St. James United Church

St. James United Church. . The congregation of St. James was founded in 1804. The present day church was built in 1862. Our ten original memorial windows were installed and dedicated in 1911. They use Christian symbolism to uplift the spirit., St. James has had three church buildings on this very site. The first was a log church built in 1805, the second a larger frame church in 1828, and the third being the present building. To accommodate a growing congregation, in 1886 the church sanctuary was split and extended 12 feet and the upper hall was added. In 1953 the gymnasium was built and in 1974 the parlour, offices, and Sunday School rooms were added. Our first two ministers, Rev. James Munro and Rev. Thomas Trotter, are buried in the pioneer cemetery behind the church., Originally a Presbyterian congregation, the members of St. James voted in 1925 to join the newly formed United Church of Canada., The United Church crest: , . The "X" is a traditional symbol for Christ. , . "Ut omnes unum sint" means "That all may be one." , . The dove, the transforming power of the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:10), is a symbol of Methodism. , . The open Bible is from the Congregational Churches with their emphasis on God's truth. , . The burning bush (Exodus 3:2) symbolizes indestructibility, a mark of Presbyterianism. , . Alpha and Omega represent the eternal living God (Revelation 1:8). , St. James United Church, with rich and varied traditions spanning over 200 years, warmly welcomes all into its community of faith., photo captions: , . Photo of St. James from the early 1900’s , . Sunday Morning, 1995 - detail from etching by Anna Syperek , . For about 200 years a beautiful elm tree graced the church. A lion and a lamb were carved out its huge stump in the year 2000. , . The background image is one of the preliminary sketches for the three-paneled mural by Andrew Murray which was dedicated and mounted in the sanctuary in 2005. . This historical marker is in Antigonish in Antigonish County Nova Scotia