About Us

About St James’ Church

St James is a classically Anglican church within the Diocese of Sydney. We value our vital links with the broader Anglican
Communion across Australia and around the world.

Consecrated in 1824, as part of the major construction programme initiated by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, St James’ Church is now the oldest existing church building in the City of Sydney. It has been the venue for many historic events including the enthronement of the first, and only, Bishop of Australia, William Grant Broughton (for whom the church became his cathedral). Through history, St James has been a place of ministry to a diversity of people ranging from the Governor, military personnel and convicts at its beginnings to the great array of people who work and live in the city today and those who come from the wider metropolitan area for Sunday worship.

The building itself exercises its own ministry as a place of peace and refuge. It is open each day for prayer and reflection and is a venue for regular cultural events, especially through the church’s music programme. The church is also a place of education, hospitality and gathering for people from across Sydney and further afield.

Today, the Parish has a vital ministry to those who live and work in its environs, especially the law courts, Parliament and several government departments, Sydney Hospital, and many corporate offices and shops. Its ministry has extended to people in greater Sydney, and more recently to a range of online communities across Australia and the wider world. The St James Parish seeks to reach out to the people of Sydney through its mission to the City; including its worship, welfare support to the homeless and needy, pastoral care, spirituality and educational programmes. It is an open and inclusive Christian community of faith that exists to live out and share the good news of Christ through its daily life.