Grove church celebrating 100 years

Not too many things in Coconut Grove are sacred enough these days to protect from the developers' wrecking ball, but St. James Baptist Church has been a religious fixture in Coconut Grove since 1916 when it was formed by a group of Bahamian settlers led by founding pastor, Rev. Richard Higgs. This January, the church is 100 years old.

"The swift passage of time has brought about many changes at St. James, i.e., pastorate succession (Reverends Demeritte, Brown, Green, Sawyer, Knowles, Shipp, Harrison, Watson, McClendon and Jackson); acquisition of adjacent property for parking spaces; construction of new buildings (educational wing and fellowship hall); increase in membership; purchase of church bus; improvements to the church's interior and exterior, and, sadly, the passing of many faithful members  But nothing has remained more constant than the members' unwavering faith and dedication," says Clarice Cooper, of the HOATA neighborhood report committee.

St. James Baptist Church, located at 3500 Charles Avenue, is currently pastored by Rev. Kenton L. Williams, who has served the congregation since 2000. The church has been celebrating its 100th Anniversary with a month-long schedule of services.