St. James Lutheran Church

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IN 1908, THE FIRST LUTHERAN MISSIONARY TO THE AREA, REV. C. STADLER, CAME TO HARPER. IN APRIL 1910, HE CONFIRMED THE FIRST CLASS OF LUTHERAN YOUNG PEOPLE. WHEN THERE WAS NO MISSIONARY ASSIGNED TO THE AREA, LUTHERAN PASTORS FROM NEIGHBORING CONGREGATIONS CAME TO SERVE. THE WORSHIP SERVICES WERE HELD AT THE BAPTIST, METHODIST AND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BUILDINGS OR HOMES AND THE HARPER HOTEL WHEN NONE OF THESE WERE AVAILABLE.

THE FIRST LUTHERAN CONGREGATION OFFICIALLY ORGANIZED ON MAR. 9, 1913, LED BY REV. B. SCHLIEFER. MRS. SOPHIE KLEIN DONATED HALF OF HER LOT ON MAIN STREET, AT THE CORNER OF WHAT IS NOW 4TH STREET, FOR THE BUILDING OF A CHURCH. THE NAME ST. JAMES WAS DECIDED ON AT A MEETING ON JAN. 11, 1914. THE CHURCH WAS BUILT IN THE SHAPE OF A CROSS AND ITS STEEPLE WAS IN THE FORM OF TRADITIONAL GERMAN CHURCHES. AT THE TIME, IT WAS HARPER’S LARGEST CHURCH BUILDING. THE DEDICATION SERVICE WAS ON JUL. 26, 1914. UNTIL 1918, THE GERMAN LANGUAGE WAS USED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE CHURCH. OVER TIME, ADDITIONAL LAND HAS BEEN PURCHASED, ANNEXES BUILT, AND REMODELING DONE. IN 1943, THE CONSTITUTION WAS REVISED AND THE CHURCH BECAME AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN LUTHERAN CHURCH. THE CONGREGATION LATER ADOPTED A NEW CONSTITUTION, WHICH EVENTUALLY BECAME A PART OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AMERICA.

THE CHURCH HAS BEEN A LEADING PART OF THE COMMUNITY. IT HAS ORGANIZED A WOMEN’S SOCIETY, YOUNG PEOPLE’S GROUP, VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL AND SUNDAY SCHOOL. IT HAS ALSO HOSTED A REVIVAL-TYPE EVENT CALLED BRUSH ARBOR DAYS AND RAISED FUNDS FOR THE COMMUNITY HELP CENTER. THE CHURCH HAS HOSTED MANY CELEBRATIONS FROM BAPTISMS, CONFIRMATIONS, WEDDINGS AND BURIALS, TO THE ORDINATION OF PASTORS, HOLDING OF REUNIONS AND SCHOOL FUNCTIONS