"St James is a safe place for all people to worship regardless of race, creed, gender, age, cultural background or sexual orientation"
Welcome...
St James is a progressive, intentionally inclusive community, committed to biblical and religious literacy. You are most welcome to share your journey in this safe place.
A little bit of history...
In March 1964 (so we celebrated 40 years young in 2004) a congregation of the then Presbyterian Church was commenced in the new Woden Valley of Canberra, ACT. Canberra was growing and land had been allocated for a Presbyterian church centre opposite a shopping centre site, and near both Anglican and Catholic church sites. We still lease that land today. It is where the Minister's Residence is situated.
The Congregation was later to become know as St James (and not St Mungo's as some had suggested), but then it formed part of what became known as St Margaret's, on the other side of town.
The Hughes/Curtin Presbyterian Church (as it was called) grew, gaining its first full-time minister in 1966 - the Revd Ian Macpherson.
A year later an ecumenical arrangement, based on shared property, was entered into with the Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd. A building program commenced with the Presbyterians building the Christian Education (now Church Centre) and the Anglicans constructing the Church building. The Education Centre was opened in February 1970, complete with a Foundation Stone from St James, Pollok, in Glasgow, Scotland.
With church union (1977) in Australia, St James, still in a property sharing relationship with the Anglican parish, entered the new Uniting Church in Australia, linked with Yarralumla to form the North Woden Parish. This 'parish' relationship remained for 20 years, changing in 1998 when both St James and Yarralumla became congregations in their own right - each with their own minister in placement. Worship services continued in the Anglican church building, which was called The Church of the Good Shepherd and St James, until the end of 2002, when St James moved into its now named Church Centre for all activities - including worship services.
In July 2002 The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Canberra, an initiative of St James, was established. It functions as a separate, but parallel, group to the Congregation, open to all who want a safe place to push theological boundaries. Since then a Sydney Chapter of CPRT has also be established (2004).
To meet growing and changing needs, St James embarked on a modest re-development building program in 2005.
Two important recent events: (i) St James has entered into 'twinning' arrangements with 'progressive' Verdun Uniting - in the Adelaide (SA) Hills, and St Paul's Presbyterian - in North Auckland (Devonport) - where we will offer each other support and encouragement, and share resources; and (ii) a co-operative venture with several community groups, called The St James Wellbeing Centre, has recently been established.