A Neighborhood Church on Peachtree Dunwoody
St. James United Methodist Church sits in the Brookhaven and Buckhead corridor of northeast Atlanta, where it has served as a neighborhood church since the late 1950s. The congregation describes itself in plain terms: a place where people know your name, where music has always been central, and where belief is meant to translate into action. The church's stated mission is to help every person grow in faith that translates belief into action, and the people who walk through its doors come for traditional Sunday worship, a robust music program, a long-running preschool, an unusually deep scouting tradition, and a calendar that fills the week from Sunday school to Wednesday night supper.
The building itself tells the story of seven decades of growth. Worshippers enter the Sanctuary from the Loridans Drive lot; the separate lot facing Peachtree Dunwoody serves the on-site preschool. Inside, the structure expanded in phases - Fellowship Hall, kitchen, offices, and Sunday school rooms in 1960; the Sanctuary in 1966; the Activity Building in 1980; and the current administrative offices, library, parlor, and additional Sunday school rooms in 2001.
How It All Began: From McClatchey Mission to 111 Members
The story of St. James starts in 1956 with four young students from Emory's Candler School of Theology. Sent by District Superintendent Nat Long with the support of Bishop Arthur J. Moore and surrounding Methodist churches, the four began consolidating interest in a new church mission. By December of that year, they had gathered enough support to begin worshipping regularly at McClatchey Elementary School, where the fledgling group became known as the McClatchey Methodist Mission.
Within weeks, they held their first charge conference and were officially chartered as St. James Methodist Church with 111 members on the roll. A year later, at the second charge conference, membership had climbed to 175. From the start, the church was marked by two traits that continue to define it: a deep commitment to music (the choir was organized before the church was officially chartered) and an evangelistic outreach to the community in the name of Christ.
In 1974, the congregation adopted the scallop shell as its official logo, drawn from a Spanish legend about St. James, the brother of Jesus, who is said to have preached the gospel in Spain. After his martyrdom, the story goes, his body was carried back to Spain by ship; a rider and horse on the shore plunged into the sea to greet the vessel, and the horse emerged covered in white-lined scallop shells. The scallop has been the emblem of St. James ever since.
Sunday Worship at 8:45 and 11:00
Worship at St. James follows a traditional style, enhanced by music and the beauty of the Sanctuary. Two Sunday services are offered - 8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - and both follow the same liturgical rhythm of music, prayer, and preaching. The 11:00 a.m. service is livestreamed on YouTube for those who want to join from home, and the Sanctuary is fitted with large print hymnals available on request from an usher.
Communion is offered on the first Sunday of each month, with gluten-free crackers available for those with food allergies. All are welcomed to partake. During the 11:00 service, there is a brief "Special Moments with Children" time, after which children in fourth grade through second grade are invited to Worship and Wonder in Room 106, while children in third through fifth grade return to their seats with their families.
First-time visitors will find the Loridans Drive lot is the place to park for worship, the church office, and the gym. Children are always welcome in the Sanctuary with their parents. For families with infants or very young children, a nursery room is available upstairs near the Sanctuary with a screen showing the live stream of the service so parents do not miss worship while caring for little ones. Childcare for children from birth through age four is offered in Room 106 from 9:30 a.m. through the end of the 11:00 service.
A Music Program Built Before the Church Was Chartered
Music has been central to St. James since before the church had a building. The choir was organized before the congregation was officially chartered, and that legacy is alive in a program that draws singers, ringers, and instrumentalists of every skill level.
Andrew Schmidt serves as Director of Music Ministries, leading a team that includes Organist James Pinder and Organist Emeritus Dr. Craig Smith, who gave more than fifty years of service to the church. The chancel choir is made up of adults of all ages and skill levels, with rehearsals on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the choir room. Adult handbells rehearse on Wednesdays at 6:20 p.m. A men's choir gathers a few times a year, with rehearsals on Monday evenings the month before a singing Sunday.
Children have a place in the program from preschool onward. Marcela Meeks leads Junior Choir and Junior Bells for children in third through fifth grade. Cherub Choir, led by Mattie Hall, welcomes children in pre-kindergarten through second grade. A new offering this year is Kidz Jam Choir, led by Andrew Schmidt, which meets weekly at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesdays during the school year. The aim, in Schmidt's words, is to be "all on an educational journey together, working and learning to be the best musicians that we can be."
Children, from the Tots Zone to Wednesday Night IGNITE
Children's ministry at St. James is built around a weekly rhythm that begins on Sunday morning and runs through Wednesday evening. Sunday school meets at 9:45 a.m. during the school year in two age-based zones. The Tots Zone, in Room 106, serves children from birth through first grade; the Kidz Zone, in Room 109, serves second through fifth grade. The Sunday school hour rotates through traditional Sunday school classes, Music Connections with voice and bell choirs, and an "Energize" hour of crafts and skating.
On Wednesday evenings from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m., IGNITE gathers children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the downstairs Kidz Zone area. The class is designed to ignite a love for Jesus in children through games, movement, music, and the arts. Marcela Meeks, who has led children's music and ministry at St. James since 2019, directs the program.
Through the year, families can look forward to children's choir and handbells, themed skate parties in the gym, Trunk or Treat in October, Countdown to Christmas, a children's Christmas Eve service, Palm Sunday continental breakfast and the March of Palms, an Easter Egg Hunt and continental breakfast, a "Let's Fiesta" piñata night at Wednesday dinner, and a children's service in which fifth graders lead the congregation in worship. Summer brings Vacation Bible School, summer enrichment and sports camps, a third-through-fifth grade Lock-In where children receive their own Bibles, and a Blessing of the Backpacks and Back to School Bash.
Youth: Sunday School, Sunday Dinner, and Costa Rica
Victoria Cason directs the youth ministry, which serves middle and high school students with a mix of study, fellowship, and service. Sunday school takes place at 9:45 a.m. in the youth room, with the explicit hope that every student who passes through the ministry will read through the Bible at least once. Sunday evenings bring a shared dinner and fellowship from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and on Wednesday evenings, youth join the broader church for dinner in the Fellowship Hall from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. before heading into programs.
Two annual mission trips anchor the year. The Atlanta Mission Retreat sends youth to serve with the Community Action Center, Trinity Table, and other organizations across the city. The Costa Rica Mission Trip is a family-friendly opportunity to travel to the Methodist Children's Home in Costa Rica, which the church has supported for years. Each October, the youth lead the entire congregation in worship - music, prayers, and even the sermon - on Youth Sunday. Each May, the church recognizes high school, college, and trade school graduates.
Six Decades of Scouting
St. James has supported scouting in the Buckhead and Brookhaven community for more than sixty years, and the program is one of the church's quiet points of pride. Four units are chartered under the church's name, all of them non-sectarian. Scouts BSA Troop 370 offers a traditional Scouting experience for young men ages eleven to seventeen. Cub Scout Pack 370 welcomes boys and girls in kindergarten through fifth grade from many local elementary schools, with camping, badge work, and family fun. Scouts BSA Troop 372, founded on February 1, 2019 - the first day such troops for girls could exist - is a girl-led troop for ages eleven to eighteen. Venturing Crew 370 is an adventure-focused, co-ed program for youth ages fourteen to twenty that hosts high adventure trips and monthly activities throughout the year.
Belief in Action: Local, National, and Global Missions
The church's mission statement is to translate belief into action, and the Belief in Action Committee helps direct that energy. Locally, St. James partners with more than eighteen outreach organizations, including Buckhead Christian Ministries, Trinity Soup Kitchen, and Habitat for Humanity. Nationally, the church supports disaster relief in surrounding states and deploys its youth on mission trips throughout the southeast. Internationally, the church has a long-standing relationship with the Methodist Children's Home in Costa Rica and provides financial support to Methodist missionaries in Costa Rica, Mexico, Russia, and the Bahamas.
Twice a year, two simple fundraisers put those mission dollars to work. The Fall Pecan Sale offers Mammoth Halves and Large Pieces from Ellis Pecans of Vienna, Georgia, with proceeds funding the church's mission projects. At Christmas, the church accepts donations of red poinsettias in eight-inch pots, which beautify the Sanctuary, Narthex, and other locations during Advent.
Small Groups for Every Stage of Life
Adult formation at St. James is built around Sunday morning classes at 9:45 a.m. and a network of weekday groups. The Parenting in Prayer class is a fellowship and study group for parents raising children and teens, with periodic speakers and a recent special series on the teachings of Jimmy Carter drawn from recordings of his Sunday school in Plains, Georgia. The Wesley Class is a group of older adults who enjoy a wide variety of lessons, often led by class members. The Fellowship Class is for adults fifty-five and older and follows United Methodist curriculum. The Joy Class welcomes people of all ages, from their thirties to their eighties, for spirited discussion of faith and life. A three-week series in the fall, "Prophetic Ministry and Imagination," was taught by the Candler Foundry's director and is part of a combined Sunday school effort.
Weekday groups fill the rest of the week. Historic Brookhaven Women's Bible Study meets on Thursday mornings at 8:00 a.m. in Room 305 from September to May. Circle of Sisters gathers on the second Monday of the month at 4:00 p.m. in members' homes. Men meet for a Monday morning prayer breakfast at 8:00 a.m. in the Church Parlor and a Tuesday morning fellowship at 7:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, and on the second Tuesday evening of each month they head to Fox Bros Bar-B-Q in Brookhaven for the BBQ Band of Brothers. A walking group, led by the church, meets on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for a three-mile walk through different parks, identifying trees, learning local history, and catching up with old and new friends.
Reconciling, Open, and a Lighthouse
St. James is a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network, and the congregation has committed to being a safe, nurturing, and joy-filled community where every individual, regardless of economic circumstances, physical or mental abilities, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity, feels accepted and can grow in faith. The Inclusion and Affirmation Community, the church's reconciling group, works to live out that welcome with open hearts, open minds, and open doors. A dedicated Inclusion and Affirmation Sunday school class supports members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families.
The church is also a designated Lighthouse Congregation, a United Methodist designation for congregations devoted to extending Christian hospitality to people displaced from their church homes by disruption, disaffiliation, or closure. The Lighthouse ministry, in the church's words, is about "shining the light of Christ to welcome people in safely from life's storms."
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Wednesday night is one of the liveliest times at St. James. Supper is served at 5:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall, with a menu that has included grilled chicken, green salad, macaroni and cheese, bread, and a sweet finish. Prices are $15 per adult, $9 per child and scout, with a $38 family maximum. While families eat, children head to a special event like a skate party, and adults might take in a parenting program or presentation. After dinner, Adult Handbells rehearse at 6:20 p.m., and the Chancel Choir and Scouts gather at 7:30 p.m. The evening is a small-scale picture of the church at large: a shared table, children running between rooms, music from one direction and laughter from another.
A Preschool and a Building at the Heart of the Neighborhood
St. James UMC Preschool operates out of the building that faces Peachtree Dunwoody Road, with Marla Reisman as director. The preschool has been part of the church's ministry for decades, and Reisman brings nearly thirty years of experience in early childhood education to the role, with a background that includes leadership at Rock Spring Presbyterian Church's preschool programs. The preschool shares the campus with the church, and the two are part of one neighborhood footprint.
Weddings, baptisms, funerals, and the columbarium are part of the church's pastoral life, and the facilities team is glad to talk with families about those ministries. The Activities Building, with its gym, is in use most evenings and weekend afternoons - open play pickleball on Sundays, youth dodgeball, summer camps, the children's skate party, and a long list of enrichment and sports programs through the warmer months. Facility rental is currently limited, with the church not accepting new rental requests for the Fellowship Hall, classrooms, or gym, but the Activities Ministry staff can answer questions.
Activities and a Busy Calendar
Outside the sanctuary and the classrooms, the Activities Ministry keeps the church's social calendar full. Sunday afternoon open play pickleball in the Activities Center runs from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., with balls and paddles provided and beginners especially welcome. Yoga Flow meets on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for a beginner-friendly hour of foundational poses, with mats available to borrow and a $13 drop-in fee. A walking group meets midweek, and a fall Blessing of the Animals on the Sanctuary Lawn, modeled on the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi, invites pets and their people for a brief service of thanksgiving.
Summer brings a long list of camps for preschoolers and elementary-aged children - Hola Amigos, a Spanish immersion camp; Makerspace Camp; Camp Hamel with its rotating weekly themes; Playball; Little Chefs; Camp Funfinity; Disney Camp; Art and Music Camp; Sunshine Adventure Camp; Crunchtime Tennis; and Shining Hearts Camp, among others. Vacation Bible School typically runs for one week in mid-June.
Pastors and Staff
Rev. Susan Landry is the senior pastor, a native of Georgia with more than thirty-five years of United Methodist ministry, including service as District Superintendent of the LaGrange and South West Districts in the North Georgia Conference. She holds a Master of Divinity from Emory's Candler School of Theology. Rev. Matthew Cason joined St. James in April 2024 as associate pastor and was commissioned as a Provisional Elder in the United Methodist Church at Annual Conference; he is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary and originally from Woodstock, Georgia. Rev. Dr. Jim Cantrell, now serving as Pastor of Visitation, has been associated with the North Georgia Conference since 1976 and was previously a pastor of St. James before returning.
Andrew Schmidt leads the music program. Marcela Meeks, originally from Monterrey, Mexico, has directed the children's and family ministry since 2019. Victoria Cason, also a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, directs the youth ministry. Cody Ellis directs the activities program, and Marla Reisman leads the preschool. The organists are James Pinder and Dr. Craig Smith, Organist Emeritus, who gave more than fifty years of service to the church.
What to Know Before You Visit
Worship is at 8:45 and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays. The Sanctuary entrance is from the Loridans Drive parking lot. The 11:00 service is livestreamed on YouTube. Dress is whatever feels right; the church's style is traditional, but you will see everything from suits to jeans. Children are welcome in worship, and childcare is available in Room 106 from 9:30 a.m. through the end of the second service. Large print hymnals are available on request. Communion is on the first Sunday of each month.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The office can be reached at (404) 261-3121 or office@stjamesatlanta.org. The church also offers a mobile app for giving, event calendars, and the church directory. Giving is available online through the church's Fellowship One giving page, and gratitude gifts, memorials, and stock or legacy gifts through the St. James Endowment are all coordinated through the office.