St James’s was founded in 1854 from St Paul’s in the Gallowgate.  It was an ‘English Episcopal Church’ which means that its clergy were appointed from England (or Ireland) and the Book of Common Prayer was used for all services.  The congregation originally met in Crown Street.  When that building became too small for its needs, the congregation moved to the present site, the foundation for the current building being laid in 1887.

Shortly after this St James’s joined the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) bringing it under the jurisdiction and pastoral care of the Bishop of Aberdeen.  This move entailed the loss of a legacy which had been gifted on the condition that we never joined the SEC, with the result that the projected tower and spire were never built.  St James’s was finally dedicated in 1925 after clearing all debts (incurred partly through the loss of this legacy).

The church building took some years to reach its present form.  The South Aisle was dedicated in 1900; the War Memorial was added in 1920.  The small window in the North of the chancel (depicting the Ascension) was brought from the original St James’s in Crown Street.  The fine East window by Donald Strachan (depicting the four Evangelists with Moses and Isaiah) was installed in 1901; the beautiful West Rose Window with figures of Charity and the Virtues dates back to 1904. 

In the 1980’s a social area was created at the West end of the church; the nave and south aisle were fitted with carpets and coloured altar frontals donated.  More recent improvements include a sound system and portable ramps for disabled access.

Of course maintenance and improvements remain high on the agenda as we strive to make our place of worship as welcoming and accessible as possible.  As with all old buildings our church needs to have an ongoing programme of tender loving care. Our roof has been repaired recently and a thorough clean of the external frontage of the church is scheduled to take place soon.