St James Lutheran School

What St James Lutheran School does

St. James Lutheran School is a Christ-centered preschool through 8th grade school operated as a wholly-owned ministry of St. James Lutheran Church in Quincy, Illinois. Founded in 1851 and affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's Central Illinois District, the school delivers a Word-based, grace-filled Lutheran education that develops students across spiritual, academic, emotional, social, and physical dimensions. The church runs a complementary set of programs including Divine Services (Sundays 8:00am and 10:30am), Sunday School, youth ministry, adult Bible studies, Vacation Bible School, and a weekly radio broadcast on 930 AM WTAD.

The organization is a religious nonprofit (legal name: St. James Lutheran Church) with 7 employees, headquartered at 900 S 17th St., Quincy, IL 62301. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and operations are funded through voluntary donations, tuition, and periodic fund drives including the WCIL Gives campaign and an Alumni and Friends Fund Drive. Distribution is primarily on-site at the single Quincy facility, supplemented by radio, YouTube, and Facebook video for remote engagement. The organization maintains an eight-church partner network across western Illinois and is currently preparing for its 175th anniversary in 2026 alongside a sanctuary renovation.

Strategically, the school is in a leadership transition period following Rev. Matt Riley's installation in June 2023, Pastor Rempfer's retirement in June 2024, and the recent hires of a Business Administrator (September 2024) and Church Secretary (November 2025). The combination of long-tenured congregational roots, a regional LCMS partnership network, and recent back-office professionalization points to a stabilization posture rather than expansion. There is no evidence of technology platforms, external funding, or multi-site operations.

Name

St James Lutheran School

Legal name

St. James Lutheran Church

Website

https://stjamesquincy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1851

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

St. James Lutheran School is a Christ-centered preschool through 8th grade school operated by St. James Lutheran Church in Quincy, Illinois, affiliated with the LCMS Central Illinois District. It serves Adams County families through traditional Lutheran education funded by tuition and donations, with a seven-employee staff and a regional partner-church network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Christian Education (K-8 Lutheran)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF)

Keywords

• Christian elementary education
• Lutheran school programs
• Preschool through eighth grade
• Religious primary schooling
• Church-affiliated education

Headquarters

HQ city

Quincy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

St. James Lutheran School provides Christ-centered, Word-based Lutheran Christian education for students from preschool through 8th grade at its Quincy, Illinois campus. As a ministry of St. James Lutheran Church, the school integrates daily religious instruction with core academic subjects to develop children spiritually, academically, emotionally, socially, and physically. The affiliated church offers worship services, Sunday School, youth ministry, adult Bible studies, and Vacation Bible School, supported by donations and a fund drive.

Product overview

St. James Lutheran School is a Christ-centered elementary and middle school operated by St. James Lutheran Church in Quincy, Illinois. Established in 1851, the school provides traditional Christian education for students in preschool through 8th grade. The school offers a Word-based, Christ-centered educational program that develops students spiritually, academically, emotionally, socially, and physically. Related church offerings include worship services (Divine Service on Sundays at 8:00am and 10:30am), Sunday School for children ages 3 through 5th grade, youth ministry programs (Jr. High and Sr. High), adult Bible studies, Vacation Bible School, and various ministry programs. The school participates in WCIL Gives fundraising campaigns and accepts donations through the church's online giving platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• St. James Lutheran School (Preschool-8th Grade Education) Word-based, Christ-centered, grace-filled Lutheran Christian education for children from preschool through 8th grade. The curriculum integrates daily religious instruction with core academic subjects to develop students spiritually, academically, emotionally, socially, and physically. Targeted at families in Adams County, Illinois seeking a traditional Lutheran school education.
• Sunday Worship Services (Divine Service) Weekly Lutheran Divine Service in the LCMS tradition, held Sundays at 8:00am and 10:30am at 900 S 17th St., Quincy, IL. Also broadcast on 930 AM WTAD at 9:30am and streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Open to congregation members, families, and visitors.
• Sunday School
• Vacation Bible School (VBS)
• Youth Ministry (Jr. High and Sr. High)
• Adult Ministries and Bible Studies

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Our Redeemer Lutheran ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner LCMS church in Quincy, IL under Rev. Martin Eden. Collaborates in youth events, pastoral meetings, joint worship services, and community outreach throughout western Illinois.
• The Lutheran Church of St. JohnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner LCMS church in Quincy, IL under Rev. Steve Hayden. Hosts joint youth group events and rotates monthly Men's Club meetings. Coordinates Wednesday youth programming for Jr. High students.
• Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Golden, IL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner LCMS church in Golden, Illinois currently under vacancy with Pastor Matt Riley serving as interim. Collaborates in regional church activities.
• Immanuel Lutheran Church and University Center (Macomb, IL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner LCMS church in Macomb, Illinois under Rev. Chris Hull. Collaborates in youth events and pastoral meetings across the western Illinois region.
• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Clayton, IL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner LCMS church in Clayton, Illinois under Rev. Kirk Cunningham. Part of the western Illinois LCMS church network.
• Concordia Lutheran Church and St. Paul Lutheran Church (Warsaw/Bowen, IL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner LCMS churches in Warsaw and Bowen, Illinois under Rev. Marcus Jauss. Collaborate in joint worship services and preaching rotations.
• St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Pittsfield, IL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner LCMS church in Pittsfield, Illinois currently under vacancy with Rev. Abjar Bahkou. Part of the western Illinois LCMS church network.
• Central Illinois District (LCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe district office of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod that provides pastoral support, resources, and coordination for member congregations. CID President Rev. Mark Eddy participates in 175th anniversary celebrations. District supports radio ministry and outreach programs.
• WCIL Gives (West Central Illinois Gives)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional giving drive platform (MightyCause) for non-profits in West Central Illinois. Annual week-long event (June 8-11, 2026) encourages monetary donations to support the school's mission of educating children through traditional Christian education. Goal: $20,000 for staffing and instructional materials.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Christian Schools International: Membership and accreditation network for Protestant and Reformed K-12 schools, providing curriculum resources, teacher training, and accreditation services that LCMS-affiliated schools like St. James participate in. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) School Ministry: National LCMS department that provides curriculum standards, accreditation, teacher certification, and operational resources to its member K-8 schools. The institutional backbone supporting St. James and its peer LCMS schools.
• Concordia University System: Network of LCMS-affiliated higher education institutions under the same Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod umbrella. Represents the educational pipeline and theological training infrastructure that supports Lutheran K-12 schools like St. James.

Direct peers

• Trinity Lutheran School (Edwardsville, IL): An LCMS-affiliated K-8 Lutheran school in Illinois offering the same Christ-centered, Word-based curriculum model and serving a similar LCMS family demographic. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and tuition-funded private school economics.
• Zion Lutheran School (various LCMS Midwest campuses): LCMS-affiliated K-8 Lutheran schools across the Midwest offering traditional Christ-centered education within a congregational ministry model, directly comparable to St. James in pedagogy, mission, and family demographic.
• Concordia Lutheran Schools: Network of LCMS-affiliated K-8 Lutheran schools operating under the same Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod governance and educational philosophy. Comparable in faith-based curriculum, congregational affiliation model, and target family segment.

Broad incumbents

• Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Catholic Schools: Operates Catholic K-8 schools across central and western Illinois, including Quincy, directly competing for faith-based K-8 families in the same Adams County market. Larger institutional footprint and tuition-funded model make it the dominant incumbent alternative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4h2zL3yWyizrVMXfL1gLhw
• Facebookfacebook.com/stjamesquincy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-james-lutheran-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about St James Lutheran School