St. James' Episcopal Church Elmhurst - Elmhurst, New York

St. James is one of New York City's most historic churches. The parish was originally established as a part of the Church of England in 1704 and officially chartered in 1761 by King George III. It was the first church in Elmhurst, then called Newtown.

Its landscaped campus includes a modern church and cloister, dedicated in 1977; a parish house built in 1941, a cemetery, and the second church building, constructed in 1734, used as a community meeting space.

One of St. James' earliest rectors, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Seabury Jr., was consecrated in 1784 at Aberdeen, Scotland, by bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church to be the first bishop of the Episcopal Church. In 1789, the second meeting of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States confirmed his position and he became presiding bishop.

Elmhust has evolved into one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in New York City. According to the last census, there were persons from 112 nations in residence. Approximately 20% of Elmhurst residents are Chinese Americans, with large percentages also from Colombia, Korea, India, the Philippines, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Mexico. Accordingly, in the twenty-first century St. James lives its 300-year old mission to Elmhurst by serving and connecting to the wonderfully diverse community around it.