| St. James Ev. Lutheran Church | |
| Saint James Evangelical Lutheran Church of Milwaukee, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod |
| Website | http://www.saintjames-mke.org |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor(s) | Rev. Peter Kassulke |
Saint James Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Lutheran congregation in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee. It is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
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St. James began in 1916 as a mission church based in the vicinity of the current building. In 1917, the church operated out of a small chapel near the intersection of 54th and Pabst Avenue (now Lloyd Street). Some time later, the mission was relocated to the southwest corner of 60th and Lloyd, across from the Synod's Seminary. On May 20, 1921 St. James congregation was officially organized. When the seminary relocated, the church moved its chapel for a third time, to the east side of the intersection, where the church is situated today. After this move, a 16' x 24' school room was added to the chapel in 1922 at a cost of $1,204.44. Though the building was completed, the Christian day school wasn't opened until 1923.
On October 19, 1924, the cornerstone was laid for the church's current sanctuary, the dedication taking place on May 17, 1925. The church's original pipe organ was purchased in December 1927. The four-room, two-story school-house addition was added to the school and dedicated on May 22, 1938. Only two of the four rooms were finished at that time; the other two were completed in 1939 and 1945.
Some of St. James's most extensive renovations include the roof renovation of 1965 (again renovated a few years ago), an extensive renovation of the sanctuary that same year, and the rebuilding of the organ in 1968. In 2003 the organ was replaced with a hybrid digital/pipe organ. The latest addition, completed in 1988, includes a gymnasium, offices, and storage areas. Housed in the gymnasium is Wildcard Gymnastics, a USA Gymnastics member club.
The mission statement at St. James is
As St. James attempts to reach out into its neighborhood, it is faced with many challenges. The church is located in a melting pot of racial, ethical, and economical differences. To its west lies the upper-class community of the Washington Highlands in Wauwatosa. To the east lies the Washington Heights neighborhood, a center of middle class Caucasian and increasingly African-American families. Ethical differences come into play with the growing numbers of the homosexual population within the local community.
To meet the demands of these differing communities, St. James has changed its mission focus, especially since its school, once the focal point of its ministry, is no longer in existence. St. James has gone with a "Small Group" ministry, whose goal is to engage the entire congregation in fellowship, while encouraging the membership to bring family, friends, and neighbors along. Small groups meet on various subjects, ranging from religious Bible studies to financial groups, and encompass many interests, such as sewing, gardening, writing, and even board games. The current small groups available are[1]:
The congregation accepts and confesses all the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired word of God, and that all the symbolical books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, contained in the Book of Concord of 1580, are a correct presentation and true exposition of Christian doctrine, drawn from, and in full agreement with, the Holy Scriptures.[2]
St. James operated a Christian day school throughout many years of its history. Due to economic hardship and declining enrollment, the Assembly of Voter's approved the Council's recommendation to close the school, officially ending it after the 2005-2006 school year.
In its history, St. James has had four pastors:
While the congregation's Christian day school was still in operation, it employed a variety of teachers and principals in order to meet the needs of its students and community.
In 2001, St. James extended a call to its first deacon (also called "Staff Minister"). The call encompassed the fields of Outreach and Administration. The position was terminated in 2009.