Hitting the High Notes at Historic St. James AME Church: Jazz, Restoration, and Community Engagement
By Rev. Jonathan C. Augustine, 8th Episcopal District
Historic St. James AME Church, in downtown New Orleans, celebrates a proud and storied history. Founded in 1844, the church was established at the birthplace of African Methodism in the Deep South and has been a leading force in the ongoing fight for social justice and racial equality. Some of its most famous members have included Jordan Bankston Noble, General Andrew Jackson’s drummer in the Battle of New Orleans, as well as P.B.S. Pinchback and Oscar J. Dunn, Louisiana’s only African American governor and lieutenant governor, respectively. More recent members have also included Ellis Marsalis, father of America’s “First Family of Jazz,” and nationally acclaimed vocalist Tonya Boyd-Cannon, the daughter of a former pastor, the Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Boyd. Historic St. James is now reclaiming its place of prominence in New Orleans and in the Connectional AME Church.
In August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and its surrounding areas, Historic St. James was uninsured. In addition to a tremendous loss in membership and obvious financial support, the church’s physical restoration has been on a slow, pay-as-you-go basis. In building upon the Rev. Otto W. Duncan’s decade of sacrificial service as the church’s pastor, Historic St. James’ growth and return to prominence under Pastor Augustine has included a steady increase in new members, restoration of the church’s physical structure, and a presence in the community. The church also celebrates the launch of its newest ministry in 2017, The Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr. Community Development Corporation, named for the AME Church’s 129th elected and consecrated bishop, and the official change of the church’s name to “Historic St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church,” with both the Louisiana Secretary of State and Louisiana Annual Conference.
As a part of the ongoing restoration and to reimage the church to non-traditional churchgoers, Historic St. James ended 2017 on a literal high note, hosting Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra for the third time in just over a year. Proceeds from the series of jazz benefit concerts have tremendously helped in restoring the church building, originally constructed in 1848, four years after the church’s establishment. At the December 2017 concert, guests also enjoyed a special guest solo from Tonya Boyd-Cannon, a nationally-acclaimed vocalist.
In September 2017, as part of the church’s 173rd-anniversary celebration, the community welcomed the Rev. Roderick Dwayne Belin, publisher of the AME Church and president of its Sunday School Union, as Historic St. James’ official church anniversary guest speaker. As a talented preacher and gifted vocalist, the Rev. Belin brought a powerful and spirit-filled message to public officials and local newspaper publishers that showed Historic St. James has reemerged as a leader in African Methodism.
In August 2017, as part of Historic St. James’ annual Family & Friends Day, the Rev. J.W. Hilton, Jr., presiding elder of the Central New Orleans-Bogalusa District of the Louisiana Annual Conference, welcomed guests and gave a prayer of dedication for the Ida Kendrick Victern Narthex. After Sister Victern’s transition and celebration of life, the church learned she named it as a benefactor in her Last Will and Testament.
In June 2017, in addition to celebrating Father’s Day with a special worship extravaganza, Historic St. James also hosted its now-annual “Salute to Men of Excellence,” a special open-community worship celebration where the church presented awards to groups of men who make significant contributions in New Orleans. Among those groups, Pastor Jay and First Lady Michelle Augustine proudly saluted the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Inc. and the Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
In March 2017, while still riding the wave of success from becoming the first AME Church in New Orleans to host the city’s official Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Worship Service since the King Holiday was legally recognized, Pastor Augustine served as the interfaith community’s preacher. Historic St. James ended its month-long salute to women with a special Women’s History Month Celebration. The Rt. Rev. Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, the 59th elected and consecrated bishop in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and the only woman to earn said distinction in her denomination, as the keynote speaker. The church recognized the work of all three New Orleans-area chapters of The Links, Inc., as well as the Esther Grand Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star, with awards of achievement.
Under the Rev. Augustine’s leadership, during the early stages of 2018, plans are underway to repeat all the foregoing activities. Additionally, in building a 21st-century ministry as church restoration continues, Historic St. James benefits from its recently created McAllister Community Development Corporation. The church is working to partner with the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Louisiana to renovate an adjacent building, unoccupied since Hurricane Katrina, to serve as the official repository of historic documents and memorabilia belonging to prominent members of the Masonic order who were also members of the church and to have the building serve as a place of commerce to be added to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau list of recommended places to visit. The church is also raising funds to pay for a specially-commissioned iron statue of Jordan Bankston Noble, an original founder of the church in 1844, who was also a long-time leader in the Masonic order, and most notably, Andrew Jackson’s drummer, as a teenager, during the Battle of New Orleans. Pastor Augustine and the church’s trustees are also in conversation about using the McAllister Community Development Corporation to acquire an adjacent building to serve as a daycare facility.
Individuals wishing to donate to Historic St. James’ ongoing restoration are encouraged to either make donations online at www.stjamesameno.com or via U.S. mail to 222 North Roman Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112.
The Rev. Jay Augustine is the 46th pastor of Historic St. James AME Church in downtown New Orleans, the birthplace of African Methodism in the Deep South, and the national chaplain of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is also an adjunct member of the faculty at Southern University Law Center. The Rev. Augustine may be followed on Twitter at @jayaug
