked Rev. Larson to resign as priest. Rev. Richard Grimball became the priest-in-charge. Currently, Rev. Louise Weld is the interim rector. A book that portrays three-hundred years of history of Saint James is Saint James Church: Worshipping in the Presence of the Past: 1720-2020.


BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS

The congregation of Saint James is currently renting the historic church building that belongs to a predominantly African-American congregation (First Baptist Church of James Island), which now worships in a large, modern church across from our facility. The building that houses Saint James (at the corner of Camp and Dills Bluff Roads) has roots extending back to the 1870s, but parishioners have remodeled it to accommodate their needs.

The front entrance leads into the sanctuary with an altar, pews, and a balcony. The side entrance leads into a hall where staff offices are located on the right and the parish hall is on the left. Also included are a multi-purpose conference room, a kitchen with additional rooms with equipment and storage, a nursery, and restrooms. Two side rooms are dedicated to Camino Counseling where Rev. Richard Grimball offers Christian counseling to clients from throughout the Diocese.

The exterior consists of brick, steeple, fencing, and a small surrounding landscaped area. Two exterior areas near the church are composed of a cemetery belonging to First Baptist and an extensive parking area shared with both First Baptist and James Island Town Center.


PARISH LIFE

Vestry

The vestry members, including the interim rector, are the official representatives of the parish and have charge of the temporalities of the church. The rector and the vestry set broad policies and exercise positive leadership to take full advantage of the lay potential.

The parish enjoys a wealth of lay ministers and lay leaders within all functional areas of ministry not reserved exclusively to the priesthood. The parish has made a commitment through its wardens, vestry, administrative staff, Finance Committee, and three trusties to exert strong lay leadership in all areas of ministry permitted by Canon.

The lay membership of the vestry consists of twelve voting members of the parish. Four members are elected each year, and each member serves for a three-year term. Vestry members are eligible to continue for one additional three-year term. After the second term, the vestry member must wait one year to run again. The senior warden, junior (people’s) warden, and secretary (clerk) are elected by the vestry. They also vote on a treasurer, who does not need to be a current vestry member.

The vestry normally meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM in the conference room. Special meetings may be called whenever a need arises. A quorum is a simple majority. The rector and senior warden usually preside at the meetings, with vestry members reporting on areas of expertise and service. The secretary records the minutes and shares them with the vestry; these minutes, once approved, are filed in the parish office as official records of the meetings and are made available to parishioners requesting to read them.

Our current vestry members are as follow, with their term expirations in parentheses:

     • Joel Cochran, Senior Warden (2026)

     • Virginia Bartels, Junior/People’s Warden (2025)

     • Eddie Anthony (2027)

     • Jennifer Baskin (2026)

     • Joan Hilton (2026)

     • Charles Holliday (2027)

     • Amy Knox (2027)

     • Jay Millen (2025)

     • Gene Morrison (2027)

     • Bill Read (2025)

     • Maxine Swafford (2026)

     • Fred Whittle (2025)

WORSHIP SERVICES

Sunday services have varied over the years, based on the number of communicants and priests as well as preferences of worship styles. Currently, on Sundays, 10:00 AM, parishioners attend a church service with a traditional service, a small choir, and various instruments such as a piano, guitar, and/or small organ. Additional services are held throughout the year for Lent, Advent, Thanksgiving, Evening Song, and other events and celebrations. Lay readers, acolytes, ushers, musicians, prayer teams, and altar guild members support the worship services.

MUSIC

The music ministry at Saint James believes that worship is about the heart, not the style of music. A blend of the traditional and contemporary music is well received in our congregation. We have an interim music minister who determines additional ways to enhance our choir and incorporate more instruments. Saint James received two generous gifts—both a piano and an organ.

CHRISTIAN STUDY AND SMALL GROUPS

Life/Small groups enable people to seek Jesus-centered life together. Growing in Christlikeness is not a solitary process. We are intentional about banding together for encouragement, support, learning, and prayer.

The Daughters of the Holy Cross, Ruth Chapter, follow a Common Rule of Life based on prayer, service, study, and evangelism. The twenty-one members meet the second Tuesday of each month, 6:00 PM. Ongoing services consist of praying daily on the church campus, maintaining prayer lists based on requests, creating “welcome bags” for newcomers, writing the priests thank you cards, and sending cards of sympathy, get well, and thanks to congregates. They prepare monthly “We are thinking-of-you bags” for parishioners as well as eight “We are thankful-for-you baskets” in November. They give staff members plates of varied foods and small gifts at Christmas. Each month members study a chapter of a Christian-based book and take on various expenses and duties as needs and opportunities arise.

Friday Morning Women’s Bible Study members meet from September to May from 9:30 to 11:30 in the parish hall to discuss an assigned book that is spiritually based. Over thirty women are on the roster. With the co-leadership of two laypersons, the members contribute interpretations, insights, questions and answers pertaining to the text currently being studied. In the two-hour gathering, the women break for refreshments and fellowship. On the average, the women study in-depth four books a year.

Several of the men meet in the parish hall year-round, 7:00 AM, at the Friday Morning Men’s Prayer Breakfasts where they first enjoy a breakfast, followed by a speaker, prayers, and announcements. With an average of seventeen men in attendance each week, the men make financial contributions to the church and other charities. They also prepare and serve the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and fry, on the average, eighty turkeys in December to distribute to those in need.

Prayer teams of two people each are available every Sunday during communion and after the church service to pray with anyone who has a prayer request. The prayers are confidential. The prayer leaders have received special training and continue to strengthen their service with ongoing trainings.

FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES

Fellowship takes place in Christian education settings as well as at social events and service activities. The following reflect some of the longstanding and/or recent fellowship activities that occur at Saint James:

  • Luncheons in the parish hall on Sundays when the bishop visits
  • “Celebration Sunday” or “Connection Sunday”— hosted by the vestry, with information stations about various groups that members are invited to join
  • Shrove Tuesday gourmet pancake dinners;
  • Advent and Lent Wednesday evening gatherings for meals, crafts, songs, and Bible-based messages
  • Beverages and bagels (snacks and drinks offered to Sunday worshippers as they converse after each worship service)
  • Seasonal events (ex. Christmas pageants and parties)
  • James Island Community Thanksgiving Services (held in various churches on the island) at which attendees donate nonperishable goods and money; pastors and James Island Outreach leaders speak; choirs from various island churches perform
  • Gatherings in parishioners’ homes and throughout the community for meals, meetings, Bible study, and fellowship
  • Men’s Steak Night; Women’s Steak Night
  • Men’s weekend hikes; women’s weekend cabin retreats

LAY READERS

Approximately twelve lay readers are scheduled to serve at the 10:00 AM Sunday services, reading Scripture, creeds, and prayers and assisting with Communion. Lay readers also participate in special services throughout the year, such as during Lent and at funerals. The coordinator for the lay readers issues a quarterly schedule after contacting them to ask about their availability and preferences when serving. He also works with the church staff to obtain information about Scripture and prayers for Sunday services and sends out weekly reminders to those serving.

GREETERS AND USHERS

Approximately twenty-one parishioners, both men and women, have been trained to serve at Sunday services, with four at a time per service. They greet parishioners and visitors, hand out Sunday bulletins, distribute welcome bags to visitors, assist with seating and going forward for Communion, and provide a total of those in attendance at services. Parishioners coordinate this ministry.

OFFICE VOLUNTEERS

Women from Saint James volunteer their time from about 9:30 to 11:30 at the reception desk in the entrance hall Monday through Friday. They answer the phone and take messages, greet visitors and parishioners, and assist the staff with tasks, as needed.

ALTAR GUILD

The altar guild is a ministry for lay people under the direction of the clergy and a coordinator. They faithfully prepare all things necessary for the celebration of the Eucharist or any other sacraments and offices of the church. They set up the altar, polish brass and silver, and launder linens.

FLOWER GUILD

Members of this ministry provide floral arrangements for the altar in the church every Sunday. They also decorate for Advent, Christmas, Palm Sunday, Easter, and additional services.

JAMES ISLAND OUTREACH

Saint James has a team of volunteers on the first Tuesday of each month to work at James Island Outreach (JIO) located at 1860 Camp Road. It is an ecumenical outreach organization serving the needs of the poor and vulnerable on James Island and Folly Beach. They help clients shop in the pantry for groceries (mostly nonperishable foods donated by churches and businesses). Working with many other island churches, Saint James’ church volunteers stock shelves and pick up donations from stores and the Low Country Food Bank. Additional services and supplies are also available. Saint James is designated as the “cereal church,” donating over 250 boxes of cereal monthly.

MISSIONS

Bridge Church and International Abba Ministries (IAM) are two of the local outreaches that are partially supported by Saint James to minister to the homeless, addicted, and struggling men and women in the Charleston area. Through the leadership of Mark Von Allmen, our church continues to contribute to meals and church services to the homeless. In addition, this ministry connects people to resources to help them move towards wholeness. Abba Ministries was born out of Saint James as member Jack Henley helped men become free of addictions by providing them with housing and discipleship. Locally, IAM has volunteers from various churches, operating three men’s houses and one for women. They assist those who were homeless, jailed, and addicted to substance abuse.

Over the years, some women of Saint James have participated in the Kairos prison ministry for females. After extensive training, the volunteers serve at two five-day annual events as well as some weekend gatherings in the prison for females in Columbia.

Parishioners prepare many Operation Christmas Child boxes and make financial contributions to Samaritan’s Purse.

We contribute to Aidan and Hilda’s Coffee Pub, a ministry founded by Rev. Elizabeth Bumpas to reach the unchurched and college-aged students. Although not firmly established yet, it is supported by our bishop, diocese, and church donations.

John 8:36 Ministry administers to brig residents as well as some in SCDC. Carl and Gill Green send Bible studies (often via emails). They stay in contact with about forty men who have been released from prison, across twenty-two states as well as in Germany and Saudi Arabia. They also have a phone ministry so that released prisoners can call for counseling, prayer requests, and Bible study questions. They administer to shut-ins, college students, and struggling families. At times funds can be provided for expenses, such as moving, funerals, etc.

Financial records kept by the vestry, Daughters of the Holy Cross, members of the Friday Morning Men’s Prayer Breakfast, and volunteers of the Fall Market (annual bazaar) reflect additional contributions made to missions—locally, nationally, and internationally.

STEWARDSHIP

Usually, an annual stewardship drive emphasizes spiritually-based giving. Members of the congregation—as family units as well as individuals—are provided pledge sheets on which they designate their intended giving. Using these pledges, members of the vestry and the Finance Committee determine a budget for the upcoming year to address employment costs, parish operations, missions, and the physical plant.

FALL MARKET

Each year Saint James hosts a bazaar. For five days beforehand, parishioners contribute to, organize, and price a huge quantity and variety of gently used as well as new items, all for bargain prices. The men of the church prepare and sell lunch. The church invites its members as well as people of the community and other churches to shop. Following the sale, Fall Market volunteers contribute unsold items to organizations that serve those in need. Then they meet to determine the distributions of the proceeds, giving to missions, charities, and congregational endeavors. Hosting this annual sale builds fellowship within the congregation and serves as outreach to community residents.


PARISH STAFF

The salaried staff of the parish includes the following individuals:

  • Interim Rector: Rev. Louise Weld
  • Pastoral Associate: Rev. Richard Grimball
  • Interim Worship Leader: Shane Williams
  • Family and Youth Minister: Sam English
  • Parish Administrator: Thomas Rehm
  • Assistant Parish Administrator: Jennifer Baskin
  • Director of Communications: Jane Read (part time)

YOUTH AT SAINT JAMES

MINISTER OF FAMILY AND YOUTH

The Youth Ministry is transitioning with a new Minister of Family and Youth, Sam English. He grew up at Saint James, participating in the youth and scouting programs. Mentored by Rev. Richard Grimball, Sam is working with the children’s Sunday chapel, the Boy Scout troop, the Saint James Day Care weekly chapel services, vacation Bible school, acolytes, and a middle-school-aged weekly gathering. He is also working in conjunction with other youth ministers in James Island churches and the South Carolina Diocese. Sam’s goals include establishing a high school youth group and monthly intergenerational events involving families.

ACOLYTES

This is a ministry the church is attempting to re-establish. However, having few children in the congregation is making this a challenge. Children carry the cross and at times vest for procession.

CHILDREN’S CHAPEL

Children ages 4K through fourth grade gather in the center aisle to hear the Gospel read by a priest and then leave the sanctuary with volunteers (coordinator, parents, etc.) to go to the conference room. They engage in a Bible study, along with related crafts, snacks, and sometimes service projects (back bags for students, Operation Christmas Child boxes, etc.) They rejoin their families after the sermon and for the sharing of the peace. Prayer and scripture memorization are encouraged. The children are sent birthday cards with a small gift card for TCBY as well as other holiday and special occasion cards (ex. back to school).

MIDDLE-SCHOOL AGED YOUTH PROGRAM

The middle-school aged program is newly inaugurated, having eight regular attendees and anticipation for growth. Ages span from ten to fifteen. Because of its recent creation, adjustments will be made, as needed. Every Friday, it includes a free meal, two games (one sport and one board game), a thirty-minute lesson, and prizes. Upcoming plans include meeting with other same-age youth groups in the Diocese for joint activities, field trips, and service opportunities around Charleston. Parents attend and assist.

NURSERY

A room has been designated, decorated, and furnished for the care of infants and toddlers during church services. It is staffed by caregivers who have met the requirements for working with youth. Some Sundays the church is not able to offer this option.

SCOUTING

Troop 44 has been in existence for decades at Saint James. The Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts meet weekly at the church. Boy Scouts go on regularly scheduled weekend camping trips. They participate in activities hosted by Camp Ho Non Wah on Wadmalaw as well as support the earnings of merit badges and achieving the rank of Eagle. With Sam English’s mentorship, the Boy Scouts are initiating two religious emblem programs involving monthly Bible study classes. They often volunteer for projects at the church, such as cleaning the grounds, serving at large dinners, and assisting at the annual fund raiser (bazaar/Fall Market).

DAY SCHOOL

The Saint James Day School, still located at 1872 Camp Road, has been a varied but integral part of the ministry of Saint James since the 1970s. The current day school, founded in 2008 with the $100,000 donation of a former parishioner, currently donates $1,000 monthly to Saint James. It is DSS licensed, is open from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and currently has approximately thirty children registered. The day school provides a curriculum that is both academic and Christian-based, including weekly chapel. Some scholarships are available for families who cannot afford the fees.

Mothers Morning Out began in 2014, is open from 8:00 AM to noon, and has about forty children (from infants to age four) in the program.

A Day School Board oversees the finances and policies of the school.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Saint James reinstated the week-long vacation Bible school for youth in the summer of 2024 and plans to sustain this annual program. The children went to different areas for Bible story time, games and recreation, songs and dances, and Bible-related crafts and snacks. Church members volunteered to be leaders and assistants.


CAMINO COUNSELING CENTER

On Mondays and Tuesdays Rev. Richard Grimball, a licensed counselor, provides professional, Christian counseling to members of the community and the South Carolina Diocese. Fees can be addressed in a variety of ways. Two rooms have been remodeled to provide areas for waiting and private counseling. Entrance is available through doors from the parking lot. Rev. Grimball has the approval of the bishop and the leadership of board members. This counseling center is owned by Rev. Grimball.

COMMUNITY SETTING

James Island, one of South Carolina’s sea islands, lies south of the peninsular city of Charleston and inland of the barrier island of Folly. Johns Island lies to the west with the Stono River separating the two islands. The Intra-coastal Waterway and the Ashley River on the north separate the island from St. Andrew’s Parish and the City of Charleston. To the east lies the entrance to Charleston Harbor and Morris Island. Many marshes and tributaries tend to separate the island into different communities. The island can easily be accessed by two bridges, enabling residents to reach downtown in minutes.

The historical significance of James Island is widely recognized from its heritage, which includes numerous Civil War batteries, burial grounds, plantation homes, scenic avenues, and agricultural influences. The island’s history also entails that of early Native Americans, events during the Revolutionary War, and social changes impacting the black and white residents of James Island for centuries. In the past, island ancestors survived diseases indigenous of the Low Country, failed crops, and destructive storms, such as Hurricane Hugo. Mild winters and hot summers are characteristic of this region.

The island population consists of some long-time James Island residents who are members of families that have lived on the island for generations. In more recent years modern-day population growth consists of many people transferring from elsewhere in the United States to James Island to work, live, and worship. For the past fifty years, James Island has experienced a great deal of development and growth due to its desirable and convenient location close to the city that provides amenities of art, tourism, a busy shipping port, and a network of state-of-the-art hospitals.

The City of Charleston has annexed a large portion of James Island and shares the public services of the community such as fire, police, utilities, and refuse collection, along with Charleston County and the James Island Public Service District. The Town of James Island is also a dynamic local government with elected officials serving the area. The island is essentially made of churches, residential neighborhoods, apartment buildings, small retail and service-oriented businesses, and many of the larger, well-known chains (ex. restaurants, banks). James Island’s day care centers as well as elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and private schools have excellent reputations.

The recreational facilities on James Island include a country club, yacht club, municipal golf course, tennis courts, library, senior citizen center, gyms, and a city-operated pool and ball fields. A county park, located just minutes from the church, offers walking and bicycle paths, picnic shelters, ongoing programs, a campground, and facilities for fishing and crabbing. Folly Beach as well as Kiawah and Seabrook Islands are near to the church.

SAINT JAMES’ VITAL STATISTICS

The following are statistics from 2024 regarding our parish:

  • births
  • baptisms under age 17–2
  • baptisms over 16–0
  • confirmations–2
  • receptions–0
  • letters of transfer
  • weddings–0
  • deaths–4
  • members–240

PORTRAIT OF A RECTOR

Love God, Love People, Build Community

Saint James Anglican Church, Charleston, South Carolina, is seeking a new Rector who can lead and walk with us as we strive to fulfill the Great Commission as the body of Christ. We are seeking the Lord’s guidance and provision as we go through the process of calling a Rector who will lead us into the future. We believe that we will be best served by a Priest who has a heart on fire for Christ and His gospel, is a strong leader, and, at the same time, is a humble servant, is warm and friendly, desires to live on James Island and become part of the community, is growth oriented, and is willing and able to work under the authority and spiritual guidance of our Bishop.

THE RECTOR WE SEEK IS, AS FOLLOWS:

A Pastor:

  • Our new Rector will be the spiritual leader of the Parish and will work collaboratively with our staff and mentor a team of lay leaders who bear responsibility for the management of temporal matters like finance, property management, hospitality, and logistics.
  • Our new Rector will have well-honed pastoral skills – mentoring, equipping, edifying, comforting, encouraging, and admonishing.
  • Our new Rector will have a passion for discipling and edifying believers, making of them ardent disciples of Jesus Christ who follow and become more like Him, taking the mission of the Church outside of the building where the lost and broken can be found.

A PRIEST:

  • Our new Rector will be an ordained Priest in the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA), serving in submission to the Archbishop and Constitution and Canons of the ACNA and submitting to the Bishop and Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of South Carolina.
  • Our new Rector will believe in and subscribe fully to the historic understanding of the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds.
  • Our new Rector will believe in the authority of Scripture and will be a Biblically-based, grace-filled teacher and preacher.

A COLLABORATIVE LEADER:

  • Our Rector will be a collaborative team-builder/player, who will work with lay volunteers to foster the growth of our congregation and its ministries.
  • Our Rector will recognize and value the participation of Christians in the life of the Parish.

OF EXEMPLARY CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY:

  • Our new Rector must be of impeccable character, humble in spirit, living a life of holiness, wisdom, and temperance.
  • Our new Rector will welcome all who come, visit the sick, and nurture the family atmosphere of our congregation.
  • Our new Rector will have a joyful spirit and a sense of humor.

THE MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY:

Our Congregation Profile for Saint James Anglican Church describes the life of our congregation and its ministries. We are an active and participatory congregation that bears responsibility for temporal matters and participates with the Rector in ministry.