The story of the Myrtle Grove congregation began long before its charter on April 22, 1990. Joint activities between the Presbyterian Women’s groups of Grace Presbyterian Church - an African American congregation in Miami’s Liberty City community - and the Holy Cross congregation in northern Dade County preceded the merger of the two congregations. The dialogue and negotiations between leaders from the presbytery and the congregations formally finalized what the women had already begun.

The intent of this merger was the creation of a strong multicultural Presbyterian witness in the northern part of the county to which young African American and Caribbean immigrant families were relocating after the emigration of the White population to Broward and other northern counties.

During the early years of the ministry under the leadership of Pastor Vicki Powell-Williams, a temporary supply, the congregation made significant gains through neighborhood evangelism. However, beneath the surface, the congregation had not fully merged and the “us versus them” mindset was becoming very pervasive. The period from 1992 – 1995 were turbulent years for the young congregation. During that time there were three pastors with tenures that ranged from six months to two years, the Session was set aside and replaced by an Administrative Commission appointed by the presbytery, and more than forty of its members left the congregation.

Now in its fifteenth year of existence, the Myrtle Grove congregation is healthy, adaptable, and effective in its ministry. The elders, deacons and members know that the only constant in ministry is change therefore our mission is always in a state of being reformed. The congregation’s greatest strength is its capacity to hold change and stability in a creative balance. We recognize our assets to be our multiculturalism (with members from the Bahamas, Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, and the United States), our diverse age groups with the young adult population

(18-35 years old) being the fastest growing, and our spiritual energy.

How we got to this point is a part of our story worth telling. In 1997 after prayerful consideration, with the assistance of the Committee on Ministry, and then Stated Clerk, Dr. Albert “Skip” Bush, the congregation called the Reverend Leon Lovell-Martin to provide pastoral leadership. The Reverend Lovell-Martin guided the congregation through a redevelopment process – an intentional transition from a conflicted church in survival mode to become a mission-focused congregation. The redevelopment had to be swift because as one member observed, the congregation was “fading fast”. We determined that the degree of change would have to include a transformation of the congregation culture since the social relationships were dysfunctional. What the pastor undertook was a transformation of the congregation’s mind-set. The rest is history!

The congregation has recorded an annual numerical growth in membership every year since 1997. In 2004 the congregation received 14 members through either profession of faith or reaffirmation of faith, with 10 of them being over age 20. This growth is the result of the four foci of ministry in the congregation:

1. Intentional spiritual growth through prayers and Bible studies that involve dialogue and critical reflection.
2. Lay leader development through education and training.
3. Congregational nurture through Christian education.
4. Teamwork.

The congregation actively supports the mission of the denomination, the Thornwell Home and School in South Carolina, scholarships at Johnson C. Smith Seminary and Florida Memorial College – two historically Black educational institutions, the Association of Smaller Congregations of the Synod of South Atlantic, and the Miami Chapter of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus.