St. James UMC, Danville District

Pastor Liz Lazenby, front row, far left, with some of the Ferrum College students who actively participate in the life of the church.

St. James United Methodist Church is a small church, but not nearly as small as it used to be.

Located in a rural area near the college town of Ferrum, St. James has doubled worship attendance and added 17 new members in the past three years. How? By reaching out to Ferrum College students, by having an effective outreach ministry in the community in the form of a clothes closet and food bank, by supporting missionaries in Virginia and Brazil (on a very limited church budget), and by starting Sunday school classes for children and adults for the first time in more than 20 years.

For many years the church met at the historic 1896 church during the summer and on the Ferrum campus during the school year. When the decision was made to meet year-round at St. James Church, renovations had to be made to the building, plus a concerted effort was made to stay connected to the school with which the church has had a long history. An "adopt-a-student" program has drawn in a number from Ferrum, who regularly help lead worship.

St. James has also applied for a grant from Ferrum to start adult literacy and English as a second langage classes.

St. James UMC, Ferrum.

Pastor Liz Lazenby, who took leave from her insurance agency to answer the call to ministry, says she’s having the time of her life. "This congregation wants to be vibrant in the community and be Christ to all the world. Rather than allow mediocrity and complacency, you have to take an about-face. We started with a vision, set goals, and began working toward the vision."