Welcome! I'm the rector (lead priest) of St. James. That's me in the middle, next to the former rector to the right. One of my favorite things about my job is inviting new people into our community. I hope you'll come on a Sunday and, if so, please introduce yourself after the service.
The Episcopal Church is truly a treasure. It brings together a deep love of tradition with progressive values. We're part of the wider global Anglican Communion, stemming from the Church of England, the third largest body of Christians in the world. I'm proud to be raising my own children in this church, and love being part of the formation of others--children, their parents, adults, older people, everyone.
St. James is located in historic Scarsdale, but we draw from a lot of zip codes. We're truly diverse, and are committed to growing in diversity. In this divided society, we place particular importance on bringing people together in a loving, safe space where we can share our views and, above all, simply be united in our worship of God.
If you're looking for a spiritual home, you may well find it at St. James! Hope to see you on a Sunday, and of course always feel free to contact or visit me during the week with questions.
What are services like?
We have three services, all following the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. Please note that children are welcome at ALL our services! The 9 am service lasts 30 minutes, includes a homily, hymn, and Holy Communion, and is less formal and good for families. The 10:30 am service lasts 55 minutes, includes choir, hymns, a homily, and Holy Communion. The 5 pm service, which runs during the school year, is about 25 minutes, and is a very informal version of the above services, but also with a short reflection and Holy Communion.
What do people wear?
For the most part, people dress casually at St. James. At more festal services--Confirmation, Easter, Christmas Eve--people tend to dress up, and some parishioners prefer to dress up every Sunday. But the majority of people wear every day attire to all services.
What about my kids?
Kids are welcome at all services!! There is a children's corner with coloring books and supplies, as well as a mini-altar and items to keep kids busy. Little ones' noises are always welcome and loved. At the moment, we do not have separate nursery care, but are open to bringing it back. Please offer your feedback to one of the priests. But again, we value kids' presence and participation in our services, and feel it's the best way for them to learn about church.
What about parking?
There is plenty of parking, and a person to help park cars on busier Sundays.
What about Covid protocols?
Masks are optional at this point, and distancing encouraged. We created the two different services--9 & 10:30--in response to Covid, to allow for greater distancing. Doors are left open when the weather allows, and the church is very capacious and so ventilation ample.
Newsletter
The best way to start connecting, other than showing up Sunday, is to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Click the newsletter link on the main menu (or on this page) and hit "subscribe" on the upper left corner. That will connect you with our weekly news, which arrives via email every Thursday.
Phone App
You can also connect by downloading our phone app, which contains updates about events, plus Sunday bulletins (if you prefer to view them digitally) and other content. You don't have to create an account to access the information, but if you do, you can enter your name and you will automatically go into our database.
Contact Mother Storm or Mother Eliza
You may also simply reach out to one of our priests by email. We'd love to hear from you and set up a time to talk.