About us
About
MESSAGE FROM PASTOR AND BROTHER BURSE
Dear St. Paul Members and Friends,
We are honored to serve the wonderful people of St. Paul. Our theme for 2025 is Maximizing Our Faith for the Future. There is nothing that we can’t achieve with prayer, fasting, and working together. We can all agree that saving souls and the existence of St. Paul are top
priorities for our church. We want a brighter tomorrow for our church, the community, and the next generation. When we maximize our faith and delight in the Lord, He is pleased and will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4-6).
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Our Vision is to be a Christ Centered Impactful Church in St. Johns County. We encourage you to be intentional about your spiritual growth and building a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ.
Our Mission is to Exalt Jesus Christ, Expand the Church, and Empower the Members.
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Exalt Jesus Christ in our worship and lifestyle.
Expand the Church by inviting people to church and through our outreach ministries.
Empower the Members by teaching the Word of God, and providing training, and life skills.
“We are St. Paul Strong, Let’s Worship Together, Pray Together, Learn Together, and Grow Together.” -Respectfully, Reverend Dr. Alesia Ford-Burse and First Gentleman, Winston Burse
our theme:
THEME: Maximizing Our Faith for the Future
Scripture: Mark 11:22-24, 2 Samuel 22:26
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St. Paul – A Church that Meets the Needs:
​Since its humble beginnings over a century and a half ago, St. Paul A.M.E. has flourished in St. Augustine’s Lincolnville community with ministry endeavors that include fostering community engagement projects, providing assistance to those in need and nurturing youth, young adults, and senior citizens.
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The church’s history dates back to 1873, when the Reverend Richard James led a small group of followers into organizing and building the first St. Paul A.M.E. Church structure.
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The membership soon outgrew the capacity of this structure. Reverend James, with the cooperation of members, constructed an addition to the building.
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Later, the congregation purchased the lot where the church is currently located, on Martin Luther King Avenue.
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Through the years, St. Paul has been blessed to have ties to local leaders who made pivotal contributions to the St. Augustine community, including Frank Butler, one of the city’s first African American businessmen, and Dr. Robert Hayling, a dentist credited for leading the city’s civil rights movement in the 1960’s. During that movement, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, Reverend Ralph Abernathy, and other national leaders spoke from St. Paul’s pulpit. Their visits and efforts helped foster the passage of the Civil Rights Act.
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Today, St. Paul is blessed to be under the spiritual leadership of the Reverend Dr. Alesia Ford-Burse, who came to the church in December 2021. Rev. Burse is the first woman in the history of St. Paul to serve as pastor. She has continued the pastoral legacy of leading the church to higher heights through prayer, exaltation, and love.
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Our doors are always open to you. Please join us on Sundays for Bible Discovery Hour at 9 a.m., followed by Worship Service at 10:45 a.m. Also, you are welcome to attend Wednesday Bible Study at 6 p.m. or any of our ministry activities that take place during the week. Visitors are always welcome!
