Saint James AME Church - Columbus, GA

Saint James AME Church - Columbus, GA B. A. Hart, Senior Pastor Saint James AME Church of Columbus, GA was organized in 1863. Gaines of Charleston, SC, became the first pastor of Saint James.

Three quarters of a century had passed since Richard Allen and Absalom Jones led their brothers and sisters of African descent out of Saint George Methodist Episcopal Church in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1787. They established Bethel AME Church on the corner of Sixth and Lombard Streets in that city. In 1864, the Reverend William Gaines, an ordained Deacon and brother of Bishop J. I

n those days, all of the churches in Georgia belonged to the South Carolina Conference. The first conference in Georgia was organized in Macon on May 30, 1867. The property on which Saint James AME Church stands was given to the African Methodist Episcopal Church by an act of the Georgia Legislature in 1873. The present edifice, a cathedral in structure and design, was erected during the pastorate of the Reverend Wesley J. Gaines at a cost of $20,000.00. It was completed in 1876. The front doors, which came from the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, are probably the oldest parts of the church. The heavy, ornately carved front doors were built by slaves at the Dudley Sash and Door Company located at Sixth Avenue and 13th Street. The bell tower was built while the Reverend Larry Thomas was pastor (1886-1887). The most interesting features of the building are the center spire and twin turrets on each side of the tower built in 1886. The twin turrets are stone trimmed and have brick details on the exterior. The interior spiral stairs lead from the narthex to the balcony. A semicircular apse containing an altar and choir loft was added at a later date. The choir loft was formerly in the rear of the church. The current pipe organ was installed during the pastorate of the Reverend Harold I. Bearden (1940-1948) who was later elected the 83rd Bishop of the AME Church. Saint James is the second oldest church of its denomination in Georgia. This congregation has held memberships in five annual conferences: the South Georgia, the Georgia, the North Georgia, the Macon Georgia and the Southwest Georgia. Twenty-three bishops have assigned the fifty-two pastors to Saint James AME Church. The church has served the African American community as a center for educational, professional and civic meetings.

05/30/2026

Living In Christian Community
Matthew 28:18-20: Hebrews 10:22-25
Sunday, May 31, 2026

Please join us in wishing Mr. Bussey a Happy 100th Birthday.
05/30/2026

Please join us in wishing Mr. Bussey a Happy 100th Birthday.

05/26/2026
05/24/2026

St. James AME Worship Service

05/24/2026

Christian Rhythms Of Life
Mark 2:18-28
Sunday, May 24, 2026

Congratulations Zion! Your hard work and dedication have paid off, and we are thrilled to see what the future holds for ...
05/23/2026

Congratulations Zion! Your hard work and dedication have paid off, and we are thrilled to see what the future holds for you. Blessings upon Blessings🙏🏾

‼️‼️Please note the date change‼️‼️
05/21/2026

‼️‼️Please note the date change‼️‼️

Congratulations 🎊
05/21/2026

Congratulations 🎊

Please join us in welcoming our new Head Track Coach, Samyzia Sears!

Coach Sears is a proud Northside High School alumna from the Class of 2019. After graduating from Northside, she continued her academic and athletic career at Western Kentucky University, where she competed in track and field while earning her undergraduate degree. She later obtained her master’s degree from Columbus State University.

Coach Sears has already spent the past three years serving Northside as a teacher and coach in track, cheer, and flag football, and we are excited to see her lead our track program into this next chapter.

Congratulations, Coach Sears!

‼️Today‼️ Please don’t forget to exercise your right to vote. Polls are open until 7pm.
05/19/2026

‼️Today‼️ Please don’t forget to exercise your right to vote. Polls are open until 7pm.

Address

1002 6th Avenue
Columbus, GA
31901

Telephone

+17063228043

Website

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