St. James Church, Abagana, grew out of a kindergarten school established at Epupe at the boundary between Akpu village and Adagbe village Abagana in 1955 by St. Peter's Church, for the purpose of extending the catchment area within Abagana of St. Peter's Central School as against the competition from other Churches in the town. The pioneer teachers officially posted to the school in 1957 were Mr. Samuel Aduaka and Miss Jessy Ezenwa (later Mrs. Okeke). After the war in 1970, the school was upgraded and became known as Epupe Primary School. In 1978, the Rev. Canon I. C. Okafor, then the Superintendent in charge of St. Peter's Church, gave approval for church services to be held at the school on Sundays for children and for the elderly and/or sick persons who would not be able to make the distance from their homes to St. Peter's Church. Actually, the idea of this started with Late Mrs. Monica Okonkwo and Lady Evelyn Ogbalu. Mrs. Beatrice Okuda later joined them. She was going to the Sunday School with lots of gifts like biscuits and sweets, which she used to attract more children to Sunday School. In 1979, the Superintendent appointed Mrs. Beatrice Okuda, Late Messrs Gabriel Okonkwo and Eugene Nwanonye to organize the services. Gradually, as more and more adults attended, the services began to take the shape of formal adult service. At times, the Superintendent of St. Peter's Church detailed other people to help. Before then, some people like late Mr. Eugene Nwanonye who was then the headmaster, Chief Stephen C. Okonkwo (late), Chief Emma Obeki (late), Chief Emma Okafor, Sir Ernest Ekuno occasionally helped in conducting church service and delivering sermon.
Some of the people detailed to help, among whom were church teachers and others – ordinary volunteers, among them were J. C. Iroegbunam (post master), Late Mr. Moses Aniebo, Mr. Daniel Okoye from Ogidi, Late Mr. F. M. U. Ezeanata, Late Mr. G. C. Okafor-Utosu, Mr. A. N. O. Ezekwueche (Late), Mr. (now Ven.) J. N. C. Nkwoemezie, and Mr. I. K. Akude (Prof). In August 1982, Holy Communion was, for the first time administered in the fledgling Church by Rev. C. Ubaka (late) and it greatly raised the morale of the growing congregation. By 1986, the adult population of the Church had grown to the extent that it became imperative to make formal request for substantive resident church teacher. In 1988, the first substantive Church teacher, Mr. (Now Canon) J. C. Onugha was posted to the Church. It became a fully recognized Church and was as from that same year known as St. James Church, Abagana.
All these years, St. James Church worshipped in one of the Epupe Primary School blocks (Junior section). From 1992, the Parochial Church Committee (PCC) began planning for setting up a befitting Church building. By the end of 1996, the Church found itself ready to start, when they went to Onitsha for the building plan and approval which were given by the then Bishop, His Lordship, Rt. Rev. Maxwell S.C. Anikwenwa. Considerable fund had been raised and appreciable amount of building materials procured. In 1997, work started on the building, the Church building committee set-up was chaired by Chief Dr. Mike Ogbalu (late). In 2003, the family of Late Sir Dr. F. C. Ogbalu donated a piece of land to St. James Church, Abagana. On 30th April, 2005, the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Church was performed by His Grace, Most Revd. Maxwell S. C. Anikwenwa, the then Archbishop, Province of the Niger and Lord Bishop of Awka Diocese and Dean Church of Nigeria. He graciously permitted that the Church could be worshiping in the building while effort to complete it would be intensified.
It is interesting to point out here that the fund and part of the land used in the construction of our new Church building and vicarage was through voluntary donations by individuals, organizations within the Church and from friends of the Church. It will not be out of place to mention a few individuals: Mr. Onochie Okonkwo funded the construction of the German floor, plastering and ceiling of the Church building; the family of A. C. Nwokolo, Chief F. N. C. Okonkwo, Chief Emma Okafor, Sir Ernest Ekuno, Late Mr. E. N. Nwanonye, Sir (Engr) Felix Ogbalu, Mr. S. K. Anisi, Dr. J. O. Ekuno, Elder Emma Anisi (Late), Chief Emma Obeki (Late), Dr. Michael Mbanefo Ogbalu (Late), Mr. Theophilus Menuba, Chief Christopher Ozugha.
The marble altar table, reading desk, lectern, font, pulpit, the pews etc were donations from individuals and organizations within the Church as stated above. Arc Nonso Ogbalu single- handedly tiled the Church, Mr. Obiora Nwanonye wired the Church, Mr. Nathaniel Nwokolo did the first painting and the recent painting was done by Chief F. N. C. Okonkwo with the help of the former Vicar, Ven. Chuks Onugha, the entire windows of the Church now have protectors. Mrs. Mercy Chikendu donated lots of pews and altar chairs & desk. The Bishop’s throne was constructed by Dr. Uche Prosper Okonkwo, Sir Engr Felix Ogbalu tiled the Altar and donated some pews, Engr Dan Arinze donated the Baptismal font.
The women of the Church has done remarkably very well under the able leadership of Mrs. Ngozi Anisi. They contributed greatly in the building of the Church viz the roofing of the Church, Church windows except altar windows, the Church toilets, and also through her successor, Mrs. Mary Okonkwo, a borehole was also constructed with an overhead tank which supplies the Church and Vicarage water.
The construction of the Vicarage was done by the women Home and Abroad General meeting under the leadership of Mrs. Ngozi Anisi. We thank the family of Sir and Lady F. C. Ogbalu for making the land east end of the Vicarage available for the Church use. The Vicarage has been painted and furnished.
The Men's Fellowship of the Church through the leadership of Mr. Theo Menuba took the challenge of fencing the entire Church ompound which they have completed. The two gates were done by the Church through fund raising organized by the then Vicar, Ven. Chuks E. Onugha. They also constructed the pulpit.
On 14th August 2011, St. James Anglican Church, Abagana was dedicated and granted Parish by the then Bishop of Awka Diocese and the Dean Church of Nigeria, His Grace, the Most Revd. Maxwell S. C. Anikwenwa.
September 2020 saw the arrival of Ven. Chamberlain Uchenna Ofonakara who succeeded the former Vicar, Ven. Chuks Onugha. He re-started English Service and rekindled the fire of evangelism with noticeable increase in attendance to Church functions and activities. The Vicar persuaded the diocese which released the sum of three million naira (₦3,000,000.00) for the take off of the new structure to house the first block of the Primary School which had cracks on its wall and water dropping from the old dysfunctional zinc. Within a space of three months, the structure was levelled and roofed. We salute the courage of the Vicar, Ven. C. U. Ofonakara and most especially the ingenuity of members of the Church who contributed One million two hundred thousand Naira (₦1,200,000.00) that helped in roofing the project which will accommodate five classrooms and a head teacher's office. We are still hopeful that more money will be realized to complete the project to allow the pupils who are temporarily housed in the main church return to the school building.
It took another bold step to remove the old structure. We saw team spirit again generated in the Church through the Vicar who called out willing members of the Church to lend their hands in demolishing the structure. Five good times members trooped out in reasonable numbers to remove the old structure which was pulled down by Mr. Kingsley Chika. The debris was used to fill the pot-holes in the compound and level the undulating plain. Flowers and fruit trees have been planted which will beautify the compound in no distant future. People have been donating willingly in the Church. A new set of microphone has been donated and also another single mega system 'Grace sound' was donated just charge and use and has improved evangelism to the zones.
The following are Church teachers and priests that have served in the Church in the capacity and times indicated: