St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church

What St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church does

St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church is a private, non-profit religious congregation founded on June 1, 1947, in North Branch, Michigan. It is a member congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) and operates from a single physical site at 3169 North Branch Road, a single-level facility with ramp access and a dedicated parsonage, built on a 10-acre parcel west of North Branch that was acquired in 1976 and dedicated in 1987. The church is led by Pastor Brian K. Diring (installed as the eleventh pastor on September 12, 2021) and a Church Council comprising the president, elder/treasurer, property chairman, secretary, and financial secretary; the organization has approximately 32 employees.

The church's core offerings are weekly Christ-centered worship services (Sundays at 10:00 a.m., plus Thursday 7:00 p.m. services during summer) and a coordinated set of religious education programs: Sunday School for children at 9:00 a.m., Adult Bible Class following worship, Wednesday 4:30 p.m. Confirmation Class for youth, a Choir program, an online and physical church library (catalog at stjamesnb.libib.com), downloadable at-home Bible studies, and a Ministry Calendar of events. The stated value proposition emphasizes Scripture alone as the basis for salvation by grace through faith, blended traditional and contemporary worship, and participatory congregational involvement.

St. James operates a non-revenue donation model; there is no pricing structure or commercial offering. Funding comes from voluntary General & Memorial Fund offerings from individual members and families in the North Branch community, with weekly offerings ($3,681) currently exceeding the stated weekly operating budget need ($1,813). Distribution is single-channel in-person at the North Branch site, supplemented by low-cost digital touchpoints (website, Facebook, email). The congregation is independently governed, not a subsidiary of any parent entity, and receives no synodical subsidies (a posture adopted in October 1969).

Name

St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church

Legal name

St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church

Website

https://stjamesnorthbranch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church is a 78-year-old WELS-affiliated Lutheran congregation in North Branch, Michigan, offering weekly worship, religious education, and pastoral ministry to local families and funded entirely by voluntary member offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Worship Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAD

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Christian worship services
• Religious education programs
• Lutheran church ministry
• Bible study materials
• Congregational community services

Headquarters

HQ city

North Branch

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church provides weekly Sunday worship services (10:00 AM) with Thursday summer services, complemented by religious education programs (Sunday School for children at 9:00 AM, Adult Bible Class after worship, and Confirmation Class on Wednesdays at 4:30 PM). The church also offers downloadable at-home Bible study PDFs, a physical and online library, a choir program, and a Ministry Calendar of activities for congregation members and the local North Branch, Michigan community.

Product overview

St. James Lutheran Church offers a unified set of worship and educational services centered on Lutheran Christian faith. The core offering is weekly Sunday worship services (10:00 AM), supplemented by Thursday summer services. Educational programs include at-home Bible studies (downloadable PDFs), Sunday School (children, 9:00 AM Sundays), Adult Bible Class (following Sunday worship), and Confirmation Class (Wednesdays 4:30 PM). The church also maintains a library browseable online via Libib.com, runs a Ministry Calendar for community activities, and offers a Choir program for musical worship participation. All programs support the church's mission to share God's Word and serve the community of faith.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly Christ-centered worship services held Sundays at 10:00 AM, with Gospel-focused messages, hymns, prayers, and participatory elements; Thursday services during summer months. Intended for congregation members and visitors in North Branch, Michigan.
• Sunday School Religious education program for children held at 9:00 AM every Sunday, complementing the worship service.
• Adult Bible Class Adult religious education class held following Sunday worship services, providing deeper study of Scripture for congregation members.
• Confirmation Class Youth religious instruction program held on Wednesdays at 4:30 PM, preparing students for church membership.
• At-Home Bible Studies Downloadable PDF Bible study materials covering faith, identity, family, stewardship, and worship traditions, available for at-home study from the church website.
• Church Library Physical and online library collection browseable in person or at stjamesnb.libib.com, providing religious and educational resources for congregation members.
• Ministry Calendar Calendar of church ministry activities, events, and service opportunities available to congregation members.
• Choir Program Musical worship program utilizing members' vocal talents for congregational worship services.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. James is a member congregation of WELS, which consists of congregations across America and worldwide that share common faith. The Synod operates two preparatory high schools for those considering pastoral or teaching ministry, a worker training college in New Ulm, Minnesota, and a seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin. WELS funds overseas and home missionaries and provides congregations with resources for teaching, preaching, and sharing God's Word.

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS): The larger, historically related confessional Lutheran body in the United States. LCMS congregations share WELS's liturgical style, sacramental theology, and emphasis on grace-alone preaching, making them directly comparable Lutheran churches.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA): The largest mainline Lutheran body in the U.S. While more theologically progressive than WELS, ELCA congregations share the same Lutheran liturgical and sacramental identity and serve similar small-town American communities.
• Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS): The parent confessional Lutheran body of which St. James is a member congregation. WELS operates the seminary and worker training college that supply St. James's pastor and educational resources, making it the most directly comparable institutional peer.

Others

• Lutheran World Federation: A global communion of Lutheran churches. While not a direct operational peer, it represents the broader Lutheran family to which St. James's denominational identity is connected.

Direct peers

• Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC): A smaller confessional Lutheran body that broke from WELS in the 1960s. CLC congregations mirror WELS churches in doctrine, worship style, and congregational scale, making them the closest doctrinal and structural peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sjnbmi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-james-evangelical-lutheran-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church