Stuart D. Smith, Pastor

Stu has served as the stated supply pastor of St. James since August of 2001.  He has worked in the Presbytery of Chicago since graduating from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1988.  From 1989 to 1996 he was an outreach minister at The Night Ministry working with persons underserved by traditional churches and secular social service agencies.  He served primarily in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.  In 1995 he founded Cafe Pride a coffee house/drop-in center for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and questioning youth.  Cafe Pride is now an outreach ministry of Lake View Presbyterian Church.

He received his Doctor of Ministry Degree from McCormick in 2001 with a concentration in Religious Education.  His doctoral thesis was Out of the Church Basement and into Cyberspace: Internet-Based Religious Education for Youth.  He received the 2001 John Randall Hunt prize for outstanding Doctor of Ministry thesis.

Since St. James is a small congregation, Stu serves as a "tentmaker" minister (Acts 18:1-6) with other employment supporting his ministry in our congregation.  His employment over the years has included book editor at the National Council of Teachers of English, Director of Public Relations and Communication at McCormick,  and computer science teacher in a local elementary school.  He also builds websites specializing in sites for not-for-profit organizations.

Stu's personal website is here.

Philip Seward, Music Director

Philip Seward lists among his operatic and musical works, Sincerely Yours (premiered 2003), Juan Peron’s Hand (2002) at the Northtown Arts Center; Les Dames á trois...et piano, developed with singers Natalie Arduino, Amy Becker and Patrice Boyd (2000) at Theatre Building Chicago; High Fidelity (1998) Chicago Humanities Festival and (1999) Merkin Hall in New York; Spreading The News (1998) at North Park University; Hans Brinker (1994) at Theatre Building Chicago which was also a recipient of several Jeff Citations and an After Dark Award.

Instrumental works include incidental music for the North American premiere of Mileva Einstein (2002) at Oakton College; and Dance Suite from the Prince & the Pauper (2002) by C5.

Commissions include the youth operas Stone Soup (2001) and A Noteworthy Tale (2002) commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago; Blessing (2003) for the Lira Chamber Chorus to celebrate the 25th Papal anniversary; Psalm 8 (1997) commissioned by the Lyric Opera Chapters Executive Board as a musical memorial for former Artistic Director, Ardis Krainik. He is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Columbia College of Chicago.

Philip is a co-conductor of the Lira Ensemble of Chicago and has served both as a free-lance conductor and performer for many ensembles, musical shows and operas.

As a singer, some favorite performances include roles in Die Fledermaus, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, South Pacific, The King and I, Cinderella, The Beggar’s Opera, A Chorus of Disapproval, The American Clock, and Frank McCourt’s The Irish...and how they got that way.

As a pianist and singer, Philip has performed in the United States and in Europe in particular performing his own compositions and the works of other American composers.

Philip's personal website is here.