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<div align=center><font=abbey><b>The History of the Kirkwood SDA Church</b></font></div><br> <div align=justify>C. Sampson Myles was the pastor of the Berean Church in St. Louis, Missouri during the time the church was founded. In the summer of 1960, as a part of a missionary effort he held a series of tent meetings in the Kirkwood area. From his efforts and that of a working nucleus which included Lucille Mitchell, Delbert Mitchell, Marye Thomas, Moses Barrett, Cleo Barrett, Grace Taylor all from Berean ("the Mother Church"), 10 were baptized and the Kirkwood Mission was formed. Later, to help keep the group going more Berean members came out: Mary Alice Hicks, Roosevelt Smith, Lucy Smith, Thomas Phipps, Arika Phipps, Maryse Mercan, Sylvester Little, Florin Evans, Willie Pulliam, Paul Robinson, and John Gathright. It wasn't until February 1961, did the church formally organize. Vivian and Magnolia Harris joined the group in 1963 .<p> W. W. Fordham was president of Central States Conference at this time. It was his suggestion that Elder Myles resume fulltime responsibilities at Berean and ask the church school teacher and principal, Ronald Smith to become pastor of the group in Kirkwood. He also suggested that they make an offer to rent the one room building on Alsobrook Street in Meacham Park, which was complete with a pot-bellied stove and an out house in the back. In that "church," we used folding chairs and a small orange table sat up front that was used for Holy Communion. We sang from paperback books, not the Church Hymnal because there weren't any; but someone had donated a piano.</p> <p> In 1964, we moved from the building on Alsobrook to a church building on Fillmore. We stayed there until December 1982, when we moved to our present location on McKinley.</P> <p> These are the ministers that have come and gone over the years: 1961 Ronald Smith, 1965 Harold Brewer, 1967 Harvey Kibble, 1970 Perry Jennings, 1972 James White, 1975 David Robinson, 1977 Hilliard Pettway, 1981 Mark McCleary, 1984 Onnie Jackson, 1985 Albert White, 1986 Ephraim Pembleton, 1987 Paul Turner, 1991 Larry Williams, 1995 Ephraim Pembleton, 1998 Maurice Valentine, 2000 to 2004, Duane Thomas, and June 2005 through April 2006 was Errol McCladdie.</P>.<br><div align=center>~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><br>There were some who felt that due to the size of the group they should merge with the already existing Berean, but Elder C. Sampson Myles had vision when he said, "no matter what, do not let this light started go out."<br> <hr>