St. James Lutheran Church

World War II brought new Lutherans to Texas as war workers and military people moved south. Between 1940 and 1950 Lutheran membership grew faster than the state's population, and the churches that later formed the American Lutheran Church's Texas District rose from 48,017 baptized members to 64,237. In 1960 the American Lutheran Church merged with two other bodies, and by 1969 Lutherans were the state's fourth-largest Christian church. In 1988 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was formed from the AELC, ALC and LCA, and by 1990 its Texas congregations counted 155,276 members in 401 churches.

What the plaque says

St. James Lutheran Church In 1908, the first Lutheran missionary to the area, Rev. C. Stadler, came to Harper. In April 1910, he confirmed the first class of Lutheran young people. When there was no missionary assigned to the area, Lutheran pastors from neighboring congregations came to serve. The worship services were held at the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian church buildings or homes and the Harper Hotel when none of these were available. The first Lutheran congregation officially organized on Mar. 9, 1913, led by Rev. B. Schliefer. Mrs. Sophie Klein donated half of her lot on Main Street, at the corner of what is now 4th Street, for the building of a church. The name St. James was decided on at a meeting on Jan. 11, 1914. The church was built in the shape of a cross and its steeple was in the form of traditional German churches. At the time, it was Harper's largest church building. The dedication service was on Jul. 26, 1914. Until 1918, the German language was used exclusively in the church. Over time, additional land has been purchased, annexes built, and remodeling done. In 1943, the constitution was revised and the church became affiliated with the American Lutheran Church. The congregation later adopted a new constitution, which eventually became a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The church has been a leading part of the community. It has organized a Women's Society, Young People's Group, Vacation Bible School and Sunday School. It has also hosted a revival-type event called Brush Arbor Days and raised funds for the community help center. The church has hosted many celebrations from baptisms, confirmations, weddings and burials, to the ordination of pastors, holding of reunions and school functions. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Schreiner Mansion — 19 mi
  The 1879 downtown home of Charles Schreiner, the Alsatian-born merchant, banker and rancher whose store and mohair trade built Kerrville.
• Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve — 19 mi
  A limestone cave on the James River where about four million Mexican free-tailed bats raise their young each summer, kept open to visitors by a family's gift.
• Vereins Kirche and Main Street — 23 mi
  The octagonal Society Church on Fredericksburg's market square, rebuilt in stone in the 1930s, beside a main street laid out like a Rhine village.
• National Museum of the Pacific War — 23 mi
  A museum of the war in the Pacific in Chester Nimitz's hometown, dedicated at his request to the two million who served with him, with a garden given by Japan.

More markers nearby

• St. Anthony Catholic Parish — steps away
• Site of the McDonald Massacre — 0.5 mi
• Harper Independent School District — 0.8 mi
• First Baptist Church of Harper — 0.9 mi