St. James Episcopal Church sits at 9845 McCree Road in the Lake Highlands neighborhood of Northeast Dallas, its Austin stone walls and bell tower a familiar landmark off Audelia Road near White Rock Lake. The parish describes itself as a growing, outwardly facing church family where the Bible is faithfully taught and where people of every age have a place. A member of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and united with the worldwide Anglican Communion, St. James balances the liturgy of the historic church with the warmth of a close-knit neighborhood congregation.
Sundays on McCree Road
Sunday is the heart of life at St. James. Two services of Holy Eucharist are offered: at 8:00 a.m. in the main church, and at 10:00 a.m. in the church and streamed online to the parish's Facebook page and YouTube channel. The 10:00 a.m. service typically includes music from the choir and lasts a little longer than the earlier service. Holy Communion is celebrated at every service, and all baptized Christians, including children, are welcome to receive. Those who prefer not to receive are invited to receive a blessing at the altar or to remain in their seat.
Visitors are greeted at the door by members of the Greeters and Welcoming Ministry, who help newcomers find a seat, introduce them to parishioners during the Passing of the Peace, and invite them to coffee in the Parish Hall after the service. A visitor card is offered so the parish can follow up with a personal note. Sunday School for children, youth, and adults meets from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. in classrooms around the campus, with children's classes held in the old Parish Hall at the back of the property and youth classes in the school wing.
Dress is comfortable and seasonal. "Sunday best" is optional, and most parishioners arrive in casual clothes for both worship and Sunday School.
Wednesday at the Chapel
A Wednesday morning Holy Eucharist at 10:00 a.m. in the chapel offers a quieter rhythm in the middle of the week for those who cannot come on Sundays or who want a second touchstone of worship. The same Episcopal liturgy used on Sunday shapes this midweek gathering.
Children and Youth at St. James
Children are welcomed into the worship space rather than separated from it. At the 10:00 a.m. service, children ages 3 through 10 are invited to Children's Chapel, which begins at 10:05 a.m. They start the service with their families in the main sanctuary, then move to the chapel during the opening hymn, and return during the announcements.
Two nurseries are available for children three and younger, staffed by nursery workers and open from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. on Sundays so families can attend adult education at 9:00 a.m. or service at 10:00 a.m. Parents of children with special needs are encouraged to speak with the nursery staff when signing in.
For older children and youth, Grades 3 through 5 gather for a meal and time together from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month. Grades 6 through 12 meet at the same hour on the same night. Children as young as eight are invited to serve at the altar as acolytes, torch bearers, or crucifers, learning Episcopal customs and traditions while participating in the liturgy directly. Vacation Bible School, called Kingdom Quest, is offered each June, with a week of singing, dancing, crafts, games, and snacks running Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Dr. Angela Urick, the Director of Formation for Children and Youth, oversees this work.
Beliefs Rooted in Scripture and the Creeds
St. James confesses a Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - one God of creation and redemption most supremely revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The parish looks to Holy Scripture as the chief means by which God has disclosed himself and seeks to be humble before the Bible's revealed word. The congregation recites two historic creeds during worship: the Nicene Creed, which traces to the Councils of Nicaea (325 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD), and the Apostles' Creed, which derives from the earliest centuries of the Christian Church. Both creeds are found in the Book of Common Prayer (1979), which sits alongside the Holy Bible in the pew racks.
As an Episcopal parish, St. James is part of the Anglican Communion, a worldwide fellowship of churches in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Book of Common Prayer shapes the language of worship, and the liturgy follows the historic Episcopal pattern of Word and Sacrament.
Music, Choir, and the Tower Bells
Music holds a central place at St. James. The choir, directed by organist and choir director Jing Ling-Tam, prepares new and previously sung anthems for each Sunday and the high holy days. Ling-Tam is an internationally acclaimed conductor and educator who has led ensembles across forty-five U.S. states and twenty countries, served sixteen seasons with the Fort Worth Opera, and is a Professor of Music at the University of Texas at Arlington. She began her career as a choir director at age 15 at Taipei Wesley Methodist Church in Taiwan.
In a quieter corner of the building, a different kind of music rises from the tower. St. James is one of only about fifty churches in North America with bells hung for change ringing, the ancient English art of ringing bell permutations in mathematical sequences. The tower contains six bells ranging from roughly 200 to 500 pounds. The Tower Bell Ringers ring in praise and celebration after the Eucharist, for weddings and special events, toll the passing of loved ones, and ring on muffled bells for somber occasions. The ringing room sits above the sacristy and is reached by a ladder pulled down from the ceiling. Newcomers are taught rope handling and basic ringing in individual lessons, usually requiring six to twelve sessions before ringing with the band.
Serving Austin Street and White Rock Center of Hope
Two long-standing outreach partnerships define St. James' mission to its wider community. Since 1984 the parish has conducted a monthly outreach ministry at Austin Street Centre in downtown Dallas, which each day provides emergency shelter, food, and medical care to more than 350 men, women, and children. On the first Sunday evening of each month, parishioners gather at the Parish Hall at 5:15 p.m., load food and clothing donations, drive downtown, and serve dinner to shelter residents - a process that takes about ninety minutes. Four teams rotate the duty, with each team serving roughly three times a year.
St. James also supports the White Rock Center of Hope, a nonprofit ecumenical agency that provides emergency assistance to residents of East Dallas zip codes 75218, 75228, 75238, and parts of 75214 and 75231. Located at 10021A Garland Road, the Center welcomes St. James volunteers on the first Saturday of each month from 8:45 a.m. to noon. Volunteers serve in four roles: answering phones and greeting clients at the front desk, stocking and distributing food from the pantry, sorting and sizing clothing donations or assisting clients in the clothing closet, and conducting intake interviews.
Deacon Phil Snyder, who has served at St. James since 1995, brings particular energy to this outreach. He and his wife Beverly have been part of the Kairos prison ministry since 1995, and Phil serves as a volunteer chaplain at the Coffield maximum security prison, in addition to his regular work at Austin Street.
Prayer Ministries and Healing
Prayer is taken seriously at St. James and is woven through several distinct groups. The Order of the Daughters of the King is an order for women of the Episcopal Church and churches with the historic Episcopate, organized in 1885. Each Daughter pledges herself to a lifelong program of prayer, service, and personal evangelism, and undertakes a Rule of Life built on a Rule of Prayer and a Rule of Service. The St. James chapter meets in the chapel on the second Saturday of each month, breaking for July and August.
The International Order of St. Luke the Physician brings together clergy, health professionals, and laypeople who feel called to make Jesus' ministry of healing a regular part of their vocation. The St. James chapter meets on the second Thursday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., beginning with prayers in the chapel before a business meeting and continuing education.
Stephen Ministry extends a Christian presence to members of the congregation facing a life crisis. Stephen Ministers are laypeople trained to offer prayer, active listening, and long-term presence to those in grief or pain. The work is carried out quietly and in strict confidence, with names of those being cared for kept private, and assignments are gender specific. The Intercessory Prayer Team lifts up prayer requests received through the parish, and a prayer list is circulated by first name only.
St. James Episcopal School
A ministry of the parish, St. James Episcopal School shares the campus and offers a Montessori-based education beginning in the toddler program and continuing through the lower elementary years. The school has been accredited by the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools and provides programs including toddler, primary, lower elementary, Mother's Day Out, and an After School Care Program. Loree Birkenback, who taught at St. James for twelve years before taking leadership of the school, serves as Head of School. The school grounds include the science fair, career week, and elementary camp out traditions Birkenback helped design.
The Pumpkin Patch
Each October, the lawn at the corner of Audelia and McCree transforms into one of Lake Highlands' most familiar seasonal traditions. The St. James Pumpkin Patch, held in partnership with local Southwest-based farmers, sells pumpkins of all shapes and sizes to benefit the parish's student ministries. The tradition sprouted to life in 1997 as a way to fund youth programs, and proceeds now support local outreach along with national and international mission trips. School groups are welcomed by appointment on weekday mornings, and families return year after year to choose pumpkins and snap photos.
Clergy and Staff
The parish's spiritual life is led by the Rev. Jonathan Melton, who in January 2023 became the eighth Rector of St. James Episcopal Church and School. An East Dallas native and lifelong Episcopalian, Fr. Jonathan studied at Wheaton College and holds a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Anglican and Episcopal Studies from Duke Divinity School. He previously served as rector, associate, and university campus minister in Wisconsin and Texas. The Rev. Phil Snyder serves as deacon, assigned to St. James since his ordination in 2004, with a particular passion for prison and homeless ministries. Jared Phares serves as Director of Operations, drawing on more than a decade of youth ministry experience in Dallas-area churches. Jing Ling-Tam directs the music program as Organist and Choir Director. Dr. Angela Urick oversees formation for children and youth, and Loree Birkenback leads St. James Episcopal School. Sophie Lowrance is the Parish Administrator.
Parish governance is the work of the vestry, the legal representative of the parish on matters of corporate property and the wider mission of the congregation. The vestry supports the church's mission by word and deed, selects the rector, ensures effective organization and planning, and manages resources and finances. Members are elected at the annual parish meeting.
Getting Connected
There are several doors into parish life at St. James beyond Sunday worship. Hospitality groups of parishioners meet monthly in members' homes or at local restaurants for dinner and a compline service. Growth Groups offer small-group study. Dinner groups, including St. James Night Out and the Supper Club, build fellowship across the parish. Worship ministries rely on lay involvement: acolytes, torch bearers, and crucifers; altar guild; chalice bearers; lectors; flower guild; lay eucharistic visitors; and the tower bell ringers. The Communications Team produces The James Journal, the weekly electronic newsletter, and maintains the church's web presence. Stewardship and the office volunteers keep the everyday work of the parish running.
The church office is open at 9845 McCree Road and can be reached at 214-348-1345 or inquiries@stjamesdallas.org. The Lake Highlands DART station on the Blue Line is about a ten-minute walk from the church, with DART Route 060 stopping a quarter-block away. Giving and pledging are available online through the parish's Realm account, and services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who wish to worship from home.