St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church UAC of Chicago, IL, is a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)

All organizations need a system of governance to preserve order, define and cast a vision, and provide accountability between the staff and stakeholders. In the LCMS we practice congregational polity, which means that each congregation is self-governed.

Our first responsibility is always to Christ. It is His church. At the same time, we believe that Christ empowers a local church to exist through the gathering of the priesthood of believers, what we recognize as the local congregation, the members of which form our Voters Assembly. The St. James Council is elected by and accountable to the Voters’ Assembly and has the accountability for establishing policy for and overseeing the management and operations of the church and school. The Council is comprised of the officers of the congregation, the chairs of the boards, and the Senior Pastor as a non-voting member. The Council operates under the St. James Constitution and By-Laws that were approved by our Voters Assembly and the Northern Illinois District.