A Stone Church in the Heart of Farmington
St. James Episcopal Church sits at 3 Mountain Road, just off Main Street (Route 10) in the center of Farmington, Connecticut, surrounded by the historic buildings of Miss Porter's School. The stone building, completed in 1898 and added to several times over the decades, is what newcomers see first. The main entrance is reached by a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the right of the front doors, and a door from the rear parking lot opens directly into the lower level, where the parish's meeting rooms, library, and kitchen are located. Parking is available at the rear of the church, on the street on weekends, and at the elementary school across Mountain Road.
The parish traces its roots to 1873, when a small group of worshipers gathered under the leadership of The Reverend Edward Brown, rector of Christ Church in nearby Unionville, and Charles Whitman, a Farmington innkeeper. From its earliest days, St. James has combined the plain-spoken rhythms of small-town New England with the full liturgical tradition of the Episcopal Church. Today its members come from Farmington and the surrounding towns of the Farmington Valley.
From a Schoolhouse to Mountain Road
St. James Parish was formed in 1873, 233 years after Farmington itself was founded. Episcopal worship was slow to arrive in a town whose residents had historically been tied to the Congregational Church, and the first services were held in a local schoolhouse. A year later the congregation built a place of worship of its own, a chapel over a grocery store and post office on Main Street near Mill Lane, and gathered there for the next quarter century.
In 1898 the present stone church on Mountain Road was completed. It was designed by parishioner Henry Mason and largely built by Mr. Mason and his father, Charles, using local field stone. Henry Mason also crafted the wooden altar and reading desk from wood cut on his own property. In 1910 a longer and larger chancel and an organ loft were added, and the local artist Robert Brandegee was commissioned to paint the large mural of Jesus calling the fishermen James and John that still fills the wall behind the altar. A second addition came in 1939, and in 1958 a third addition, including the parish hall, was completed. Today's facilities include a sanctuary seating 225, extensive church school classrooms, a library, clergy and business offices, a large parish hall and kitchen, and a memorial garden.
Sunday Worship at Eight and Ten-Fifteen
Sunday worship at St. James follows the Episcopal Church's customary pattern: Rite 1 at 8:00 a.m. and Rite 2 with music at 10:15 a.m. Both services use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and The Hymnal 1982, and the Scripture readings follow the revised Common Lectionary shared by most Christians in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Both services are livestreamed through Facebook Live, allowing members who are traveling or housebound to follow along.
Worship at St. James is described as communal, liturgical, and sacramental. In praising God the congregation employs all the senses, drawing on bread and wine, the physical act of worship, flowers, music, the liturgical colors of vestments and hangings, and incense on festival days. Some worshipers make the sign of the cross and kneel at various points in the services, others do not, and newcomers are reminded that they are free to follow whatever feels appropriate. The congregation is encouraged to be silent during the musical prelude in order to prepare for worship.
Children are welcome. Nursery care is available upstairs for children four and under at every 10:15 a.m. service. Church school for kindergarten through grade six meets during the 10:15 a.m. service from October through May, with the children joining their families in church for Holy Communion. Parents who would like their child to receive First Communion instruction are encouraged to speak with the clergy.
The Altar and Its Saints
The altar table at St. James is itself a small lesson in Anglican history. It was made by Henry H. Mason after the 1910 addition was finished, and Mr. Mason is remembered to have carved its central decoration with his own jackknife. Robert Brandegee painted the figures that adorn the front, depicting disciples who carried the Christian faith from the British Isles to America and, on the sides, figures who shaped both the country and the Episcopal Church at the moment of its founding.
At the center of the altar's front, Jesus stands with arms raised in blessing, likely at the moment of his Ascension as described in Luke 24:50. On either side are disciples who brought Christianity to the British Isles between the third and seventeenth centuries, including Thomas a Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury murdered by Henry II's knights in 1170; Lancelot Andrewes, the bishop who oversaw the translation of the King James Bible; Dunstan, the Archbishop of Canterbury famous as a musician, illuminator, and metalworker who, legend has it, nailed a horseshoe to the devil's hoof; Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, the monk-bishop whose body was said to be miraculously preserved; Columba, the Irish missionary who revitalized monasticism in Western Europe; Ninian, the Briton who built what may have been the first Christian settlement in Scotland; Alban, the Roman soldier considered the first Christian martyr in England; and William of Wykeham, the Bishop of Winchester whose motto "Manners Makyth Man" was adopted by Winchester College and New College, Oxford. On the left side of the altar stands Samuel Seabury, the first bishop of the Episcopal Church and the first Bishop of Connecticut. On the right stands George Washington, baptized in Virginia as a member of the Church of England and a vestryman of several parishes.
A memorial plaque on the right side of the altar dedicates it to the glory of God and in memory of Margaret Welles-Lee Lee (1850-1914).
Singing with the Choir
Music at St. James is led by Music Director Blake Hansen. The parish choir sings at the 10:15 a.m. service from September through June and rehearses on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and again on Sundays at 9:00 a.m., before the late service. New singers are welcome, whether for the full season or for special services such as Christmas Eve or Lessons and Carols.
Several other lay roles shape the liturgy. Lectors read the lessons, often at the service they regularly attend, after a short training session. Crucifers and acolytes are drawn from the youth of the parish; crucifers carry the cross and often continue as acolytes, while acolytes may be any youngster in fourth grade or above who has completed the required training. Chalice bearers are licensed by the diocese and are invited by the rector. Ushers greet and count the congregation, distribute bulletins, present the offerings, and are especially charged with identifying and welcoming visitors.
Holy Baptism, Holy Matrimony, and Funerals
St. James celebrates the historic sacraments of the Episcopal Church. The Holy Eucharist is the focus of Sunday worship, and all baptized Christians are welcome at the Lord's Table. The Episcopal Church does not define how Christ's body and blood are present in the sacrament, but approaches it with reverence, awe, and thanksgiving. Gluten-free hosts are always available; those who are not baptized are welcome to ask a priest for a blessing.
Holy Baptism is normally celebrated within a Sunday Eucharist so that the whole congregation can acknowledge its responsibility for the nurture of those being baptized. Parents and godparents meet with the clergy for instruction in the meaning of the sacrament and their duties to the new Christian. Godparents must be baptized members of any Christian church who are actively committed to Christ.
Couples considering a wedding at St. James are invited to read the parish's Matrimony FAQs. The church teaches that Christian marriage brings with it the belief that God is part of the relationship and that the couple will need God's grace to strengthen their life together, and the parish asks that a couple not choose to be married in the church if they cannot accept those commitments. There is no fee for the use of the church or for the clergy's services.
When a member of the parish is near death or dies, the family is asked to notify the church as soon as possible. The clergy and staff are available at any hour to help with burial arrangements. The Memorial Garden behind the church is available for the direct interment of ashes, and plots may be reserved in advance or selected at the time of need. The honorarium for the organist is $175 and the sexton's fee is $50; there is no fee for the church or the clergy.
Christian Formation for Every Age
Christian education at St. James is the responsibility of the whole parish, and the congregation is encouraged to know the young members and involve them in the life of the church. From September through May, Christian education for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade is held at 10:00 a.m. each Sunday, with the children joining their parents in church for Holy Communion. The church school uses "Weaving God's Promises," a three-year formation curriculum that has been fully revised and updated, with class sessions structured around the Holy Eucharist and special sessions for the church seasons. Adult volunteers are always needed to teach, assist, and shepherd the youngest members of the parish.
Adult formation has long been part of parish life. Bible studies have engaged different books of the Old Testament, many of the letters of the New Testament, the Gospels, with a guide along the way. Father George has created a seasonal study for Advent that draws on the first chapter of Luke and a bit of Matthew, exploring John's role in Jesus's story and the Annunciation. The Advent Bible Study is offered via Zoom on Sundays at 12:30 for five weeks.
Serving the Farmington Valley and Hartford
St. James's Outreach Committee works with neighbors in Farmington and greater Hartford. The parish partners with the Farmington Food Pantry, located at Amistad Hall in the First Church of Christ Congregational, by donating food and funds in January and June and fresh vegetables during the summer months. The pantry, which occupies more than 400 square feet, serves more than 150 client visits per month and distributes nearly 50 pounds of food per client every two weeks. Clients choose the items they like and need, and weekly purchases of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables are made possible by donations from the Farmington Community Chest. Non-perishable, non-expired food can also be dropped off at the pantry Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Once a month, five St. James volunteers staff the kitchen at the Friendship Service Center in Hartford from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month. The Community Kitchen serves free hot lunches five days a week to those in need and three meals a day to shelter residents and former residents. Volunteers prep, serve more than 100 guests, and clean up under the direction of Chef Gerry Waldo. Carpools from St. James are arranged when needed.
The parish also partners with Church by the Pond, an outreach of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter in Hartford that provides picnic lunches for the homeless. St. James contributes toiletry bags, with the most-needed items being body wash, deodorant, shaving cream, toothpaste, and sunscreen. A sign-up sheet and donation bin are located in the narthex.
Each year, parishioners assemble Thanksgiving baskets for ten Farmington families, and the Angel Tree Project in the parish hall gathers Christmas gifts for children in need. The St. James Heelers, a walking group, takes part in regional events including Foodshare's Walk Against Hunger, which supports many charities including the Friendship Service Center. The St. Francis Guild, which tends the plantings and landscaping of the church and Memorial Garden, also raises produce in the garden behind the church that is distributed to the hungry through the Farmington Food Pantry.
Committees, Guilds, and the Parish Family
The Vestry, the governing body of the parish, hires the rector, approves the parish budget, and makes decisions on parish policy, and also shares in the spiritual life and growth of the parish. It meets at 7:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month and holds an annual retreat following the yearly meeting.
The Pastoral Care Committee keeps the parish connected through visits and calls to the homebound and sick, meals for parishioners who need temporary help, cards for special occasions and times of illness or loss, and prayer shawls blessed by the clergy and delivered to those who would benefit from their comfort. The Stewardship Committee coordinates the Every Member Canvass that establishes the parish's financial support each year.
Three named guilds keep the church running and the congregation fed. The Altar Guild prepares the altar and church for worship and cares for the vestments and altar vessels, and flowers may be given in thanksgiving or as a memorial by signing the chart on the narthex wall. St. Andrew's Guild cooks the parish breakfast served between the two services on the first Sunday of each month, when the congregation gathers as a family that breaks bread together with French toast, sausage, bacon, eggs, juice, and coffee, along with gluten-free pancakes or muffins. The men's breakfast meets monthly at the Crazy Pancake in Plainville for conversation and good food, with Father George checking that the cost of the meal is not a barrier for anyone. The Women's Ministry gathers for a monthly coffee and for a quarterly potluck breakfast with prayer.
Each year the parish celebrates the Feast of St. James in late July, and the antique church bell that once announced funerals and called the village to worship rings out again after years of silence. In 2013 a Bell Legacy Fund quickly raised $8,000 to restore the bell, with about half set aside for future repairs. The Blessing of the Animals in early October gathers pets of every shape (provided they are not venomous or aggressive) for prayers and a blessing from Father George in commemoration of St. Francis of Assisi.
A Place for Prayer
The Prayer Request Team keeps a confidential prayer list, praying daily for those named on it. Each request is held for two weeks and can be extended on request. A small library of prayers on the parish's online collection ranges from the Book of Common Prayer and the New Zealand Prayer Book to the Bodhisattva Prayer for Humanity of Shantideva, Howard Thurman's "Open Unto Me," and a Sabbath Prayer by Rabbi Jack Riemer, alongside reflections from parishioners on what prayer means in their own lives.
Information about parish life flows through several channels. A Sunday bulletin offers weekly announcements; an electronic e-flash carries news as it happens; and a monthly newsletter called the Epistle is distributed electronically or in hard copy on request. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and messages left after hours are returned as soon as possible.