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 |
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