St. James Church History

A Brief History of St. James Lutheran Church ​

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Our Beginnings
St. James Lutheran Church is the result of a meaningful merger between two smaller congregations — Bethlehem Lutheran and St. Timothy Lutheran.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church was established in 1946 by the United Lutheran Church in America and was located on the very site where St. James stands today. The original church building still exists on the far west end of our campus and now serves the community as the home of Metro Lutheran Ministries, after being thoughtfully remodeled.
St. Timothy Lutheran Church began in 1955, founded by the Augustana Synod of the National Lutheran Church. Its first location was on Englewood Road, near what was then a much smaller Highway 169.

   

Our Church History
St. James Lutheran Church was officially chartered in 1965, but its story began a few years earlier with two neighboring congregations — Bethlehem Lutheran and St. Timothy Lutheran.
In 1964, a merger of the two larger Lutheran church bodies brought Bethlehem and St. Timothy even closer in purpose and mission. With both congregations located nearby, it seemed good to combine efforts to strengthen outreach and ministry in the area. After thoughtful consideration, the congregations chose to unite at the Bethlehem Lutheran site, which had a recently constructed sanctuary (now serving as the education wing). This location offered room to grow together as one. A new name was chosen for the united church: St. James Lutheran Church.
We continue to honor our roots by naming two rooms in our building after the founding congregations:

• St. Timothy Hall – our Fellowship and Art space
• Bethlehem Room – a small classroom located downstairs, near the office

In 1967, the current sanctuary was constructed as a stand-alone building, separate from the original Bethlehem structure. A garden space once lay between the two. This sanctuary underwent a significant transformation in 1981 with the installation of a custom-built Reuter Pipe Organ, which filled what had previously been a large open wall, dramatically changing the look and feel of the worship space.
The following year, in 1982, a major addition connected the original and new structures. This addition included St. Timothy Hall, the nursery, and office areas, creating a more unified and functional church building.

To improve accessibility, an elevator was installed in 1991 — the most recent major building project undertaken by the congregation.

Our Partnership with Metro Lutheran MinistriesMetro Lutheran Ministries (MLM) is a separately chartered, cooperative social service organization that provides a wide range of support to individuals in need.
St. James is proud to partner with MLM in hosting its Northland Satellite, which occupies about one-third of our building. This newly remodeled space provides:

• Food pantry services
• Assistance programs
• Job support
• Case management services

Together, we work to serve our neighbors with compassion and dignity.