St. James African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church started in Maribel, North Carolina in the late 1800s.  On March 29, 1895, A deed was transferred from D.H. Abbott to the Saint James A.M.E. Zion Church trusties:  Matthew King, John T. Curtis, and John A. James.  The Church was built and Saint James re-established in Vandemere by 1907.  

The hallmark of Saint James was to serve God in education and worship; it was a school for the children during the week in times of segregation, a place of refuge after the storms, and a place of worship come Sunday.

The Church was destroyed by fire in 1953; however, a resilient-minded congregation rebuilt it stronger with concrete blocks.  In 1975, work began to apply brick over the concrete blocks.  Improvements continue over time as funding allows and talented hands help restore and maintain. Over the past 15 years, restoration efforts have become a challenge secondary to weather events. 
 
Saint James has felt the pressures of the times; yet membership stands firm in faith, steadfast and immovable, to continue the A.M.E. mission and ensure that its purpose lives on for generations to come.

Today, the congregation continues to have service on Sundays in their annex, as the church is in need of repair.