A Fayetteville Congregation Since 1865
St. James Missionary Baptist Church sits at the corner of North Street and Leverett Avenue in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in a brick building that draws members from across Northwest Arkansas every week. The congregation has been telling its story since 1865, when a freed slave named Squire Jehagen organized a church on land donated by a man named James - the very ground the historic church still stands on today. Sixteen decades and two arson fires later, the vision Squire Jehagen passed to his first members still shapes the work: "to magnify the name of Jesus, and to share, with others, His loving kindness and His free gift of eternal life."
From forty members in 1920 to a worshipping community of more than 1,200 in person and online, St. James has been shaped by rebuildings, by courage during the civil rights era, and by a long line of pastors whose names are remembered in the church's history. The current shepherd, Pastor Jonathan F. Lowder, Sr., was installed on December 8, 2024, joining fourteen pastors who have guided the church across the generations.
Build. Develop. Win. For The Kingdom
St. James describes its mission with a four-word phrase: Build. Develop. Win. For The Kingdom. The vision expands that rhythm into four commitments: love God passionately, grow as committed disciples, transform lives through impactful service, and live prosperous by faith to thrive in every area of life and influence the world for the glory of God.
Four "vehicles" carry the mission into the life of the church: Music and Arts, Evangelism and Outreach, Youth Development, and Community Fellowship and Hospitality. Together these ministries form what the church calls its C.O.R.E. - the Center of Our Righteous Experience. The longer statement carries it further: "to build lives and develop disciples for the Kingdom of God by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nurturing spiritual growth through biblical teaching, cultivating a spirit of service, and empowering believers to live out their faith with purpose, passion, and power in every area of life."
What the Church Believes
St. James teaches a traditional Baptist faith grounded in a high view of Scripture. The Bible is described as "the inspired Word of God and inerrant in the original writings," preserved by the sovereign hand of God and holding "supreme and final authority." God exists in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - co-equal, sharing one nature, perfection, and attributes.
Jesus Christ is confessed as the Son of God, "the only begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary," whose blood was shed at Calvary, who was buried, rose again, and ascended to the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit is named "the Chief Agent in the regeneration of the soul," who convicts of sin, baptizes the believer into the body of Christ, and gives all spiritual gifts.
Humanity, the church teaches, "is the direct creation of God - body, soul and spirit," made in God's image and not the result of evolution; the fall of Adam brought spiritual and physical ruin to creation. Salvation comes by faith in Christ; those who receive Him are born again by the Holy Spirit and become children of the living God. Marriage is defined as the union of a man and a woman, and sexual intimacy is reserved for that union. Salvation, once given, is sustained by God - the believer is "sealed in salvation for eternity" and kept by the power of God through faith.
Sunday in the Sanctuary
The week begins for St. James with Sunday School at 8:30 a.m., followed by the morning worship service at 10:00 a.m. The service is described as "a time of joyful worship and praise," offered in "a blend of traditional and contemporary music styles." A pastoral message typically runs about forty minutes, sprinkled, the church notes, with "appropriate humor."
First-time guests are welcomed at the door by members of the SMILE Greeters Ministry and ushered to a seat. Bulletins and offering envelopes are tucked into the slots on the back of each pew. Visitors are encouraged to bring a Bible if they have one, since the pastor "will always refer to the Bible during his messages," and Bibles are available on request. The congregation is asked to stand during the brief Bible reading "to honor God's Word."
Parking is offered on both the east and west sides of the building, with room for more than one hundred vehicles on the east lot and designated first-time visitor stalls set aside there. Handicap parking is available along both sides of the building, and a church van can be requested through the Transportation Ministry for those who need a ride.
Wednesday Around the Tables
The middle of the week has its own rhythm at St. James. The church gathers for a family dinner at 6:00 p.m., and Bible study for all ages follows at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible study is structured across every age group, with children moving into their own classes after the shared meal.
Earlier in the morning, the church holds a Zoom prayer time every Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. - a half hour of gathered prayer open to anyone who wants to start the day in God's presence. During the fall and spring semesters, the Gateway to Hope College Ministry also meets for Bible study on the University of Arkansas campus on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., with a Zoom option for the same study. One more weekly Pathways gathering, the BRIDGE ministry for young adults, meets on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Stearns Street Apartments clubhouse in Fayetteville.
Raising the Next Generation
Children and youth are central to the life of St. James. The Emerging Generation Ministry gathers young people from birth through twelfth grade into four age-specific groups. God's Tikes serves children from infancy through Pre-K and includes the nursery program for the youngest attendees. King'z Kidz covers kindergarten through fourth grade, building a biblical foundation through Children's Church, Sunday School, and Wednesday night Bible study. Peculiar People, named from 2 Peter 2:9, walks alongside fifth through eighth graders. A.B.L.A.I.Z.E. - a Burning, Loving, Affectionate, Innovative, Zealous, Enduring fire for Christ - carries ninth through twelfth graders, with programming designed to "elicit leadership characteristics" and prepare students for independent living.
On Sunday mornings, Children's Church runs during the 10:00 a.m. worship service with registration opening at 9:45 a.m. and closing at 10:10 a.m. Children experience a brief General Assembly - an opening song, a scripture of the day recited together, an opening prayer - and then move to their age-grouped classes for the lesson, returning for snack and parent pickup. Children's Church is offered three Sundays a month; the third Sunday is set aside as a corporate Sunday with the whole church. A separate Nursery is available during the 10:00 a.m. service for children ages three months to three years.
On Wednesdays, the children's program follows the same lesson from Sunday, with dinner at 6:00 p.m., classes starting at 7:00 p.m., and small "huddles" from 7:45 to 8:15 p.m. The Emerging Generation Ministry also leads Vacation Bible School and a youth-led mission outreach each year.
Music, Drama, and Sacred Dance
Worship at St. James draws on the talents of three arts ministries. The Choir, Praise Team, and Band combine adult and youth voices with instruments, and the music ministry has produced its own album of congregational music. Rehearsals follow a weekly calendar: the Adult Choir rehearses Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., the Cherub Choir (ages two through five) meets the second and third Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., and the Youth Choir (ages six through eighteen) rehearses the second and third Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m.
The Drama Ministry brings Scripture to visual life, leaning on the fact that "the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text." Two main productions anchor the year - an Easter play and a Christmas play - with smaller projects in between, including dramatic readings and skits during worship.
The Dance Ministry offers a place for dancers of every age to express "praise, worship, liturgical and mime dance." Five groups meet weekly: Angelic Dancers (ages two through seven) on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m., Youth Dancers (ages eight through twelve) on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Teen Dancers (ages thirteen through seventeen) on Saturdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Mime Dancers (ages eight through nineteen) on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., and Adult Dancers (ages eighteen and up) on Saturdays from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. The praise dance tradition is held out as a particular gift of the church, described as "an expression of our praise unto God and a weapon of our warfare."
Pathways for Every Season of Life
St. James calls its small-group network "Pathways," and seven tracks run at a time. The Marriage Ministry, Living Our Vows Everyday, offers biblical education, practical relationship tools, and fellowship for couples eighteen and older. The Iron Sharpens Iron Men's Ministry gathers men eighteen and up for instruction, accountability, prayer, and fellowship. BRIDGE - Build, Reach, and Inspire Disciples of God Everyday - serves young adults with fellowship, biblical teaching, outreach, and fun; it meets Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Stearns Street Apartments clubhouse in Fayetteville.
The Women of Worship Ministry exists "to reach women where they are through the transforming power and love of Jesus Christ," with goals of encouragement, relationship-building, and service. The LEGENDS Senior Ministry, for adults sixty and older, takes its name from a single insight: "the glorification of God and fulfillment of purpose exists at every age and stage in life." The Gateway to Hope College Ministry reaches undergraduate and graduate students with weekly fellowship during the academic year, including a Wednesday evening Bible study on the University of Arkansas campus at 6:30 p.m. and a Zoom study option. Spiritual Formation classes round out the pathways with year-round biblical teaching designed to "build community; develop men, women, and children; and win families to the Kingdom."
Members also have free access to RightNow Media, an online video library of more than 25,000 faith-based videos for adults, youth, and children, streamed on phones, tablets, computers, and TVs.
Feeding Northwest Arkansas
St. James has long been a hub for food and bill-paying assistance in Northwest Arkansas. The Community Outreach ministry describes its focus as hunger, homelessness, poverty, and soul-winning, and St. James continues to feed an average of 2,600 people per month and to help hundreds of households each year with monthly bill payments and long-term success planning.
The St. James Food Pantry, located at 115 S. Willow Avenue in Fayetteville, opens every Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The pantry serves as a USDA distribution site and asks for a simple application before the first visit. The Blessing Bag Ministry fills bags with helpful items for those experiencing homelessness and distributes them throughout the community; the team meets at the church on the last Friday of each month at 6:30 p.m. to pack bags. The food pantry also receives ongoing support from events like the annual Strike Out Hunger bowling tournament during Hunger Action Month.
A Long Line of Civil Rights Witness
The roots of that service run deep. In the 1940s, St. James was the first church in Fayetteville to offer an integrated Vacation Bible School. During the early days of the desegregation of the University of Arkansas, members of the church opened their homes to Black students who were not allowed to live in campus dormitories. In the 1990s the church helped create the Northwest Arkansas Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Council, with Dr. J. Aaron Hawkins Sr., Dr. John L. Colbert, Mrs. Edith Hawkins, Mrs. Earnestine Gibson, and Mr. Corey Cullins among those who led the effort.
Mid-twentieth-century leadership also established scholarships for youth, including the J. Aaron Hawkins Memorial Assistance Fund, a Brotherhood Club for men, an Emergency Outreach Program, a Deacon's Family Ministry, and a Senior's Day program. Through two arsons - one in the 1920s and one in the 1960s - and a relocation in 2009 from its Willow Avenue building to its current home on North Street, the congregation has rebuilt each time and continues to grow, with members worshipping in person and an online reach that extends domestically and internationally.
Becoming Part of the Family
St. James offers a clear pathway for those who want to join the church. Newcomers typically start with a New Converts class, are baptized, and then attend a New Members class on the second Sunday at 8:30 a.m. - an exploration of the church's leadership, expectations, personal gifts, and call to discipleship. Class materials, including a SOAP study method and a class scripture list, can be downloaded for personal review.
The Member C.A.R.E. Ministry ensures that every new member is assigned a deacon and connected into a ministry that matches their God-given gifts. A spiritual gifts assessment is offered online as part of the process. For those who want to serve, the church lists more than fifteen ministry opportunities - from Transportation and Culinary to the Ushers, Drama, Dance, and Music and Arts ministries - with a cap of two ministry commitments during sign-up to encourage deeper investment.
Plan Your Visit
The simplest way to plan a Sunday or Wednesday visit is to use the form on the Plan a Visit page. Visitors can choose the 10:00 a.m. Sunday service, the 8:30 a.m. Spiritual Formation class and 10:00 a.m. Sunday service, or the 7:00 p.m. Wednesday service. A van pickup can be requested through the same form or through the Transportation Ministry; the van will call when it is en route.
Worship services are livestreamed online, and a sermon archive is available on the church's YouTube channel. Giving is offered online, by text, in person during services, or by mail to the church office. Prayer requests, baby dedications, transportation requests, counseling referrals, speaking engagements, and care needs can be submitted through the resources page or sent directly to the church office at stjames@stjbc.org.