ABOUT US

HISTORY

 Greater St. Paul Church is the first church established in the city of Boynton Beach. GSP church was Founded on February 5, 1892 by Robert & Elizabeth Wells. The initial service was held in their home. The original church building was erected in 1907 and was located on the North East Corner of Boynton Beach Blvd and US 1. In 1925, the church was forced to relocated due to the city segregation ordinance. The church structure was moved on a horse-drawn wagon to a site on Wells Avenue directly across the street from the current site. Then in 1928, Greater St. Paul A.M.E. was destroyed by the “Hurricane of 1928” and a new white wood frame building with a Bell was erected in 1929. In 1954 the present church was built at its current location of 315 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Its worth also noting that In September 1896 , Members of Greater St. Paul petitioned the Dade County School Board to establish a school and provide a teacher for the African American students in the community. They were sent a teacher that helped established Boynton Colored Elementary School.  It later became Poinciana Elementary School after segregation was outlawed. Another noteworthy accomplishment would be that from the body of Greater St. Paul became the 130th Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, in the person of Bishop John f. White. The African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in 1816, is the first Christian denomination founded by black people. Currently, the AME Church has a global membership of approximately 2.5 million members world wide. We have sister churches all over the united states, Africa, Europe, The Dominican Republic, Canada and India. Greater St. Paul continues to thrive at 132 years old and remains a vibrant beacon in the Boynton Beach Community and we are proudly known as the “Boynton Beach Blessing”