Our services follow a traditional liturgy, which means everyone participates by reading, responding, and singing from a booklet. We combine hymns and contemporary songs that are familiar and singable. We follow the church calendar (Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary season) and publicly read an Old Testament, New Testament, Psalm, and Gospel passage. Services are about an hour-and-a-half with sermons lasting about 20 minutes. Holy Communion is offered every week and is open to all baptized followers of Jesus Christ. Most Sunday services are followed by a potluck meal. Childcare is provided for a portion of the service.

Liturgy means “the work of the people” and refers to the order of any church service. All churches follow a liturgy; some are simple and others are more complex. At Mission Saint James, we follow an ancient order of service that is led by a priest (pastor) and includes prayers, Scripture readings, and the sacrament of Holy Communion. This “call-and-response” style worship has been practiced around the globe for nearly 2,000 years. While foreign to many, such liturgy resembles ancient Jewish and early Christian practices.

Over the centuries, Christians have organized the rhythms of life around the life of Jesus Christ. Beginning in Advent we anticipate the birth of the Messiah each year. At Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation of the Word of God. In Epiphany, we remember the revelation of Christ to both Jew and Gentile. During Lent, we lament our sins, repent, fast, pray, and walk with Jesus through the wilderness in anticipation of Easter. During Holy Week, culminating in Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. For the rest of the year, we joyfully share the gospel of Jesus Christ just as the Apostles did upon receiving the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

During a service at Mission Saint James, all are invited to follow along to whatever extent is desired. There is a saying in Anglicanism that “all may, some should, none must,” meaning there is great latitude in worship. You may see folks crossing themselves, bowing, or kneeling. Participate at your comfort level. The point is to love Jesus Christ. With a bulletin in hand, follow along to whatever degree you like or simply observe.

Holy Communion is open to all baptized followers of Jesus Christ, regardless of age or denomination. Parents are free to decide if their baptized children participate. We serve thin wafers and alcoholic wine. For communicants in recovery, receiving the bread only is recommended. We receive out of the “common cup.” The cup servers are trained to wipe the rim after each participant drinks and rotate the cup 1/4 turn before serving the next person. The antimicrobial quality of the metal chalice and the sanitary nature of alcoholic wine also protect communicants from germs. Alternatively, communicants are welcome to intinct, or dip, their wafer into the cup.

Yes. A nursery is available for the first half of the service. Children ages 5 through the 3rd grade are dismissed early in the service for Children’s Church. Our Children’s ministry team is dedicated to discipling our children through Scripture and singing. A light snack is served. Parents are asked to pick children up from the nursery and children’s church during The Peace, a midpoint in the service for greeting one another and announcements before Holy Communion.

There is no dress code at Mission Saint James. Come as you are. While you will see clergy wearing robes, most folks dress casually in the pews.

Great question. Clergy have been wearing robes to lead worship for centuries. Each church is different, but at Mission Saint James, our clergy wear “albs,” which are solid white robes tied at the waist with a rope, called a cincture. They represent the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which must cover all of us to appear before a holy God. Because the Anglican worship service is a drama, the role of clergy around the altar represents the heavenly worship Isaiah spoke of in Isaiah 6. Like Isaiah, we must all be cleansed of our uncleanness before God’s glory.

The Anglican Church adheres to an episcopal polity. Episcopal comes from the Greek word for bishop. We hold to the historic threefold offices of bishop, priests, and deacons. Because there is no central bishop over all Anglican churches (Anglicans do not have a pope), each Province autonomously governs itself. Provinces are large geographical areas (we are part of a Province covering all of North America). Each Province has an Archbishop (or Primate) and is further segregated into smaller dioceses, each governed by its own bishop. Finally, each diocese is made up of individual churches, called Parishes, and are led by a priest, or Rector. Parishes may or may not have deacons. As a mission, Mission Saint James is not yet recognized as a parish by our diocese, the Anglican Diocese of the South (ADOTS).

No. The practice of calling priest “father” has been around since the early church. While Jesus’ injunction to “call no man your father” in Matthew 23:9 is often cited in opposition to the practice, he was likely using hyperbole since the apostles often spoke in familial language (i.e. Paul to Timothy). Nonetheless, many are uncomfortable calling anyone “father.” No priest should be offended if you simply refer to them as pastor or some other title (or no title at all).

Men and women are expected to serve in some area of Mission Saint James. Our Sunday services run on teams of volunteers who are responsible for music, ushering, greeting, reading,

setting up, tearing down, and caring for our children and youth. Some responsibilities are only open to members who have been confirmed in the Anglican Church, but there is plenty of need for everyone to jump in. In our diocese (ADOTS), ordination to the priesthood is restricted to men, while women can be ordained as deacons.

Mission Saint James is named after the brother of Jesus, who only left us with one short letter near the end of the New Testament. St. James urges us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. At Mission Saint James, we want to keep this simple goal in front of us at all times, that our religion might be “pure and undefiled” as James admonished us (James 1:27).

Because Mission Saint James is not yet self-sustaining, we are considered a church plant, or mission. Therefore, we do not have a formal membership process...yet. However, all who attend MSJ are encouraged to participate in events and services throughout the year as well as attend classes and Bible studies. You can read about our connecting process here.

Because Mission Saint James is not yet self-sustaining, we are considered a church plant, or mission. Therefore, we do not have a formal membership process...yet. However, all who attend MSJ are encouraged to participate in events and services throughout the year as well as attend classes and Bible studies. You can read about our connecting process here.