St. James Lutheran, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has been a part of Johnston for 60 years, organizing on December 27, 1959.
The church has been located at the corner of 57th and Merle Hay Road for that entire time, with building programs completed in 1962, 1983, 1993, and 2018.
St. James Lutheran is led by Pastor Bill Bernau, with services at 5 pm on Saturday and 9 am on Sunday.
In addition to its worship services, St. James has been an active in the Johnston community, hosting Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for 40 years; hosting Boy Scout troop meetings; being an active supporter of the Johnston Partnership; hosting Johnston school activities & events; hosting meetings for local Johnston businesses; and St. James was part of a community church progressive dinner honoring the 25th anniversary of Johnston’s incorporation in 1994.
St. James is also involved in the annual Johnston Thanksgiving Worship service with other congregations of the community.
As Johnston is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, St. James Lutheran will be celebrating 60 years. The congregation has flourished in the community and looks forward to continuing its relationship with the city of Johnston and its citizens for many years to come.