The History of 
New Saint Paul AME Church

New Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church of Tampa, Florida is fortified in history of our church and in the life of African Americans in Hillsborough County. Established through the merger of Gregg Temple A.M.E. Church and St. Paul A.M.E. Church in the 2011 conference year, we are aware of the legacy we stand upon and thank the Almighty God that it serves as our foundation for the future. It is the expertise of the old and the new.

Let us let you our able our prosperous history, for it is the very history of the African Methodist Episcopal Church serving God’s people in Tampa, FL.

St. Paul A.M.E. (Abbreviated) was the vision of the late Rev. Thomas Warren Long. Rev. Long is often credited for traveling throughout Florida promoting The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church by organizing churches in Marion, Alachua, Columbus, Duval, Sumpter, Hernando and Hillsborough counties.

On June 10, 1870, the Presiding Elder Rev. Thomas Warren Long organized St. Paul A.M.E. Church of Tampa at the corner of Tampa and Harrison Streets. Records indicate that several persons joined St. Paul, then referred to as the “Brush Harbor Mission” after the area hacked out of palmettos and brush to shelter the churches original members. Some of the first members of the St. Paul family were Isaac Howard and family, Father Benbow and family, John Thomas and family and the Brummick family.

The life of the St. Paul may be divided into three distinct but cohesive units: (1) the Brush Harbor Mission mentioned above, (2) the church was renamed Mount Moriah AME and was located on Marion between Harrison and Fortune streets and (3) St. Paul, to which the name was changed and moved to the location on the corner of Harrison and Marion Streets.

Until 1906, the congregation met in a traditional woof frame building. The
foundation was laid under the administration of the Rev. S. Timothy Tice, in 1906 and completed under the late Rev. S.A. Williams leadership in 1913. The parsonage was built between the Church and the Old Harlem School in 1925. The parsonage was “home” to most, if not all of St. Paul’s first families until 1987.

The members were able to erect such a large and magnificent sanctuary by borrowing capital from the Grand Lodge of Phythias and Central Life Insurance Company of Florida. On more than one occasion, St. Paul’s members guaranteed loans to secure finances for the Church. As a result, the church did incur a substantial debt. The staggering mortgage and other debts did not the members. To the contrary, the debts provided members a unique opportunity to bond together and form various committees to help raise funds to pay off the indebtedness. When Bishop H.Y. Tookes recognized leadership ability in the Rev. S.A. Cousin and assigned him as Pastor of St. Paul, Rev. Cousin immediately stepped in and orchestrated a massive effort to reduce the church’s debts. Under his leadership, members were inspired to raise enough monies to pay off the entire indebtedness during his tenure from 1914 through 1945. Some examples of sincere dedication and demanding work are best exemplified in the efforts of church member Clotille Williams who helped organized the Bond and Indebtedness Club; Steward Board members Lee Thomas, R.C. Doby and C.C. Green who helped the cause by having fish fries and hayrides; Carrie Hall, Katherine Martin, and Inez Boyer baked and sold desserts for ten cents in downtown Tampa. No effort was too small or insignificant to be recognized.

The Church continued to flourish and grow over the years. As St. Paul continued to flourish as the “Spiritual Beacon” for its members, it always had an open-door policy to the community and was the meeting place for many organizations before and after desegregation. Many organizations such as the NAACP, the Elks, the Knights of Phythias often held meetings in the lower unit of the church. It was also common for the schools serving the African American community to hold baccalaureate and graduation ceremonies at St. Paul A.M.E. Church.

As the church continued to grow over the years, new Pastors and members began to make their mark on St. Paul A.M.E. Church. Many members devoted their time and talents to the church. Contributions came in packages: large and small, men and women, young and old, solicited, and unsolicited. Steadfast members such as Arthur Roberts, Herbert Charles, John Evans, Kelley Bolden, Littleton Long, Leroy Nelson and James Hargrett, Sr. donated challenging work, finances, materials, and many other  intangibles to help the church afloat. Ben Griffin made significant advancements in the youth department and agencies of the church. This list is not meant to be exhaustive. Many faithful members of the church have given quietly and consistently without fanfare but have made contributions that should be used as a benchmark in assessing great deeds, well done.

St. Paul A.M.E. Church was designated as a historical landmark in 1993. In the years of service in downtown Tampa, the church never ceased to flourish and change with the times, which is why the motto was The Best is Yet to Come!

Gregg Temple – had its beginning in a small wooden structure, in the same location where New Saint Paul A.M.E. Church stands today. The property was given to Rev. Hampton Douglas in 1949 with two members, Mr. Scott, Ms. Jones and her five children: Fredrick, Claretha, Doris, Willie, and Christine. As the Holy Spirit moved throughout the community, Rev. Douglas ushered the church into the Annual Conference in the year 1950, with Rev. C. C. Brooks, Presiding Elder and Bishop Casey C. Gibbs, Presiding Bishop. Rev. Douglas toiled with the congregation and built it up to twenty-two members.
These soldiers for the Lord began to build Gregg Temple AMEC. This building was started under the leadership of Rev. E. J. Hall and completed by Rev. Amos James. Other Pastors: Rev. C. Nichols, Rev. James H. Simon, Rev. R. A. Christopher, Rev. Rebecca Kearney, Rev. S. C. Lawson, Rev. James Mitchell, Rev. Ester Eva, Rev. Edward Slade, Rev. Ronald Fortune, Rev. Ocelia Wallace, and Rev. Nathaniel Gibson participated in interior construction of the church.

During the 2000 Annual Conference, Bishop John Hurst Adams appointed Rev. Ricky A. Polk as pastor of Gregg Temple. Rev. Polk continued upon the efforts of prior clergy, remodeling the front of the church, tapping in the new sewer system, building a new altar, carpeting the floor, painting the restrooms, and adding the Pastor’s, Stewards, and Trustee offices. Members collaborated diligently with the Pastor to bring these renovations to completion.

Bishop McKinley Young, in 2004 sent Rev. Bessie and Brother Arthur Mohead to lead the church. In 2005 brought Rev. Frankie Fayson who remained at the church for three years continuing the efforts of his predecessors and established an AIDS ministry. Rev. Timothy T. Morrow followed who worked to establish various ministries to provide job training programs within the community.

Building God’s sanctuary is a place where the people of Gregg could always keep hope, faith, and love alive. This legacy will never die, and the members walk knowing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and that the people perish without a vision.

New Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) – Presiding Elder Henry E. Green, Jr. first served as the interim pastor for what was called St. Paul worshipping at Gregg Temple AMEC until the appointment of Rev. Kelvin Price for the 2011 – 2012 conference year. During the Annual Conference of 2012, the name of New Saint Paul AMEC was born through the leadership of Bishop Adam J. Richardson. Bishop Richardson then appointed Rev. Larry Keys as the first pastor for New Saint Paul AMEC who has been followed the following Pastors: Rev. Karen Jackson Sims, Rev. Byron B. Pressley, Sr., Rev. Dwayne Gaddis, Rev. Roderick J. Stevenson, and Rev. Patrick Damascus Crews.

The members of New Saint Paul AMEC stand upon the history of the foundation of the churches that have united to become one new and wonderful place of worship in the City of Tampa. We represent the harmony of the old and the new and will, through the grace of God, continue to serve, worship and praise for the generations to come.