Who We Are ...
St. James Episcopal Church is a forward-looking and inclusive urban parish, grounded in the sacramental and liturgical life of The Book of Common Prayer, the Holy Scripture, and the Anglican tradition. We try to be a faithful community that lives out our baptismal vows. It is the mission of the Church to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
As lay persons, our ministry is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever we may be; and, according to the gifts given to us, to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world; and to take our place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.
As Christians, we follow Christ; we come together week by week for worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God.
St. James is a part of:
More About St. James
History of the Parish
St. James Church has had a colorful, almost 300-year history in New London. We are in the planning process for our tercentenary celebration in 2025! During the past three centuries, the Parish has worshipped in at least three buildings and has developed a significant church presence in the New London community.
After the parish was organized in 1725, the first St. James Church was built across from what is now the Union Railroad Station in 1741. It was soon enlarged, with the addition of a bell tower and many more pews to accommodate its growing congregation. Unfortunately, the Church was a victim of the 1781 burning of New London by British troops led by Benedict Arnold during the American Revolution. After rebuilding, a second Church edifice located near the current Salvation Army building was subsequently outgrown. In 1850 our current building was completed to house the expanded congregation. Many of the parishioners at the time were citizens who enjoyed the benefits of the very successful whaling and ensuing manufacturing industries in 19th and 20th century New London. Because of several benefactors,
St. James has six stained glass windows designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. This is one of the largest collections of
Tiffany windows that can be seen in one building in all of New England.
Our Companion Parish, St. Margaret's is a Scottish Episcopal Church in the city centre of Aberdeen, where Samuel Seabury, the first Episcopal Bishop in the United States, was consecrated. St. Margaret's in the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney which, like St James, is part of the Worldwide Anglican Communion. To visit the website of our companion parish, click here.
Check us out on Wikipedia
Our Property
St. James Episcopal Church stands on the corner of Huntington and Federal Streets in New London, CT. The Gothic Revival edifice was designed by architect Richard Upjohn. It was built in 1850 of red New Jersey freestone. Large stained-glass windows, six of which were designed by Louis C. Tiffany, light the Church sanctuary. A well-maintained, 4-manual Skinner pipe organ enhances the worship-inspiring space. On the lower level of the Church building is Hallam Chapel, the final resting place of The Right Reverend Samuel Seabury, who was the first Episcopal Bishop in the United States and an early rector of St. James. Also on that level are The Jumble Shoppe, our second-hand goods mission, as well as a meeting room and kitchen.
Our Parish House, The Seabury Center, is connected to both the main and lower levels of the Church building. It contains a large meeting hall with kitchen on its top floor, offices, Choir Room, Music Library and classrooms on the middle floor. Additional classrooms and our neighborhood food distribution center, The Lord’s Pantry, are on the lower street-level floor.
Next to the Church on Huntington Street is the Rectory, a fully renovated 1840 Greek Revival house which, along with our Church building, is listed on the National Historic Registry. It contains four public rooms on the first floor, with two additional floors housing five bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms. Three additional Greek revival houses, not owned by St. James, line Huntington Street next to the Rectory and, together with our corner Church, make the striking architectural statement known as "Whale Oil Row."
Our Memorial Garden in the courtyard on the southern side of the Church is a recent addition to the St. James campus. While no memorial stones or indicators of any kind are installed in the garden, memorial plates are mounted on the Memorial Garden Memory Board located in the Narthex of the church.
Our Locale - Context for God's Mission
St. James is located in downtown New London, within short walking distance of both the many resources mentioned here and our several community service partners. As the “smallest big city in America,” New London has many of the aspects and issues of any urban city, with many exciting opportunities for ministry and service collaborations. The City of New London is a diverse, friendly community with a rich history, extensive arts and music scene, ample housing options for a varied community, fine dining, public parks and numerous recreational facilities and activities. The Garde Arts Center and the Hygienic Galleries are major venues for national and international art exhibits, plays, movies, and live music. The internationally known Eugene O’Neill Theater is nearby in Waterford. The area is home to four colleges: Connecticut College, Mitchell College, the U. S. Coast Guard Academy and the University of Connecticut Avery Point campus. The US Naval Submarine Base is right across the Thames River from New London.
Downtown New London is a unique transportation center with interconnected national and commuter train, ferry, and interstate highway services that provide easy access in-state and throughout New England and the entire US East Coast. The New London Public Schools, grades K through 12, are the State’s first and only “all magnet” public school system, providing fully integrated public education in math, science, literature, and the arts for children living in the city and anywhere in the State. New London is a multi-faceted and economically diverse city. Sophisticated business and international manufacturing companies such as General Dynamics/Electric Boat and a variety of other service and commercial retail and wholesale businesses exist in the area and are expecting substantial job growth (800 to 1000 new job openings are anticipated in the next year). The Pfizer Corporation has a significant presence across the river in nearby Groton. Our city sits directly on the Thames River and Long Island Sound, with easy and extensive public access to these waterways.
Vestry Resolution Regarding Racial Equity
Whereas the parish of St. James, New London is grounded in Holy Scripture, Anglican tradition and experience as well as the sacramental and liturgical life of The Book of Common Prayer; we aspire to be a faith community that embodies our baptismal vows. It is the mission of the Church to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
Whereas, as we seek to fulfill our mission, we set forth the following:
We are all created in God’s image and God has called us all “good.” God, through Jesus, gathers us together as diverse and equally beloved children. The Holy Spirit through the gospel compels us, as Christians, to follow the reconciling and inclusive footsteps of Jesus.
The parish of St. James, New London seeks to reaffirm its commitment to the Jesus movement and to the call to reject the systemic racism and injustices against people of color, especially our Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) brothers and sisters. We declare our commitment to actively engage in the pursuit of justice in all aspects of our congregational life and the business affairs of the church to repair the breach between white people and BIPOC. We will pursue constructive changes that will facilitate the alignment of practices that foster racial justice, inclusiveness and, above all, are reflective of a beloved community. Our leadership and decisions will be transformative and reflective of the God of Life.
Those of us who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) suffer injustice when these truths are not lived out in God’s world. Those of us who are white are entwined in a network of unearned privilege that distances us from the fullness of humanity and from God. We all acknowledge that standing in silence strengthens racism and violence. Given these beliefs, we confess all these sins and strive to be the beloved community to which we are called.
We understand that the call to racial justice applies to us as individuals, as participants in institutions such as the parish of St. James, New London and in larger systems in our world. We take responsibility to use a “racial justice lens” to look at the ways in which racism and white privilege shape our parish life and our interface with our community.
Yet, we know that there is more for us to do to ensure that all elements of our parish life reflect equity and justice. We come to this work as Christians, as Episcopalians, and as disciples of Jesus Christ. We come to this work as a faith community that embodies different views, experiences, perceptions and histories – as white people and as people of color. We are different, yet we are united in our baptism, through our values and beliefs, and in our love and affection for each other through Jesus Christ.
Be it resolved: We will seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. We will strive for justice, healing and racial reconciliation among all black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) people. We will strive for peace, and respect the dignity of every human being. These are our foundational promises - to God and to each other.
Be it resolved: Following the inclusive and reconciling footsteps of Jesus, the parish of St. James, New London publicly declares that we will actively pursue racial justice in all aspects of our parish life and make changes to better align our practices to being a racially just, beloved community.
