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St. James United Methodist Church
"The Church Where Everybody is Somebody and Jesus Christ is Lord"
Our Vision, Our Mission, Our Calling
"The Hands and Feet of Christ"
Our mission at St. James United Methodist Church is to make sure God’s mission is accomplished through the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we reach out in the community by connecting with others and the community through programs of nurture, outreach and witness.
A Trip Down Memory Lane: The History of St. James United Methodist Church
By: Pam Dankins
Moving Forward
Once Pastor Dwayne Robinson arrived at St. James UMC in 2020, the church continued to experience significant growth. Our worship service, Bible Study and Sunday services have experienced substantial growth and are continuing to grow. We are also seeing an increased involvement from the leadership of St. James that are offering new and creative ideas for St. James and the community.
In addition to our monthly food drive, we share resources with the community to help those in need. We take communion into the community for those unable to attend the Sunday service inside the church building. We are seeing increased giving in tithes and offering because our giving is not only from those in our church but from those who view it online.
“I believe that the spiritual insight of our worshippers is also increasing, and St. James people are excited about the Bible and the teachings of Jesus,” Robinson said.
We place a great deal of importance on the development of our youth, and we intend to develop more programs for our youth. As our children's ministry continues to expand, we see an increase of children are now participating in our Sunday service. Our children will learn more about their history and the accomplishments of African Americans.
“We (St. James) understand the value of the church experience for our children and want them to grow up aware of the love that God has for them and what's possible for their lives,” Robinson said.
As we educate the congregation about our history and share the unique needs of the African American community, we seek ways in which to respond to these needs. Chairperson of the Children’s Team Regina Weatherall is one of the team members dedicated to helping children achieve success.
Moving Forward
For the past 30 years, Regina Weatherall has been the Chairperson of the Children’s Team at St. James UMC. In this position, she has witnessed the mindset of the children and family change. There was a time when children came to church regardless of whether they wanted to or not because attending children's functions at the church was instilled in them. But now, she has noticed how if a child does not want to attend church, then they don’t have to.
Keeping in mind how children think nowadays, she noted that the Children’s Team tries to keep things interesting and exciting for the children to encourage them to come. She considers the schedules children now have ranging from extracurricular activities to schoolwork. She values the ideology of interacting with youth and children. This is because she believes that if the church doesn’t interact with them, then they won’t know what issues the youth and children are experiencing. And not knowing what these issues are, they are unable to help them in the way they need.
“Children now have so much more to deal with than we ever did,” Weatherall said. “Keeping that line of communication open is the only way to be of assistance and you can't keep it open if you don't interact with them.”
Even with all the progress they have made with creating a safe space for the children and youth, she said she wants to see the group continue to grow. Not only by having conversations about the Bible, but also by teaching them life skills. She said there is so much in the world that some of the children are unaware of. She wants to open their minds up to more than Amory and the surrounding areas. She said the youth and children group of the church can be improved by teaching them not only the Bible, but also life skills.
As of right now, Weatherall and the Children’s Team haven't discussed or initiated the conversation about how some children and youth are hesitant to come to church. However, they are trying to encourage more involvement by asking the children to bring a friend with them. As of now, they have been doing weekly meetings with the children and hopefully, will be doing more activities outside the church with them. Weatherall said she believes that the more children that see what is going on the more that will want to take part in church. Weatherall is one of many members at St. James UMC. He takes the idea of playing a major role by helping the children in some way in their lives to heart.
“I take pride and joy in helping the children. When one remembers a story we have discussed or comes to me and gives me a hug because they see me. It is such a loving feeling. I want the children to know that at St. James they can find the peace and comfort that they may lack somewhere else. I also take this position very seriously because I don't want to ever do anything to hinder or stunt a child's growth. I want them to flourish and prosper in life,” Weatherall said.
Moving in the direction of the church’s mission statement, we have a congregation that readily gives feedback on the accomplishments they see happening at St. James. We receive compliments on how well the grounds and church are being taken care of, how we have put in great effort to make the food drive a success, and even transforming our worship experience at St. James.
We also see people coming together and being willing to work together even though they may
disagree. We plan to continue to respond to the needs of St. James parishioners and the community by providing information, resources, and programs that will help them better their lives.
“We hope to increase the number of those who receive our message of love, hope, joy, and prosperity, whether inside the church, within the community, or on social media. We want people to know that God will meet them where they are,” Robinson said.
St. James is privileged to be in the Amory community, and we believe that by meeting and getting to know our neighbors, we can work in partnership with the community. Through our food drive, rib sale, and participation in the railroad festival, we are becoming more visible in the community. The church will continue to work on its primary mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and share the good news.
Moving in the direction of the church’s mission statement, we have a congregation that readily gives feedback on the accomplishments they see happening at St. James. We receive compliments on how well the grounds and church are being taken care of, how we have put in great effort to make the food drive a success, and even transforming our worship experience at St. James.
We also see people coming together and being willing to work together even though they may
disagree. We plan to continue to respond to the needs of St. James parishioners and the community by providing information, resources, and programs that will help them better their lives.
“We hope to increase the number of those who receive our message of love, hope, joy, and prosperity, whether inside the church, within the community, or on social media. We want people to know that God will meet them where they are,” Robinson said.
St. James is privileged to be in the Amory community, and we believe that by meeting and getting to know our neighbors, we can work in partnership with the community. Through our food drive, rib sale, and participation in the railroad festival, we are becoming more visible in the community. The church will continue to work on its primary mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and share the good news.
Moving Forward
Chairperson of Mission Team Teresa Johnson has only had the position for a few years; however, she puts her best foot forwards when it comes to coordinating different programs for the community. With the idea of providing free items for the public to receive, Johnson and the Mission Team created the Brown Bag Lunch give away. They also began partnering with Dollar General in Amory, Mississippi to do so. However, this is just the beginning of where the Mission Team is heading.
She would love to see a Mission House go up, get it renovated, and get everything they need in it, so that it can be open to the community. For her the importance of mission is for people to see Christ and make sure we continue to carry out God’s plan for humanity. Therefore, the Mission House is meant to help kids thrive all the way to helping every age know who God is.
“My hope is that they don’t see us first, and that they are being made aware of who God truly is. And that in a time of need, they will also be provided for. My prayer is that if they don’t know Him, they’ll learn of Him through our mission and that they’ll come to Christ,” Johnson said.
She keeps Philippines 4:11-13 at the core of mission because of moments when she, herself, knew what it was like to not have enough to eat, to meet her needs, and pay bills. Johnson recalled the heartfelt moments when she and the Mission Team, along with the Youth were able to give back to the community. The joy on people's faces when they received the food, and the Youth being aware of how giving openly and freely to others is impactful.
“When I think about how God operates, it warms my heart and makes me want to cry. We continue to be able to help people and reach people where they are by His grace and mercy. I’m so overjoyed, especially when God will use the one thing that was once a hinderance for you to inspire someone else. That is the best feeling in the world,” Johnson said.
Johnson feels the community events are necessary for both the community and the church. For the community, it is crucial to help those who are in need or who do not know Christ, so it is very imperative that the mission continues. For the church, it is for us to live out what we say we believe, so that people can see Christ. In the process of experiencing life, Johnson said she believes we must “grant people grace.”
“Everybody is not going to be happy every day, and sometimes people fail trying to do what’s right. We must take every opportunity to love on people and stop taking them for granted because it’s not always about us. Everyone has their struggles, so grant the people grace, no matter where they are in their journey,” Johnson said.
St. James UMC is a church where everyone is invited to participate in offering ideas, suggestions, and plans for making our church better. It is not only the Pastor that moves the church forward; the church does it together. We are a community of believers working together to strengthen the church and community, who aim at moving our mission and vision forward.
The members of St. James have shown their resilience and commitment to St. James through their contributions in time, talent and treasure. The members are willing to work, give and contribute their skills in every way possible. The members are proud of their past and are willing to work to make St. James better each day. Robinson said that for him getting those who worship at St. James in the church or virtually to understand how the Bible applies to their lives and what it means to have an intimate relationship with God is primary to him.
“When we allow the teaching of Jesus Christ in our life, He transforms the way we think and opens our minds up to a different understanding of the God we serve. That allows Jesus teaching to transform us spiritually and physically,” Robinson said.
May St. James mission continue to flourish as the church continues to be blessed with visionary pastors and Christ-centered members willing to further advance the cause of Christ.
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