St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church
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Brief History
The St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church is one of the founding churches in the Namibia Annual Conference. Its founder, the Rev. Jakobus Jod, was amongst the founding fathers who broke away from the German Rhynish Missionary Society on July 3rd, 1946 and joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was succeeded in December 1956 by the Rev. Willem Moses Jod, who not only built a modern edifice (sanctuary) for worship that was dedicated by Bishop Frederick C. James in 1974, but also translated and published the first AME Nama Word Hymnal in 1991 under the leadership of Bishop Robert Thomas, Jr. The Rev. Hendrik Schmidt, who was admitted in 1974 and ordained Itinerant Deacon in 1976 from this church, has been assigned in September 1996 to this historic Church in the Gibeon Presiding Elder District. The AME Church in Namibia acknowledges and celebrates three Founders Days. First, the establishment of the AME Church in 1787 by Bishop Richard Allen. Secondly, the introduction of the AME Church in Southern Africa in 1816 by Bishop Henry M. Turner. Thirdly, the break-away from the German Rhynish Missionary Society on July 3rd, 1946 in Namibia to join the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Community Involvement
The St. James AME Church has been at the centre of activities in the local community. The rank-and-file of leadership and members were involved in the Namibian liberation struggle, and the church has been at the fore-front in the ecumenical community under the umbrella of the Council of Churches in Namibia. As such, it was one of the important secondary refugee Reception Centres for the Repatration Program of the UNHCR in 1989/90. Currently it has a Daycare Centre at the backbone of its diaconical programs.
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