Change Font Size:   A A A

Jan 13, 2015 | Thomas Johnson

St. James the Apostle, Conroe Celebrates 80th Anniversary in Depression-era Style

 

St. James the Apostle, Conroe celebrates its 80th Anniversary. Photo courtesy of Marshall Toppell

Fancy hats, colorful bowties, and a 1930s-era automobile parked on the plaza provided the perfect backdrop as members of St. James the Apostle, Conroe, celebrated the 80th anniversary of the parish’s first worship service, which was on the Feast of the Epiphany 1935.

 

“The 80th might not be the typical anniversary to celebrate, but we’re always looking for an excuse to have a party,” said the Rev. Jerald Hyche, rector. “And, as usual – and despite a cold, rainy Sunday – everybody joined the fun.”

 

On the day of the celebration, Sunday, January 11, women worshipers wore hats to church, just as was the norm in the 1930s, and men were wore bowties. Many took their turn posing with a 1930s Chevrolet coupe provided by parishioner and car collector Jerry Streater. Some brought old family photos, scrapbooks, and other mementoes from the 1930s, all of which parishioners perused during the potluck lunch following worship.

 

The worship service also transported worshipers into the past. Church music included hymns such as Praise to the Lord and the classic Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by C.H. Parry. Select portions of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer also were resurrected and used within the modern liturgical order.

 

St. James the Apostle, Conroe celebrates in style with Depression-era bash.
Photo courtesy of Marshall Toppell

“That was the new prayer book then,” Hyche said, “so it seemed to make sense to say and hear at least some of the same words and phrases those first few members said and heard. We won’t be doing this on a regular basis, but many of us – myself included – were clearly moved to hear that beautiful, old language again.”

 

At St. James’ first service, a congregation of seven people gathered for Holy Communion celebrated by Bishop Quinn at 9 a.m., January 6, 1935, at the Conroe High School auditorium. These seven were among the 20 charter members who had organized the mission church on October 5, 1934, less than a year after Mrs. Fred Pybus placed a classified advertisement in the Conroe Courier with the plea: “I would like to get in touch with any Episcopalians in Montgomery County…” 

 

In 1936, the church’s cornerstone was laid and a church was built just north of downtown Conroe. In 1956, the mission became a parish. In response to Montgomery’s exploding population growth, the church moved in 1993 to its present location on about 18 acres of wooded property on State Highway 105 between downtown and Lake Conroe.

 

“Our celebration,” Hyche said, “was a wonderful, nostalgic, meaningful look back at how far St. James has come as a parish, but also it served as inspiration for us to begin to imagine what God has in store for this church over the next 80 years.”

 

Photo courtesy of Marshall Toppell.