About Us

Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized as a Mission Church in December 1903, in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel F. Hill on Cota Street near Garden Street. The Reverend J. P. Wright was assigned as the Pastor. The first member of the Church was Brother Nathaniel Hill. Saint Paul was supported in its early days by Brother Byron Conway, Sister Thanna Chapman, and Sister Anna Jones. Brother Hill purchased the property on the corner of Haley and Canal Street for the sum of $ 10.00 from the Santa Barbara Development Company March 16, 1906.

The original Church building was completed on the corner of Haley and Canal Streets (now Olive Street) April of 1906. It is believed that the original building was built by the members. Shortly after entering the new building, Pastor Wright was reassigned; and Reverend H. B. Binum was assigned as Pastor by Bishop Abraham Grant Presiding Prelate.

On September 16, 1906 the Reverend Robert E. Arrington came to Saint Paul as Pastor. His first sermon was entitled, The Saving Powers of the Church of Christ. Pastor Wright was said to be too ill to continue as Pastor.

The Reverend Thomas B. Bynum was assigned as Pastor in 1908. The Reverend Jonas N. Cherry served as Pastor in 1909.

On June 20, 1911, a mass meeting was held at Saint Paul; calling all African-American citizens to come and give their views. We don’t know what the subject of this meeting was, but it does indicate that Saint Paul was a crucial part of the community of Santa Barbara.

Presiding Elder R. H. Harbert of the California Conference of the Fifth Episcopal District conducted a Quarterly Conference at Saint Paul July 16, 1914. The Pastor was Reverend Silas E. Newell.

Plans for the current Church building began on December 07, 1915. The members were not satisfied with the structure and wanted something that would be a greater credit to the membership. They received $ 805.00 in pledges towards the building fund. The current building was completed on August 27, 1916. We were blessed to have The Right Reverend Henry Blanton Parks (the 32nd Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the AME Church) dedicate the building on September 02, 1916. Bishop Parks is believed to be the first African American Bishop to preach in Santa Barbara. There was a large turn out of all ethnicities for the event. Reverend Jonas N. Cherry is believed to have preached the first sermon in the newly constructed Church in 1916.

Saint Paul served as a polling place for voters in March of 1917. The then Pastor Reverend J. A. Duncan stated that Saint Paul was glad to be of service to the city; noting that we have received generous support from a wide swath of the population.

The Church membership as of April 1922 is reported to be 40 members. The Pastor was Reverend C. A. Harris.

The Right Reverend William Alfred Fountain (the 46th Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the AME Church) preached at Saint Paul on October 17, 1922.

Later, assisted by the Masonic Lodge who desired a meeting place, the two-story social hall was added.  In 1924 under the supervision of Pastor C. A. Harris the six-room stucco parsonage was built.

From its beginning as a Mission Church with 1 member, by 1937 the Church had grown to 175 members (circa 1938).

Internationally renowned artist Lilia Tuckerman painted and donated the mural that sits in back of the choir-loft of the Church. Mrs. Tuckerman moved to Santa Barbara, California in 1915 and settled on a ranch in Carpentaria. Her work hangs in private and public collections, and museums throughout the United States and Europe. Mrs. Tuckerman donated the work to pay tribute to the woman who nurse her (Ms. Barbara Williams), and also the woman (Ms. Mary Jane Robinson) who nursed her children. The mural fits eloquently in the curved shaped back wall of the choir loft. It depicts seven angelic figures in the in front of three golden crosses, and clusters of grapes. The outside figures are kneeling in prayer and the center figure has arms stretched wide welcoming you. Mrs. Tuckerman used actual members of Saint Paul in the mural. They are: Sister Eva Buckner (Second from the left), Sister Dorothy Wright (second from right), Sister Dorothy Chapman (far left), Sister Sally Smith (appears twice left and right of the center angel), Sister Lillian Telfair (far right), and Sister Mary P. King (center figure), the First Lady of Saint Paul. The mural was dedicated on January 07, 1938.

In 1954, Reverend Frank C. Cummings was assigned as Pastor of Saint Paul AME Church Santa Barbara. He served as Pastor until 1960. Pastor Cummings and First Lady Martha were well received in the Santa Barbara community. Mrs. Martha Cummings is credited with inspiring many members, as well as African American women to enter the field of nursing. In 1976, Reverend Frank C. Cummings was elected and consecrated the 95th Bishop of the AME Church. He served in the 1st, 8th, 11th, and 6th Episcopal Districts.

The San Francisco District Conference of the California Annual Conference was graciously entertained by Saint Paul A. M. E. Church April 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 1968. Rev. T. A. Patterson, Host Pastor, Dr. R. A. Washington, Presiding Elder, Rt. Rev. H. Thomas Primm, Presiding Bishop.

The members of Saint Paul have been at the forefront of making a difference in the Santa Barbara Area for more than a century. In the 1950’s and 1960’s; they were intimately involved in social justice. Fighting for fair housing for people of color. Dr. Horace and Mrs. Jessie McMillan were instrumental in this endeavor. Members were also very active in the George Washington Carver Club. The Club’s original eight members came from Saint Paul A.M.E. Church, but soon the membership grew to encompass many churches in the community. The Club has always included women of different economic classes and during the 1970s male members were officially added to the membership roster. The George Washington Carver Club functions with the goal of rewarding every Black student and or students of any ethnicity in need of financial aid.

The following Ministers served as Pastor:

Rev. J. P. Wright (Organizer)

Rev. H. B. Binum

Rev. A. R. Arrington

Rev. C. N. Cherry

Rev. H. E. Newell

Rev. A.J. Lewis

Rev. J. A. Ducan

Rev. C.C. Carter

Rev. J.E. Fulcher

Anna Pryor (Leader for 6 months)

Rev. C. A. Harris

Rev. A. Fields

Rev. F.A. Harris

Rev. X.C. Runyan

Rev. Ralph King

Rev. A. Stoval

Rev. LC. Owens

Rev. J. C. Bell

Rev. F. Morton

Rev. Frank C. Cummings (1954-1960; became the 95th Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the AME Church)

Rev. F. D. Haynes

Rev. T. J. Burwell

Rev. Daniel Pinkard

Rev. T. A. Patterson

Rev. J. Thomas

Rev. Lee Norris May

Rev. James. W. Webb

Rev. J. C. Nixon

Rev. Harry Davis

Rev. Julius Brooks

Rev. Jerome Smith

Rev. Ronald Wright

Rev. Reuben Ford

Rev. Dorothy Patrick

Rev. Jeffery Clark

Rev. Elbert Sherrod