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The roots of St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church in Williamsford are sunk deeply and can be retraced to the years 1858 and 1859 when families moved from Preston, Ontario (originating from West Prussia and Mecklenburg) and located on the fourth concession of the township of Sullivan near what is now known as the Mannerow cemetery. Others settled as far west as the eighth concession of Sullivan.

The names of these families were:      William Kreutzkamp, Joseph Bentine, Ernest Leuben,      John Mannerow,     Henry Mannerow, Joseph Ross,    Christian Pamprin, Jakob Schwartz and Christian Lipskie. Altogether there were 28 persons.

There was no Lutheran Church in the area, but eventually after requesting a Lutheran Pastor, the first church service took place in the home of Ernest Leuben (At the north half of lot 19, concession 4). The pastor who conducted that first church service was Pastor Christian Behrens who rode up on horseback from the Normanby Parish. Services conducted in homes continued for three years.

With the movement of more settlers into the area a congregation was organized in 1865 and a log church was constructed less than a 1/2 mile east of where St. Peter's Lutheran Church , Sullivan now stands.                The congregation eventually constructed St. Peter's stone church in 1881, but because of the road conditions and the means of transportation, the distance to the church proved to be a large obstacle, and in 1885 another church was constructed in the town of Williamsford. The church was named St. James' Evangelical Lutheran Church. The first church book of records for St. James' is titled: Kirchenbuch der Evang. Lutherischen St. Jakobus Gemeinde in Grey County Ontario anfangend dem ersten November A.D. 1885.

Twenty former members of the Sullivan church formed the nucleus of their new church and under the leadership of Rev. J.N. Muenzinger the consecration took place on the 14th. day of October, 1885

The original indenture states that Heinrich Mueller, Christian Lipskie (one of the original settlers of 1858-9 and Frederick Krueger, as trustees of St. James', purchased lots 9 and 10 on the west side of Gordon Street from Mr. William Kough for $50.00.