On May 12, 1959, the Rt. Rev. E. R. Welles, the Bishop of West Missouri, appointed a committee for establishing a new Episcopal Church here in Springfield. This group was composed of families from Christ Church and St. John’s Church. The Rev. Roy W. Black, formerly a Baptist minister, oversaw the mission community. They named this mission St. James Church. The first service was Morning Prayer held at Mr. Black’s home on June 14th.

​

The church services were soon after held at The Tower movie theatre as a temporary site beginning on June 28th, 1959, with Holy Eucharist services celebrated on the second Sunday of each month. Construction began on the building of a permanent home starting with a chapel and parish hall made mostly of cypress wood and stone in contemporary architecture with a gothic impression.

​

By February 1961, the majority of the building was completed, and the moment was marked by three communion services. The 16-sided nave was designed as a narthex for future building expansion. The current parish hall was added in the spring of 1965. In 1971, tinted glass panels were added to the steeple. In June, 1980, the rector’s study was repurposed for a worship space creating the “Chapel of the Holy Spirit”.

​

Since the founding of St. James Church, this special place has served as a space for loving God and all God’s creation. This has included decades of sacred worship, spiritual counseling, outreach to the community, musical expression, milestone celebrations, sending eucharistic visitors, gardening, youth ministry, community building, and countless prayers.