St. James Lutheran is a church family committed to the authority of the Bible as the inspired Word of God. In keeping with the Lutheran Confessions, we believe all doctrines should and must be judged by the teaching of Scripture.
Our four core values at St. James Lutheran Church:
CHRIST CENTERED
We confess the apostolic faith in Jesus Christ according to the Holy Scriptures. We affirm the authority of the Scriptures as the authoritative source and norm, “according to which all doctrines should and must be judged” (Formula of Concord). We accept the ecumenical creeds and the Lutheran Confessions as true witnesses to the Word of God.
MISSION DRIVEN
We believe that the mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel and to make disciples for Christ. We believe that making disciples — in our congregations, in our communities and nations, and around the world — must be a priority of the Church in the present age.
TRADITIONALLY GROUNDED
We affirm the ecumenical creeds and the faithful witness of the Church across time and space. We endorse the form and practices of the universal Church that are consistent with Scripture, particularly the office of the ministry and the tradition of worship under Word and Sacrament. We seek dialogue and fellowship with other Lutheran churches and with faithful Christians of other confessions.
CONGREGATIONALLY FOCUSED
We strive to be a church that is organized to facilitate the ministries of local congregations in a posture of servant-hood and a spirit of partnership, through the provision of resources, connections and information.
We are a church centered on the unique Gospel of Jesus Christ, animated by missions and evangelism, grounded in the 2,000 year tradition of Christian faith, and organized chiefly to serve our congregations.
WE CONFESS
The Triune God - Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.
1.
Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything was made and through whose life, death, and resurrection God fashions a new creation.
2.
The proclamation of God’s message to us as both Law and Gospel is the Word of God, revealing judgment and mercy through word and deed, beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the history of Israel, and centering in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
3.
The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God. Inspired by the Holy Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce God’s revelation centering in Jesus Christ. Through them the Holy Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and fellowship for service in the world.
4.
The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith and life, “according to which all doctrines should and must be judged.” (Formula of Concord, Epitome, Part I)
The Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the faith of the Church.
The Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.
The other confessional writings in the Book of Concord, namely, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise, the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism, and the Formula of Concord, as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church.
The Gospel, recorded in the Holy Scriptures and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and Lutheran confessional writings, as the power of God to create and sustain the Church for God’s mission in the world.
St. James Lutheran honors and accepts The Common Confession (2005) as a summary of teachings otherwise affirmed in the Lutheran Confessions.
CHURCH HISTORY
Three families met in August 1966 to discuss the possibility of forming an Lutheran congregation in Greenfield... Learn more about the history of St. James Lutheran Church below:
After several meetings a worship service led by Pastor George Hoog, Assistant to the Synod President, was held October 2nd at the Junior High School. The name of St James Lutheran Church was chosen by this Association of families. A church school program began January 8, 1967. The land at the corner of Steel Ford Road and State Road 9 was purchased at the site for the church and parsonage.
Pastor J. Luther Seng was appointed Mission Developer January 22, 1967 and was called as the first pastor on May 18, 1967, serving until his retirement in June 1972. On May 14, 1967, St. James was formally organized in the Lutheran Church of America with 89 adults and 55 child members and was officially received into the Indiana-Kentucky Synod on May 22, 1967. Currently, St. James is a member of the Heartland Mission District of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC).
The congregation was active in a regional ministry in Knightstown 1969-1972 and sponsored two Laotian families in 1976, providing housing, food, medical and dental work, language study, jobs and guidance. Other Laotians were sponsored in 1978 and 1980. Pastor Terry Hudson served the congregation from August 1972 to December 1973.
Pastor Leslie C. Yeager was called and began his ministry in Greenfield on June 15, 1974, serving the congregation through the work of the church, including an extensive remodeling and building program in 1984-85. Pastor Yeager served the congregation until his retirement June 30, 1992.
Pastor Jerald M. Mielke served from July 19, 1993 through December 31, 2005. He led the congregation in a building and remodeling project during 1995. A Christian Education wing and a large Narthex were added as well as extensive renovations to the Sanctuary, office area and kitchen. The dedication service was held in November 1995.
Interim Pastor, Joyce Gerwing started serving March 1, 2006.
Pastor Larry Gember started serving in 2008 until his retirement in 2020.
Interim Pastor Doug Gast served as interim pastor from 2020-2022.
Rev. Dr. Richard Blue, Jr. started serving July 2022 and is currently the Senior Pastor.
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