History of St. James UCC

In the early 1800's, some Germans turned their eyes towards America, away from the anxiety and distress of Napoleonic Europe. Many came to New Orleans, up the Mississippi to St. Louis, then along the Missouri River, settling along its fertile banks. The Missouri River area reminded many of their homes along the Rhineland. They brought with them the Evangelical faith.

Around the middle of the century, a small group of evangelicals living in Morrison were organized as a congregation. Rev. Herman Pfundt helped to organize the St. Jacobi Deutsche Evangelische Gemeinde in April, 1880. This was the beginning of St. James United Church of Christ in Morrison as we know it today.

The meeting place of worship at the beginning isn't known, but the new congregation began work on building a house of worship a frame building which was erected in the year 1881, on a site donated to the church by one of its charter members, Julius Meyer. History of the church was quiet until 1903, when a flood did great damage to the church. This prompted the congregation to raise the church building to a height believed to be above flood level in 1908.

In 1958, St. James voted to become a two-part charge with Zion-St. Peters of Pershing, sharing a minister. In 1963, reflecting the merging of the Evangelical and Reformed and Congregational Christian denominations, St. James became St. James United Church of Christ.