This book by Francis J. Sypher, Jr., with a foreword by Archbishop Emertus Desmond Mpilo Tutu, gives readers a fascinating view of the leadership and members of St. James’ parish responding to the dramatic changes of the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s a story of the arrival of the elevated train signaling the transformation of a small summer parish into a year-round church serving the wealthy of Fifth Avenue and the working classes of Yorkville. It’s a story of social change from the time of pew rentals, Plaza Hotel fundraisers, and ushers in cutaways to the development of ongoing local mission services for the poor, support for communities in Harlem and the Bronx, and involvement in women’s ordination in the United States and the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa. Sypher’s book offers an excellent view into the evolution of how Episcopalians on the Upper East Side of Manhattan understand their call to a Christian life.
--Suzanne Oliver, co-author of The Faith Club
