St. James Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon

Life In and Around St. James

St. James is a church community comprised of diverse members who worship and gather regularly in our historic buildings in downtown Portland, OR. But life isn’t just happening around St. James. In the past 100 years our humble corner of downtown Portland has seen much change,...
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Being Lutheran

Lutherans in the United States had their organizational origins predominantly in the national churches of Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Many congregations retained in liturgy and fellowship the languages and social patterns of their ethnic background well into the twentieth...
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Architectural History

To see photos of the many architectural details of St. James, click here. Australian-born Portland architect Phillip Chappell Browne designed the first permanent chapel, sanctuary, and parsonage for St. James Lutheran Church on the present site in 1891. Browne specialized in...
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Neighborhood

St. James is located in Portland’s Cultural District facing the South Park Blocks, an area of rich architectural heritage and the city’s cultural heart. St. James has been an integral part of this community for over 100 years. This area of downtown Portland is filled with...
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Worship and Music

Worship is the central gathering point for life and work at St. James. As we gather we recall the classic elements of Christian gathering since the earliest times of the Church: ● Confession and Absolution ● Praise ● Reading of Sacred Texts from Hebrew and Christian...
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Groups and Ministries

St. James has a number of opportunities to get involved both inside and outside our building’s walls. There are several groups that meet regularly, such as Book Club and Visual Artists. We are also committed to serving those in need by providing many ministries to the...
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Open Space (Adult)

Sundays Year-Round, 11:00am-12:00pm Open Space takes place most Sunday mornings in the Pioneer Chapel of St. James Lutheran Church. All are invited to attend and listen, participate, learn, grow, and share as we develop a stronger sense of our individual faith and also who we...
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Special Occasions

As people of faith our lives are full of opportunities for celebration! From small intimate gatherings with a few close friends to large festive holidays that our community commemorates with the wider church, St. James is a wonderful place to participate in or plan a special...
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Feast of St. James

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"We share God's inclusive and eternal love with everyone!"

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Welcome

Welcome to the website for St. James Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. St. James has served downtown Portland, the city and the larger region for more than 120 years. In the central city, St. James welcomes all and celebrates God’s grace and inclusive love with the gifts of Word, music, classic Lutheran liturgy, hospitality and service. As a Reconciling in Christ congregation, St. James welcomes people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender identities.

Worship Services

Sunday Morning Worship with Holy Communion

Every Sunday, 9:30am

Holy Communion in the Main Sanctuary with refreshments served in the Pioneer Chapel immediately following. Childcare provided 9:15am-12:15pm

Midweek Eucharist

Every Wednesday, 12:00 Noon

We gather each Wednesday at Noon in the Pioneer Chapel for a half-hour Service of the Eucharist. Afterwards, please join Pastor David for Wednesday Bible Study at 12:30pm … Feb. 13th – May 22nd: McLaren’s book “We Make The Road By Walking” …

Jazz Vespers

Sunday, Apr. 21st, 5:00pm will feature Devin Phillips on tenor saxophone.

Arrive at 4:50 for pre-Vespers music when Devin will be joined by our St. James house band: Mike Horsfall, piano; Laurent Nickel, bass; Brent Follis, drums; and Valarie Brown, cantor. Vespers service starts at 5:00pm. Freewill offering welcome. Reception for St. James Artist-of-the-Month follows the service, in the Pioneer Chapel. Come with friends!

Weather and Worship

St. James does not cancel worship services due to inclement weather. If the streets look too bad, please don’t risk it. But if you come, we’ll be here with the doors open.

Lenten Events at St. James 2019

— Tuesday, March 5th, 5:30PM, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner — Wednesday, March 6th, Noon and 7:00PM, Ash Wednesday Worship — This year St. James is again offering Wednesday evening Soup Suppers and Devotional Services. Soup will be served at 6:00pm, the service begins at 7:00pm. This is always a a good time for conversation and […]