Welcome
Wherever you are on your journey,
you are welcome here
In person and virtual services
Sunday Services
8:00 AM
in church only
10:00 AM
in church and virtual services
In person and virtual services
Wednesday Service
6:00 p.m.
We will meet in person in the church and on Zoom at 6pm for Holy Eucharist.
How to Join Virtual Church Services
Services from St. James continue to be streamed live using Facebook Live. When a live event is in progress, you will find it located near the Posts section on our Facebook main page. After clicking the button below, scroll down the Facebook page to find it.
Saint James Church can be traced back to 1886 when the Episcopal Church established a mission in Paso Robles
The history of the Saint James Church in Paso Robles, California dates back to the late 19th century. Here is a brief overview of its historical journey:
Early Days: The origins of the Saint James Church can be traced back to 1886 when the Episcopal Church established a mission in Paso Robles. Initially, services were held in private homes and public buildings until a church building was constructed.
Construction of the First Church: In 1891, the construction of the first Saint James Church building began. It was a small wooden structure that served as a place of worship for the growing Episcopalian community in the area.
Expansion and Reconstruction: As the congregation continued to grow, the original church building soon became insufficient to accommodate the increasing number of worshippers. In 1903, plans were made to expand and reconstruct the church. The new building featured a Spanish Colonial Revival style, reflecting the architectural trends of the time.
The Earthquake of 1923: On December 22, 1923, a devastating earthquake struck Paso Robles, causing extensive damage to many buildings, including the Saint James Church. The church building suffered significant structural damage and had to be rebuilt.
Construction of the Current Church: Following the earthquake, the current Saint James Church building was constructed in 1924. The new structure was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, similar to its predecessor but with reinforced structural elements to withstand seismic activity.
Growth and Community Engagement: Over the years, the Saint James Church became an integral part of the Paso Robles community, providing spiritual guidance, hosting events, and engaging in various community outreach programs. It has served as a place of worship, a gathering space, and a hub for community activities.
Preservation and Restoration: In order to preserve the historical significance of the church, efforts have been made to restore and maintain the building’s original architectural features. The church’s interior and exterior have undergone restoration projects to retain its unique character and historical charm.
Today, the Saint James Church in Paso Robles continues to serve as a vibrant place of worship and a testament to the rich history of the Episcopal community in the area. Its architectural beauty, historical importance, and active role in the community make it a cherished landmark in Paso Robles, California.
Are You Serving this Week?
See Our Monthly Service Schedule
Bible Study
Weekly Bible Study | Thurs 11:00 a.m.
Our lively meetings happen on Thursdays via Zoom.
Events
- Mon December the 9th
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December 9, 2024 - 10:00 am - 12:20 pm
Tai Chi Chih
See more details
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December 11, 2024 - 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Women's Prayer Breakfast
See more detailsAll women are invited to come and have breakfast and share in the prayers.
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December 11, 2024 - 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Wednesday Evening Service
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December 12, 2024 - 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Bible Study
See more details -
December 12, 2024 - 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Grief Support Group
See more detailsAn informal gathering to share our grief journeys following the loss of a loved one. People are invited to bring their lunch.
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December 14, 2024
Advent Quiet Day
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December 15, 2024 - 8:00 am - 9:00 am
Sunday Service
See more details -
December 15, 2024 - 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Sunday Service online and in person
See more details -
December 15, 2024 - 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Finance Meeting
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December 15, 2024 - 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Blue Christmas
See more detailsA quiet service of prayer, music and candlelight to help those who are missing loved ones or feeling lonely during the Christmas Season,
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Grief Support Group
December 12, 2024-12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
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Advent Quiet Day
December 14, 2024
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Blue Christmas
December 15, 2024-4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
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Vestry Meeting and Party
December 19, 2024-5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
We seek to do this through…
WORSHIP
Worship is at the heart of our life as a parish faith community. The sacramental life nourishes us week by week and common prayer strengthens us day by day. St. James Sunday and weekday services provide a variety of worship opportunities for members, friends, and visitors.
OUTREACH
Our parish community provides a strong center for our lives and we seek always to expand our boundaries through involvement in the greater community. Some of the organizations that St. James currently supports are ECHO and NeighborAid.
EDUCATION
We believe that Christian formation is a life-long process that nurtures us intellectually and spiritually, equipping us to live out our baptismal promises. St. James hosts both one-time and on-going educational opportunities.
PARISH LIFE AND PASTORAL CARE
The fabric of our life as a community of faith is maintained and nurtured through pastoral care and fellowship opportunities. We seek to support each other in the life of faith: in joy and in sorrow, in good times and in bad.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
We are blessed with a beautiful church and a patio and garden area that provides an oasis of calm in the midst of our bustling downtown area. Church facilities are used by a variety of community groups.
DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT
Our Church
The Rev. Barbara Miller
Barbara was called to be our Rector in June of 2015. It was a delightful surprise for her to be called as priest to St. James after being their Parish Administrator for five years before attending seminary.
Barbara currently serves as the Chair of the Diocese of El Camino Real Deputation to General Convention in 2024 and is a member of the Diocesan Discernment Committee. In addition, she has served as Co-chair of the most recent Bishop Search Committee that resulted in the election Bishop Lucinda Ashby, Chair of the Commission on Ministry, as a member of the Liturgy Committee, and chair of the diocesan Nominating Committee.
Before being ordained, Barbara was a Parish Administrator at several of the local Episcopal Churches as well as at a Lutheran church and a United Church of Christ church.
Barbara graduated from Cal Poly in 2011 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies. She received a Master of Divinity degree in 2014 from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She was ordained to the diaconate in February of 2014 and to the priesthood in August of 2014 both in the Diocese of El Camino Real.
Barbara has three grown sons, two delightful daughters-in-law, and one amazing grandson. Outside of church she enjoys traveling, sewing, watercolor painting, and walking on the beach.
Español
SACRAMENTOS
Los sacramentos para jóvenes que se pueden iniciar en esta iglesia son el bautizo, la primera confesión, la primera comunión, y la confirmación. Aceptamos niños en este programa hasta la edad do 17 años.
QUINCEAÑERA
Todas las jóvenes que deseen celebrar una quinceañera deben inscribirse primero en nuestro Programa de Ministerio Juvenil. Si no está inscrita en el Programa de Ministerio Juvenil, no podrá tener una quinceañera en la Iglesia de St. James.
También se espera que las jóvenes que deseen celebrar una quinceañera asistan a la Misa dominical todas las semanas y reciban el Sacramento de confesión al menos una vez al año como parte de su preparación. La quinceañera que desee celebrar su Misa debe estar bautizada y haber recibido ya los Sacramentos de la Primera Confesión y la Primera Comunión. Si no ha recibido estos sacramentos, nosotros le podemos ayudar a prepararse.
Tenga en cuenta que una quinceañera no es un Sacramento. En la Iglesia de St. James estamos enfocados en ayudar a su formación en lo que se aplica a su fe. Su quinceañera es una celebración cultural importante y nosotros estamos para ayudarlos a tener esta celebración dándole la importancia a nuestra vida con Dios.
Youth
PRIMERA COMUNIÓN
En esta iglesia se prepara para La Primera comunión y la Primera Confesión. El estudio es de 3 meses y las clases son cada domingo después de la misa.
PARA MÁS INFORMACIÓN
Llame al 805-238-0819 y oprima el 3.
St. James is…
— an historic church
— a spiritual foundation
— a place of welcome and acceptance
— a conduit of beauty, joy, and grace
— a center for community life
Come and be part of St. James! You are welcomed here. St. James has been part of the Paso Robles community for more than 125 years. It is both a place of welcome, prayer, and growth and a vibrant community of people seeking to grow spiritually through prayer and worship, toproclaim the good news of God made known in Christ Jesus, and to promote justice, peace and love.
Your contribution:
helps support our virtual services, projects and programs. A gift of any amount is a statement of support and commitment to our work in our community and our world. Thank you for supporting St. James!
Our History
In 1891, one year after the founding of the town of El Paso de Robles, a group of six women, collectively known as “The Guild,” submitted a request to the Diocese of California to establish a mission church in Paso Robles. At that time, the nearest Episcopal church was St. John’s in San Miguel, seven miles away, a significant distance in the horse-and-buggy days. The diocese sent a missionary, the Rev. John Abbott Emery, to investigate and his initial report was not favorable. However, his sister, Julia Chester Emery, who was national president of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Episcopal Church, convinced him to reconsider, and even provided funds from the newly created United Thank Offering. The Rev. Emery first administered the sacraments of baptism and confirmation in Paso Robles in April 1891. In July of the same year, the Rev. Arthur Lumsden Mitchell was appointed Missionary in Charge of the Church of St. James the Apostle.
One of the early meeting places of the congregation was over a butcher shop, and the odor of hot lard inspired Rev. Mitchell to undertake “construction of the physical facilities necessary for a mission.” Under his direction, a guild hall was built where services were held for a time. The cornerstone of the church building was laid January 14, 1892, and the first recorded service in this building was Palm Sunday, April 10, 1892. Two weeks later, the Rt. Rev. William Ford Nichols, Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of California, blessed the building.
The building was remodeled in 1911 with funds raised from bake sales, teas, jumble sales, cake walks, and, in true Anglophile tradition, birthday parties for the King. It was also at this time that the tradition of the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper began.
In 1921 the Rev. Charles L. Thackeray was appointed vicar at St. James. Rev. Thackeray had been president of the Deanery of San Jose, and was so widely known as “Dean Thackeray” that many assumed that Dean was his given name. Dean Thackeray found a growing division between town residents and country residents, and decided to start a social event where both groups could mix. Stores would close, and no commercial activity would take place. “Leave your purse at home and come to town” was his call. This vision turned into the event that became Pioneer Days in 1931. Pioneer Days is still observed in October each year, and over the years many St. James parishioners have been elected King and Queen of the event.
During Dean Thackeray’s tenure, the church acquired its 1863 Stevens organ. It is believed to be the oldest continually used pipe organ on the West Coast.
In 1938, The Rev. Mr. Lloyd Thomas came to St. James, and in 1944 would become the church’s last vicar and its first rector as St. James converted from a mission to a parish.
The church was extensively remodeled in 1948, at which time a bell tower was constructed to house a bell that came to St. James from St. John’s in San Miguel after a fire destroyed that church.
During the 1980s, the Rev. Carl Hansen, rector of St. James, saw the need for a pantry to distribute food to the needy. This resulted in the formation of an organization called Loaves & Fishes, which was initially housed at St. James. Eventually its operations exceeded available parish space and it moved to another facility. Today Loaves & Fishes occupies its own building and is supported by a number of local churches and secular groups. Although Loaves & Fishes is no longer an outreach exclusive to St. James, our deacon, the Rev. Jacqueline Sebro, on Sundays welcomes a food basket brought to our altar for Loaves & Fishes.
St. James observed the centennial of its founding in 1991. At that time, a history of the parish entitled Celebrate the Journey was written by church member James Holloway, drawing on church records and the memories of many parishioners and former priests.
St. James has a long tradition of supporting civil justice. During the anti-Asian hysteria of the early 1900s, the church went on record as supporting full citizenship for Asian Americans. During the Depression it operated a desegregated soup kitchen in the parish hall, despite demands from local authorities that it be segregated. St. James provided support for servicemen at local military bases during World Wars I and II, and in the late 1940, the Rev. Leon Harris began the “Teen Canteen” in the parish hall, a place for teens to meet, socialize, and even dance!
In the 1960s, St. James rector Thomas Steensland marched in Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
St. James Episcopal Church
1335 Oak Street
514 14th Street (Mailing Address)
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 238-0819
office@saintjamespr.org
St. James Episcopal Church
Office Hours
9:00 am to 1:00pm
Tuesday – Friday
Closed Monday
Contact form and Newsletter sign up
Answering Service (805) 238-0819 office@saintjamespr.org
Our Ministries
St. James Altar Guild
If you are interested in learning more about joining our Altar Guild, please contact our Altar Guild Director by clicking here
Health Ministry
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Learn more
As recently as 100 years ago, Christian churches were leaders in the health field, building the finest hospitals and educating thousands of religiously motivated women as nurses. But during the past century, communication between health care specialists and spiritual care specialists has been practically non-existent.Today scientific medicine is looking for help in preventive medicine, in health education, and in helping to motivate people to care for their own health.
We at St. James care about each other.The Health Ministry Team wants you to attain true health and wholeness.Choices you make daily can help or hinder your quest for good health.
To help you make good choices and care for yourself we intend to offer health education articles on this website.If you have a specific topic you wish to read about, please call a team member or the office and the Parish Administrator will relay the message.If, after reading an article you have further questions, please take those concerns to your physician or contact a member of the Health Ministry Team.God is always available and will work with you for wellness.
Health & Wellness Articles
Below are links to articles on health-related matters.We encourage you to read them.Simply click on the link to open the document.
- Laugh Your Way To Health!
- What You Should Know About Hypertension
- Osteoporosis: How Firm Is Your Foundation?
- Strokes: Serious, But Preventable
- Stress, Depression & Holidays: 12 Tips For Coping
- Eating Right During The Holidays
- Managing Your Medications
Outside Resources
Our Diocese
About the Diocese
The Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real is a place of rich diversity and wonderful opportunity. Our identity is founded upon faithful pilgrimage, which means that we travel light, stay in balance, and have the courage to be lost. While this overall concept was designed pre-COVID, we have found that the pandemic blessed us with uncertainty and a call to live our pilgrimage faithfully in ways that are practical and real.
St. James Episcopal Church is a member of the Diocese of El Camino Real. Our diocese includes the cities of San Jose (the see city), Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo, and all Episcopal congregations in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.