Despite the post-Christian culture in the Bay Area, St. James Anglican Church in San Jose is seeing a wave of newcomers accept Christ and be baptized. The congregation is currently 25-to-30 percent new people, a first for the eight-year-old church.

“I’m so excited to see the Holy Spirit moving in our midst,” says the Rev. Cindy Stansbury, Rector.

The Rev. Cindy Stansbury

As Anglicans move to San Jose from other parts of the world, they are happy to find an Anglican presence. The church is also attracting people who’ve been away from church for decades as well as newcomers from other religions like Islam. Isolation and segregated communities are the norm in the Silicon Valley, but when people come to St. James, they notice something different—diversity and inclusivity. Parishioners of all ages and ethnicities hail from different walks of life and represent a variety of political views.

“Yet we are very much a family,” Cindy says.

As they welcome new people into the family, Cindy is focusing on tangible outreach opportunities to the community.

“Though most of our congregation is involved with charities and ministries outside of St. James, we want to offer newcomers ways to come in and be the hands and feet of Christ,” Cindy says.

She plans to do that by incorporating community connections every Sunday, inviting a representative from a community organization to host a coffee hour following the service. That will give people an easy way to get involved in everything from feeding the homeless to volunteering at hospitals.

Cindy is also finding tools to take St. James deeper. She is using the ACNA catechism to increase theological unity and establish a common foundation for the congregation. She offers catechism classes for the church as a whole and the young adults group, and meets one-on-one with those who can’t attend classes. Those classes are followed by meaty Bible studies that equip the church to receive the influx of newcomers.

It’s all happening in the midst of a pastoral transition, as founding Rector the Very Rev. Ed McNeill left St. James this summer to pursue a call to church planting in Hawaii. Under Ed’s leadership, St. James was called out of the Episcopal Church in 2009, later helping form the fledgling Diocese of C4SO. Over the next several years, St. James planted several other churches and developed a strong culture of multiplication. They were gifted two buildings, which they love and continue to use.

“We wouldn’t exist as a church without Fr. Ed,” Cindy says. “He has shown incredible persistence and perseverance. He is the one who encouraged me out of my comfort zone as a leader, and encouraging people to be engaged in ministry is a huge part of his legacy at St. James.”

Ed, in turn, is delighted that Cindy is the new Rector of St. James. “Cindy grew up in the Silicon Valley and understands the culture, opportunities and challenges that are part of the Valley,” he says. “She also has a pastor’s heart expressed in an intuitive leadership style that blesses people.”

Today, Cindy and the vestry are working on refreshing their mission and vision, asking how they can keep the all-hands-on-deck feel of a new church while effectively engaging the community around them. Though the diverse church is growing and changing, hospitality is still their defining value.

“I love that St. James has a welcoming, loving feel to it, which is really precious and important,” Cindy says. “We have amazing people here. There is a lot of kindness and persistence in relationship in a difficult place. I can’t wait to see what God will do in and through us.”

The Rev. Cindy Stansbury will be installed as Rector at 10 a.m. on October 1 at St. James in San Jose.

Learn more about St. James Anglican Church.