St. James the Apostle Episcopal Church celebrates renovations

The congregation of St. James the Apostle Episocopal Church in Conroe had much to be thankful for as churchgoers celebrated the completion of its Foundation for the Future construction project.

Among the improvements and new additions to the church grounds include an entrance, entrance sign, a new parking lot and a new plaza. The dedication of the improvements marks the completion of nearly nine months of hard work utilizing over $1.5 million in donations from the churchs congregation, Rev. Jerald Hyche said.

The initiative not only addresses issues with visibility along Texas 105 and parking, but also helps lay the groundwork for the construction of a new facility along with drainage and utility improvements potentially in the next three to five years, Hyche said. He called it a major milestone for the parish as it moves forward.

We have a full master plan that calls for a new church, but for now this really lays down the foundation for future growth, Hyche said. Hence why we called this our Foundation for the Future.

The church itself originally began in the 1930s in downtown Conroe with only 20 charter members, steadily growing into a parish in the 1950s, Hyche said. In 1993, the church moved to its current home at 1803 Highland Hollow Drive, and has grown from about 100 families to about 300 families strong.

The thing about a church is you really have to continue looking at ways to grow and improve anything in life, or youre only going backwards, Hyche said.

Even simple touches, like a more welcoming entryway and a new logo, are designed to entice more people to join St. James the Apostle and encourage growth among the congregation, Hyche said.

The visibility on the highway was certainly critical so people could see we were here, Hyche said. Many of us felt that the church was kind of hidden behind the tree line and we want to give people every opportunity that this is a sanctuary and a place for hope and feelings.

During his sermon, Hyche joked with those in attendance about referring to the time before work started as B.C. or Before Construction, but also reminded his congregation of the importance of the dedication.

We dedicate not just this property, but we also continue to dedicate ourselves to the word of God, Hyche said.

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St. James the Apostle Episcopal Church celebrates renovations