St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church is celebrating its 125th anniversary of service and worship in the Greater Ville area under the leadership of the Reverend Noella Austin Buchanan.
“We are excited about this milestone in our service to God, our church and our unwavering commitment to the community at large,” said the Reverend Buchanan. “Our chosen theme is: A Journey Towards Restoring and Rebuilding Christian Faith in the Ville.”
Throughout 2009 the members of St. James AME have been planning, working and participating in several events to focus on this historic milestone. These events will culminate with a 125th Anniversary Celebration Banquet to be held at 3 p.m. on October 17 at the Airport Marriott Hotel. As part of the celebration it is our plan to honor city, state and community leaders during the banquet.
St. James was founded in 1884. In 1890 the church became an independent unit and, as the congregation grew, a new building was purchased and later moved to the St. Ferdinand site in the Ville, where it is located today.
In May of 2005, Buchanan was appointed as the first female and the 34th pastor of St. James. She has challenged this congregation to become more community-focused and has helped set up tutorial and state hiring programs for some of the neighborhood schools in the Ville.
Before her appointment to St. James, she was the founding pastor of Corona Community African Methodist Episcopal Church in California, a mission-minded church that supported workers in the United States, Haiti and Africa. While there, she was instrumental in the start up of several non profit organizations and in receiving over a million dollars in grants for outreach programs. The main emphasis was on providing educational classes for the prevention of teen pregnancy and gang prevention; HIV/AIDS eradication; nutrition education and holding public forums on infant mortality which resulted in statewide recognition of these programs.
Prior to going into the ministry full time, Rev. Noella worked in the corporate sector as an Operational Auditor and Regional Personnel Manager for Southern California Edison for 32 years before retiring. She has served as Lead Executive for the United Way, was a member of the Board of Directors for the Sickle Cell Foundation, the Advisory Council for the College Placement Association and faculty search committee. She has received numerous citations and awards for her religious and community work.
Rev. Noella is the third generation of pastors and missionary workers in her family. She made history by becoming the first female Treasurer for the Missouri Conference. She was the president of the Fifth Episcopal District, Women in Ministry and has preached throughout the United States and internationally on the mission fields of Africa. She was recently named Pastor of the Year 2009 for the 5Th Episcopal District of the AME Church (covering the 14 Western States, Alaska and India).
Rev. Noella completed her undergraduate work at Redlands University, CA and matriculated towards her Masters of Divinity at Fuller and Payne Theological Seminary. She also attended Doctorial sessions at the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) Adrus Gerontology Center and Medical Center where she developed statewide programs in the fields of Pre-retirement and Grief counseling.
She is married to the Reverend Dr. Morris A. Buchanan, retired pastor and Spiritual Advisor of St. James. They have a daughter and two grandchildren. Her greatest desire is to serve the Lord and to be a blessing to His people. She is inviting all to come celebrate the history of St. James as we attempt to bring back the glory of “the Ville.”
For banquet reservations, please contact the church office at (314) 371-0687.
‘Our mouth filled with laughter’
Comedian and motivational speaker Lecia J. Rives will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, August 28 at Christian Faith Center Church (Bishop Melvin Dunn, pastor), 2003 Chambers Road in St. Louis. Admission is $5. Email saintscanlaughtoo@yahoo.com.