Our Story

The original history of Myrtle Avenue was compiled from notes of Eliza Calvert, who was a member from 1912 until she died in 1977.  Myrtle Avenue Church began as a Methodist Episcopal Mission in July of 1907. Organized by the Rev. M.C. Caviness, with 15 members, services were held in the back of a store on 2nd Street from 1907 until 1912.  Pews were boards supported on crates and boxes.  Mrs. Calvert remembered attending Sunday School with her mother at the storefront. 

In 1909, the conference sent the Rev. A. D. Jacques. During his pastorate, four important events took place: the mission moved from the storefront to a rented space on the second floor of the newly constructed Masonic Hall on South Virginia Street; two lots were purchased at 2023 Myrtle Avenue; the first Board of Trustees was elected, which included one woman and the late Dr. L. A. Nixon; and the new church was completed and moved into (1914). The Rev. Jacques served from 1909 to 1915.

For a small church, times were difficult, but through faith and hard work, the church mortgage was burned in 1940.  In the early 1940’s, under the leadership of the Rev. A.D. Holden a lot was purchased on East Missouri Avenue to build a parsonage.  A parsonage was greatly needed as our pastors and their families had been living in rented apartments and the church's undercroft.  The parsonage was built during the administration of Rev. D.H. Hansborough, our beloved pastor for nine years.  The church building was remodeled and refurbished during this time. 

Mrs. Drusilla Nixon had long dreamed of our church having an organ. She and Mrs. Annie Huling headed a committee and committed themselves to realizing that dream, and the last payment on the organ was made in December 1959 during the pastorate of the Rev. I. C. Loud. 

Myrtle Avenue was a member of the Central Jurisdiction until; its dissolution.  The Central Jurisdiction was created to separate and segregate the church in 1939.  With the desegregation in the United Methodist Church, Myrtle Avenue became one of two black churches that became part of the New Mexico Annual Conference in 1970.  The desegregation plan dissolved the Central Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church. 

St. James was organized by the late Rev. Raymond Gray on November 25, 1956, with 32 members.  Church services were held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Neal Hufford for some time. A church building was constructed at 1128 Lomaland Drive on land donated by Mr. Dan Tooney, husband of Mrs. Ann Tooney, who was one of the original members.  Services began in the new building during the summer of 1957.  

By 1959, St. James" membership had increased to 259. In 1963, its membership peaked at 415; however, with the establishment and growth of El Paso Methodist churches, coupled with the changing ethnic character and denominational preferences of the Loma Terrace neighborhood. St. James experienced another type of deterioration, a decline in membership, and faced an uncertain future.  

Under the director of Dr. Buren Stewart (District Superintendent), Myrtle Avenue and St. James adopted resolutions in their respective Charge and Church Conferences, approving the merge of the two congregations.  Both Myrtle Avenue and St. James were facing difficulties due to changing neighborhoods.  In the 1960s, the Texas Highway Department began the construction of Interstate 10, which greatly affected the area where Myrtle Avenue was located.  Many black-owned businesses were where the original Myrtle Avenue was originally located from the church down to the Evergreen Cemetery. Many African American families relocated to other parts of El Paso once the freeway construction began. 

Rev. Meredith C. Stone led the congregation of St. James-Myrtle after the merger. Over the years, the church has been involved in developing community activities. One of our members, Mary Finley, proposed that the church participate in a Food Bank Program. The church ran a successful program for many years, feeding anywhere from 75 to 100 people weekly. The church renamed the Food Bank after Mary Finley and Bishop Max Whitfield dedicated the food bank.   Members of St. James-Myrtle over the years remained active in the community.  Today, we are a multi-cultural church with our African American roots.  

Minister  Year of Service Church 
M. C. Caviness Organizer Myrtle Avenue 
T. W. Brown  1907-09 Myrtle Avenue 
A. D. Jacques 1909-15 Myrtle Avenue 
H. H. Qualles  1915-16 Myrtle Avenue 
V.A. Cooke  1916-18 Myrtle Avenue 
W. A. Anderson 1918-19 Myrtle Avenue 
F.W> Browne 1919-21 Myrtle Avenue 
Wm White  1921022 Myrtle Avenue 
L L. Haynes 1922-23 Myrtle Avenue 
F. J. Hutchison 1923-27 Myrtle Avenue 
J.H. R Dudley 1927-31 Myrtle Avenue 
J. N. Hooey  1931-35 Myrtle Avenue 
A.G. Russell  1935-37 Myrtle Avenue 
I. H. Pierce  1937-30 Myrtle Avenue 
W. A. Robinson 1939-40 Myrtle Avenue 
A. D. Holdern 1940-43 Myrtle Avenue 
J. G. Owens  1943 (Interim for 6 months) Myrtle Avenue 
D. H. Hansborough  1943-52 Myrtle Avenue 
R. L. Palmer 1952-55 Myrtle Avenue 
M. T. Reed 1955-1958 Myrtle Avenue 
I. C. Loud 1958-62 Myrtle Avenue 
E. J. Spencer  1962-63 Myrtle Avenue
A. S. Pitts 1963-69 Myrtle Avenue 
Ralph Nathan  1968-69 Myrtle Avenue 
M. C .Stone 1969-72 Myrtle Avenue
Rev. Raymond Gray  1956-* St. James 
M.C. Stone 1972-74 St. James -Myrtle 
Nathaniel Johnson 1974-75 St. James - Myrtle 
Joe Carter 1975-76 St. James -Myrtle 
Dr. Bert Affleck 1976-1982 St. James - Myrtle 
Harry Kahl 1982-1987 St. James-Myrtle
Charles Pratt 1987-1988 St. James-Myrtle 
Antonio Jones 1988-1990 St. James-Myrtle 
Dean Simmons 1990-2000 St. James-Myrtle
John Foster 2000-2005 St. James-Myrtle 
Janet Whitmore  2006-2009 St. James-Myrtle 
Patrick Easley 2009-2010 St. James-Myrtle
Dr. Heike Miller 2010-2012 St. James - Myrtle 
Mark Oliver (Lay Pastor)  2012-2014 St. James-Myrtle
Frances Gonzalez 2014-2015 St. James-Myrtle
Dr. Robert Hemphill 2015-December 2022  St. James- Myrtle 
Kathy Jewell/Amber Armendariz (Lay Pastors) Jan. 2023- 2023 St. James-Myrtle 
Amber Armendariz (Lay Pastor)  2023- to the present  St. James-Myrtle 
  • We do not know the end date for Rev. Gray
   

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