History of St. James
In 1843, St. James, Hendersonville, was a scion emerging from the summers-only
congregation of St. John's-in-the-Wilderness, Flat Rock, the "little Charleston of the mountains." St. James was carefully nurtured by the Rt. Rev.
Thomas Atkinson, Bishop of North Carolina, who appointed the first rector, Nicholas
Collin Hughes. The first church of St. James Parish was consecrated on September 19, 1863,
with eight communicants.
After the War Between the States, the church was left with no rector and
dwindling numbers. A succession of priests followed until a young Englishman, the Rev.
Reginald Willcox, accepted the call in 1902; he was rector for 15 years. During his
tenure, St. James was readmitted to the convention, a new rectory was built, a beginning was made
on the present chancel (though it stood unfinished and bore the soubriquet "the Ruin" for
several years), and the number of parishioners increased.
The Rev. Arthur W. Farnum became rector in 1922 and led St. James from a
missionary to a self-sustaining parish in the newly-formed Diocese of Western North
Carolina. The Rev. James Burke followed Mr. Farnum in 1928 and continued leading St. James's
growth in facilities and parishioners. His 30 years of service were also
notable for his focus on education and training of leaders and teachers in the church,
especially at Kanuga Conference Center.
For the next 16 years, St. James flourished under the Revs. John Barr, Jack
Bennett and Bernard Hellmann. The School for Little Folks, founded in 1933, moved from
the director's home to the newly completed Parish Hall. In 1963 the nave of the
old church was demolished and the present nave constructed. In 1968, stained glass
windows were installed in the nave, the Thursday Thrift Shop was opened, and the refurbished
sacristy was dedicated. The original eight parishioners had now grown to 454.
In 1974, The Rev. H. Alexander Viola accepted the call as rector and served
until his retirement in June 2002. During his tenure St. James grew to become the
largest parish in the Diocese, reflecting the growth of Hendersonville and Henderson County.
Ministries and programs continued to grow and flourish. The African Medical
Mission began at St. James with two parishioners becoming missionaries to the Transkei,
South Africa. LARCUM, an ecumenical group of seven churches - Lutheran, Episcopal,
Roman Catholic, and United Methodist - was established. The tower and bells
were dedicated in 1978. In 1988, through a generous endowment left by a
parishioner, the St. James Charities Foundation was established at the Henderson County Community
Foundation. Capital improvements included the 1986 expansion of the Parish
Hall, new office space and choir room, clergy and server sacristies and classroom space.
In the 1990s the parish hall and kitchen were renovated, the church was remodeled and
the new Harrison and Harrison organ was installed.
In 2004, The Rev. Joel G. Hafer accepted the call to be rector of St. James Parish.
From a small seed planted in 1843, St. James has become a dynamic parish
serving the needs of the community and of its parishioners. Proud of and grateful for
the leadership and growth of our past, we look forward to accomplishing much more, living
out our Baptismal Covenant to love God and love our neighbor.
© 2004
