Building Connections, Cultivating Faith

The Altar Guild team at St. James is a fulfilling and rewarding ministry. Each week a team of people meet to prepare the altar for Communion and set the Lord's table. Part of the responsibilities is to clean and tidy the sanctuary, change the liturgical colours and place flowers on the altar when appropriate. It is an important part of creating space for worship in our community.

Members work cooperatively in their team, taking charge of preparation one week/Sunday each month, with the whole team coming together to prepare for the celebrations of Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.

If you feel you would like to be a part of this team, please contact Jo-Anne Black

Coordinator: Jo-Anne Black

The core purpose of the ACW is to encourage women to use their gifts, time and talents to Support Christ mission through fellowship, outreach and fundraising.

The ACW organizes two major fundraisers a year, which include Christmas Bazaar in November and Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. The ladies always enjoy our high tea before summer break.

ACW is a group that can be attended by all Church women of St James. Members are also welcome to invite friends to join us.

Coordinator: Annette Caldwell

The Audio-Visual Technology Guild provides the audio & visual technology services at St. James.

The AV Tech services include: projector slideshow, sound system, streaming video over Internet and recordings with archives.

The guild can assist with services such as Holy Eucharists, baptisms, weddings, funerals and special events as well as other parish activities.

Training is provided for new guild members although you are expected to be "tech savvy" to join.

AV Tech Coordinator: Andrew McNeil

The 200th Anniversary Group started meeting in May, 2025, to suggest ways our parish could celebrate 200 years of ministry in Kemptville. From those early meetings, we surveyed the parish on all the ideas put forth, and developed our Bicentennial Calendar of Events. We also worked on providing 200th Anniversary merchandise to commemorate the occasion.

The group established our theme statement, "200 Years - A Legacy of Light and Hope", and a banner was commissioned and hung on the church May 7, 2026. With the help of Fr. Rogério and Michelle Hauser our bicentennial logo was produced and the celebrations began!

Our full year of celebrations was officially opened on May 10, 2026, in a worship service led by Bishop William Cliff. The bishop also composed a Bicentennial Prayer especially for St. James parish, which we will use all through the year.
This group will be meeting as needed to help carry out the Bicentennial Calendar of Events and sell commemoration merchandise. All of our planning is working towards the close of our year of celebrations on Sunday, May 30, 2027. We hope that we have provided many ways that parishioners can celebrate the history that has brought our parish to the present time, and ways to carry the legacy forth into the next century of Light and Hope!

The group is open to all parishioners, so join us if you love the history and the future of St. James Parish.

Coordinator: Martha Smith

The Cemetery Board at St James Anglican is administered by its Chairman and committee members, appointed by and responsible to the Wardens. Our responsibilities include record keeping, the upkeep and repairs to the cemetery grounds, graves, monuments and internments. We also host a Memorial Service annually, usually in September. 

The Cemetery will continue to offer plots and graves for sale to our Community.

Coordinator: Robert Angi

The Event Coordination and Community Outreach (ECCO) committee support the many fundraising initiatives of St. James. The ECCO team have launched the Fundraising Gift Card program, organized and successfully held an annual music concert fundraiser as well as coordinated Soup and Stew Sunday lunches for the church. We have collaborated with several community non-profit organizations and Kemptville businesses for outreach activities. Any member of the congregation is welcome to join our motivated team.

Coordinator: Mandy Nicholls

Working in teams of two, the Hospitality Team provides tea, coffee and light refreshments after the 10:30 service at St. James. It provides opportunity for fellowship, building relationships with parishioners and provides a warm welcome for visitors.

When we celebrate larger events, we work together to provide for larger groups.

The team operates from September through June each year, taking a hiatus over the summer months.

If you are interested in helping support this ministry, please contact Colleen Sampson. 

Coordinator: Colleen Sampson

Lay readers are persons who have made a specific commitment to their bishop, parish priest and churchwardens to use their existing and developed gifts in ministry to the glory of God and for the benefit of the church (people), particularly in the conduct of public worship, giving instruction in the Christian faith, evangelizing, providing pastoral care within their community and other such duties as requested of them. Authority is given by the bishop in the form of a bishop’s license after a probationary period of training.

Talk to your parish priest if you feel called to serve as a Layreader.

Incumbent: Fr. Rogério

Coordinator: George Crosman

The St. James Men's Group meets for coffee on a regular basis at the church to share in friendship and fellowship. Discussions will sometimes centre around a favorite passage of scripture, a book study or whatever is happening in our everyday lives.

Lots of great discussion evolves around the various topics that come up and we particularly enjoy "solving the problems of the world." Every few weeks we go out for breakfast in our continuing support and friendship for each other.

All men of St. James are very welcome to join us every Saturday morning at 8 at the church.

Coordinators: Jim Chapman & Bill Haldenby

In 1529, Martin Luther, one of the forces behind the Protestant Reformation, wrote the hymn “ A Mighty Fortress is Our God”. We continue to sing this hymn to this day. Since the beginning of the Protestant church, congregational hymn singing has been a cornerstone of worship.

In 1761, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, penned his “Directions for Singing” that included such rules as: “Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep” Nowhere is this rule applied as “lustily” as with our small but mighty group of singers.

The choir is the secret to the success of every great organist leading hymns. The choir practices weekly, and they know how fast the hymn should go, what the introduction is, how many verses will be sung, and what those verses are. The function of the choir and organist is to lead congregational singing.

My choirs are always open to anyone who wishes to be part of the group. The qualification is that you show up for rehearsals and services. Enthusiasm is encouraged. This 200th Anniversary year, we will be joining several town choirs at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church On October 25 th for a choir concert, and celebration of their 175th Anniversary.

At Christmas, I will be inviting folks to join the “Christmas Choir”. If you enjoy Christmas music, then come and sing with the choir for November and December. A Service of lessons and carols is planned for December 20th at 7 p.m. Why not join us. Everyone is welcome.

Music Director: Wendy Earl

New Commandments supports members of our congregation who may be facing challenges due to illness, aging, or the loss of a spouse.

We are a group of Christian men here to assist by following the command to love one another.

Support may include household chores such as mowing and gardening, minor repairs, and most importantly being present to offer companionship, care, and encouragement.

Coordinator: Bill Haldenby

The maintenance and repairs of this beautiful church is, in most part, the responsibility of the Property Committee members. We are responsible for light to medium duty handyman work inside or outside the building. The more challenging work we outsource to the most cost efficient and reliable contractors. Such work might include electrical, roofing, plumbing. Being an older church (200 yrs.), there is always something to keep us busy. We currently have three enthusiastic volunteers and welcome anyone who would like to join the team.

Coordinator: Terry Nicholls

St James welcomes children of all ages. We offer a Sunday school program for ages 4-12 during most 10:30 services and have prepared activity bags for children who prefer to remain in the service.

Our Sunday school follows the program Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-inspired religious education program that fosters a personal relationship with God, focusing on Scripture, the Liturgy, and prayer in a specially prepared space called an “Atrium”. Children hear the Gospel through the use of sensorial rich materials and the children are free to work with these materials that represent essential proclamations of the Christian message. Materials are based on three pillars of our faith: Scripture, prayer and the liturgy. Children learn about Jesus, liturgy, the Church and the Eucharist and the program prepares them to be active participants in the community of the church.  

Our Sunday school team features a trained catechist and assistants.

Coordinator: Margaret Greenwood

The Women’s Fellowship Group strives to nurture Christian beliefs through discussions and interactive activities in a supportive and inclusive atmosphere. All women within the church are welcome to join and experience the power of the Lords work in our daily lives.

The group meets every third Saturday of the month from 10-1130.

Coordinators: Mandy and Kaylee