On Webberville Road in East Austin, St. James’ Episcopal Church is a church home known for setting tables of welcome where all can encounter Christ’s love. Its identity is both rooted and expansive: Black heritage anchors a community that describes itself as inclusive, multicultural, multilingual, and affirming. Four Sunday Eucharists, formation from infancy through adult spiritual study, music and the arts, and neighbor-to-neighbor service make that identity visible in the life of the church.
From Sixteen Founders to Webberville Road
On December 7, 1941, sixteen men and women of African ancestry formed the Church of the Advent, the first name of St. James’ Episcopal Church. Six were confirmed Episcopalians, and the founders were connected with Austin’s two Black colleges. Episcopal congregations in Austin did not welcome Black members, so Fr. John D. Epps, dean of the Colored Convocation in the Diocese of Texas, traveled once a month from Tyler to conduct services. The community formed in response to exclusion, and its identity as a place of welcome began with its first gathering.
In 1947, forty-five members moved into the church’s first building on East Seventh Street across from Tillotson College in segregated East Austin. That building still stands. During this period, the congregation embraced the description “the little church that cares,” understanding itself as a community sent beyond its walls through education, invitation, and care for one another. In 1970, 106 members moved into a second building on East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
By the 1980s and 1990s, St. James’ had discerned a call to be intentionally inclusive and affirming. In 1997, more than 400 multiethnic and multilingual members participated as the church became a parish in the Diocese of Texas. Early in the 2000s, leaders from St. James’ worked for full LGBTQ inclusion in the wider Episcopal Church and the diocese. The congregation rooted that expansion in its foundation in Black American worship and its distinctive Episcopal expression.
A Spanish-speaking community began worship and active outreach to Spanish-speaking immigrant generations in 2004, and Iglesia de Santiago became a lasting part of church life. In 2007, the church and school moved to 1941 Webberville Road to pursue a mission of fostering a loving and accepting Christian environment in the Episcopal tradition, where each person is valued and empowered to share time, talent, and resources in spreading the Good News. During a financially difficult season, St. James’ also established Welcome Table, Inc., a nonprofit serving East Austin. That decision tied spiritual formation to concrete neighbor care.
A Church Home Rooted in Black Heritage
St. James’ mission is to set tables of welcome where all can encounter Christ’s love. The church chooses multicultural community, radical inclusion, dialogue across difference, active and prayerful solidarity, and rejoicing in the beauty of new creation. Its core virtues describe how the congregation seeks to reflect the character of God:
- Radical hospitality
- Rootedness in the courage of the founders
- Being doers of the word, not only hearers
- Covenant relationship and belonging to one another
- Walking together on a spiritual journey
The congregation includes people of many nationalities, ethnic groups, ages, physical abilities, mental and health abilities, political opinions, and theological perspectives. St. James’ says that this diversity did not arise naturally; the community has worked deliberately to become accepting of differences, learn from one another, and value its Black cultural heritage. The result is a church home that seeks to belong not only to the people already gathered there, but to all the people of God.
Four Ways to Gather on Sunday
St. James’ occupies a former home and school at 1941 Webberville Road in East Austin. Its sanctuary hosts four distinct Sunday Eucharists, with English and Spanish worship, while several services are also available online.
- 8:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite I: A small, quiet service that offers space for reflection at the start of the day. It is held in person and is not livestreamed.
- 10:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II: The principal Sunday service is held in the sanctuary and livestreamed.
- 1:00 p.m. - La Santa Eucaristía: Iglesia de Santiago’s Spanish-language Eucharist is offered in person and virtually.
- 5:00 p.m. - The Late Service: This joyful Eucharistic celebration uses the New Zealand Prayer Book and is held in the sanctuary with a livestream.
The variety of services reflects a congregation with different liturgical and cultural preferences. Rite I provides a quieter beginning to Sunday, while the Late Service is described as joyful worship that renews the community and sends people out to share burdens and make a difference. The Eucharistic celebrations are varied to meet the needs of the congregation, including its Spanish-speaking community.
The 10:30, 1:00, and 5:00 services can be joined through the St. James' livestream. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and the church phone is 512-926-6339. Directions and visiting information place the congregation at 1941 Webberville Road.
Iglesia de Santiago at One O’Clock
Iglesia de Santiago gives the Spanish-speaking community a shared voice in prayer and praise while also forming a community that advocates for immigrants and refugees. Its 1:00 p.m. Sunday Eucharist is known both as La Santa Eucaristía and Misa en español. The congregation joins in the sanctuary or online, making the service a bridge between the multilingual life of St. James’ and the wider Hispanic community.
Spanish-speaking participation extends beyond the Sunday liturgy. The 1:00 Coro treats music as a collaborative offering, with Francisco Chavez serving as worship leader. Lectors serving in Spanish are expected to have functional fluency in the language. Spanish-language formation has also become part of the church’s wider life of prayer, study, leadership, dialogue, and service.
High Church Liturgy and Joyful Music
St. James’ describes worship as joyful. The congregation values its “beautiful, spirited, and varied music,” creative expressions of liturgy and the arts, and strong preaching. At the same time, it retains many high-church liturgical traditions. Its worship is grounded in the Black American worship tradition while expressing the church’s distinctive life within the Episcopal tradition.
The 10:30 choir rehearses Sundays at 9:15 a.m. and adds a monthly Wednesday rehearsal at 7:00 p.m. The Late Service choir is described as energetic; it gathers at 4:00 p.m. under worship leader Martha Pulkingham, with Shawn Ellison accompanying the rehearsal and service. The 1:00 Coro works collaboratively, reflecting the shared musical life of Iglesia de Santiago.
Music is joined by extensive hands-on worship ministry. The Liturgy Committee shapes the annual worship cycle, combined services, seasonal practices, and ways to welcome people of different ages and backgrounds. The Altar Guild cares for the altar, vestments, vessels, linens, and sanctuary decorations, preparing both in-person worship and the filming of services. Acolytes, lay Eucharistic ministers, lectors, intercessors, ushers, greeters, and Eucharistic visitors each help the congregation worship and extend its welcome.
Nursery, Godly Play, and the Youth Table
The nursery supports families during worship and other church-sponsored activities. Professional childcare workers provide care for children from birth through age three during the 10:30 service. A required registration form and daily sign-in help staff prepare for allergies, developmental needs, and safe pickup. The nursery provides a light snack, usually animal crackers or Goldfish, while families supply bottles, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, blankets, and clothing when needed. Changing tables are available in the restrooms, and a quiet play area in the sanctuary gives families another option when a child needs to move around.
Nursery procedures are designed to make drop-off and pickup clear and safe. Children are signed in outside the nursery and signed out to an approved parent or guardian. Staff will text a parent during the service if the child needs them, and the nursery can assist a child who has separation anxiety. The room is limited to eight people, counting caregivers and children, so families know that care is intimate and focused.
During the school year, Godly Play serves children ages three through twelve at 10:30 on Sundays. The Orange Building becomes a place for stories, hands-on activities, Christian language, quiet wonder, and creative reflection. Children later walk into the sanctuary to rejoin their families for communion. Summer formation uses an excellent children’s book and related crafts, while monthly park gatherings create room for family fellowship, play, and connection.
Youth Ministry for grades six through twelve centers on the promise that wherever young people are on their journey of faith, they are welcome at the table. Youth serve as lectors, intercessors, choir members, musicians, and acolytes; take part in mission and community service; and gather for prayer, worship, study, games, arts, music, and meals together. Their conversations can address Scripture, the Book of Common Prayer, current events, difficult social questions, and ideas that might otherwise feel too basic or out of bounds. Adults working with children and youth complete screening, reference and background checks, and Safeguarding God’s Children training.
Adult Formation for Every Stage of the Journey
Adult education at St. James’ takes several forms. The Sunday Morning Forum meets from 9:15 to 10:10 a.m. in Founders Hall and on Zoom before the 10:30 Eucharist. Sacred Journey is a four-year online program that gathers people around study, practice, reflection, meditation, and prayer. The Monday Night Intercessory Prayer Group brings the congregation’s Prayer List into regular prayer, while the lectionary-based Wednesday group meets from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. to prepare for the coming Sunday.
The Wednesday group generally meets on Zoom, with a regular exception on the third Wednesday, when members gather in Founders Hall for breakfast and online participation. TREND, the Thursday Theological Reading Group, meets every other Thursday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Central Market on North Lamar or in members’ homes. Together, these groups make room for sustained attention to Scripture, theology, and the questions that shape life in community.
St. James’ Young Adults gather for people in their twenties and thirties through twice-monthly Thursday gatherings, service days, and social events. The Rev. Addison McMillan accompanies this group as it navigates adulthood and spiritual life together. The church also offers preparation for baptism, confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation, along with periodic workshops for parents, godparents, and candidates.
For those discerning a call to ordained or lay ministry, St. James’ offers conversations and groups that strengthen attention to God’s call. This work recognizes that every baptized person is invited to become an instrument of God’s love in the world. Formation is therefore not confined to classroom knowledge; it is directed toward service, spiritual practice, and a life of discipleship.
Dialogue About Race, Power, and Faith
St. James’ connects welcome and inclusion with serious work on race and racism. Its Myra McDaniel chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians encourages greater participation in the wider Episcopal Church and prepares people for ministry in the congregation, diocese, and Church. One Human Race, a ministry of that chapter, uses workshops based on the PBS series Race: The Power of an Illusion to create safe, open, and productive spaces for discussing race.
The church also maintains educational and conversational resources for families, youth, and adults. Its work includes guidance for talking with children about policing, racism, protests, Black history, and cultural difference, along with books, films, articles, and faith-based resources for adults. This effort reflects a core commitment to dialogue across difference and to understanding how race, power, justice, and belonging shape both church and society.
Welcome Table at the Heart of East Austin Service
Welcome Table, Inc., is St. James’ nonprofit ministry. Its mission is to create greater access to education, mental and physical health, and quality food for children, families, and elderly neighbors in East Austin. In partnership with local schools, farms, and other nonprofit organizations, it provides programs and resources intended to bring people together for inspiration, sustenance, and friendship.
Neighbor 2 Neighbor responds to basic needs, with particular attention to older adults and immigrant communities. Its volunteers prepare and distribute free bags containing pantry staples, fresh produce, and diapers for low-income seniors, families, and immunocompromised neighbors. Monday delivery teams unload food from the Central Texas Food Bank, while scheduled Tuesday shifts pack food and diaper orders and welcome neighbors for distribution. Spanish-speaking volunteers, drivers, food packers, doorkeepers, ambassadors, and runners all contribute to Neighbor 2 Neighbor.
CDF Freedom Schools Austin is Welcome Table’s year-round literacy and STEAM program for scholars ages six to eleven. The program culminates in six free weeks during the summer and supports scholars, families, and local elementary schools. Its educational emphasis complements Welcome Table’s broader commitment to making resources available to East Austin children and families.
St. James’ also partners with the Trinity Center, a faith-based organization housed at St. David’s Episcopal Church that serves the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of people who are poor and homeless in Austin. The church has partnered with the Trinity Center for its Sunday meal and mid-afternoon worship. Another long-term partnership places Reading Buddies volunteers at Norman-Sims Elementary School, where volunteers read with elementary-age students for 40 minutes each week and support teachers throughout the school year.
On the St. James’ campus, Child, Inc. provides a full-time Head Start preschool serving low-income families with early childhood education and family support services. The school, the church, Welcome Table, and neighborhood partnerships together express St. James’ conviction that Christian mission takes both spiritual and practical form.
Care That Follows People Beyond the Doors
Pastoral care is understood as an expression of God’s love and a shared responsibility of clergy and laypeople. The regular Prayer List and Monday intercessory group sustain prayer. Eucharistic visitors extend Communion beyond the church through brief services in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and the homes of people who cannot readily travel. They serve in pairs and receive preparation for the responsibility.
Community of Hope is a circle of trained lay chaplains rooted in Episcopal and Benedictine spirituality. The group meets monthly for mutual support, accountability, and spiritual growth, then works with St. James’ clergy to provide care and visitation. The Meal Ministry offers another form of practical support through home-cooked or purchased meals during crisis, transition, hospitalization, or other moments when a household needs help. Together, these ministries show care as prayer, presence, Communion, and practical support moving together.
Many Hands Share One Ministry
Participation at St. James’ is woven through worship and daily life. Lay Eucharistic Ministers assist at the altar and administer the chalice. Lectors read Scripture, intercessors lead the prayers of the people, and ushers and greeters orient visitors so they can participate and feel at home. Beginning in fourth grade, acolytes assist by carrying crosses and banners, ringing bells, and lighting candles. These roles combine theological preparation, hospitality, and the practical work of gathering the community.
Foundations ministries sustain the church’s life together. Brushbusters and Buildings and Grounds maintain the property, Communications shares information about parish life, and Photography preserves an ongoing record of the congregation. The Vestry provides governance for financial, personnel, and infrastructure decisions while helping implement the mission and vision approved by the congregation.
Hospitality is also carried by the Hospitality Committee and Newcomers’ Ministry. The Hospitality Committee serves food, celebrates church days, and assists families during difficult times. Greeters welcome visitors, while the Newcomers’ Ministry helps newcomers find relationships within the congregation. This network makes radical hospitality a shared practice rather than the work of a single committee.
A Campus with Room for the Future
St. James’ has adopted a strategic vision centered on multicultural community, sanctuary through radical inclusion, and the beauty of new creation achieved through worship, art, welcome, dialogue, and action. Long-range campus planning translates that vision into a phased plan for the church’s physical facilities. The process evaluates existing spaces and considers future renovation or construction while engaging the congregation and an architectural firm. Earlier campus planning and work connected with columbarium committees form part of the foundation for this effort.
Stewardship is understood as caring for God’s gifts of time, talent, and resources. In addition to annual pledges, gifts can be made online through PayPal or Venmo, by text, through automatic bill pay, or with cash or a check mailed to the church. The church also accepts stocks and qualified charitable distributions from retirement accounts. Planned gifts through wills, trusts, life insurance, or property can support ministries, outreach, and the campus beyond the giver’s lifetime.
Established in 2019, the St. James’ Episcopal Church Endowment supports long-term needs and the continuity of the church and its mission rather than routine annual operations or short-term emergencies. Online giving and the full range of stewardship options are available through St. James' giving.
Rooted in East Austin, Open to the World
At St. James’ Episcopal Church, Black heritage, Episcopal liturgy, Spanish and English worship, children’s formation, adult spiritual practice, music, pastoral care, and public service belong to one shared life. The church’s history of radical hospitality continues through its Sunday Eucharists, Sunday Morning Forum, Godly Play, youth service, Bible study, prayer groups, choirs, and volunteer ministries. It continues in Welcome Table’s food distribution and literacy programs, partnerships with neighbors, and a long-range vision for its East Austin campus. That is the continuing life of St. James’ Episcopal Church on Webberville Road: a church home centered on Christ’s love and shared into the world.