By Sister Rosa Gaskins
1908 -1917
Saint Ruth Missionary Baptist Church was organized in 1908 by the late Brother Charlie Chambers and a few other faithful souls in Modello, Florida, presently Dania Beach, Florida. The church was named in honor of Brother Charlie Chambers’ daughter, Ruth. Saint Ruth was the first Black church organized in the City of Dania. The first place of worship was in a small house on NW 4th Avenue in Modello, Florida. The first sanctuary was erected on NW 4th Avenue from lumber recovered from the Atlantic Ocean front, now known as Dania Beach.
In the early 1900s, Saint Ruth housed the first colored public school in Modello, which enrolled nine students.
The first pastor of Saint Ruth was the late Reverend Watson. Sister Mary Chambers, spouse of Brother Charlie Chambers, was appointed as Saint Ruth’s first church mother. The late Reverends Diver and Green succeeded the pastorate of the late Reverend Watson. In 1917 the late Reverend J.C. McCord was called as pastor.
1920 – 1947
In 1920, Brother Isidore S Mizell, Brother Joseph Sydney and others moved the sanctuary from NW 4th Avenue to NW 5th Avenue in Dania, Florida. The hurricane of 1926, commonly referred to as the “26th storm,” destroyed all but the floor of the sanctuary. The members continued to have services on the platform. Through God‘s blessings and the diligent effort of the members, the church was rebuilt. Rev. Tanner, Rev. G. W. Butler, and Rev. L. W. Wright served as pastors during the years of 1939 – 1947.
1948-1999
In 1948, Rev. W. C. Edcar was called as Pastor. A few years after his calling, he and the members decided they wanted a bigger and better place to worship. The membership began to work toward this goal, and on August 18, 1957, the pastor and members marched into the new edifice and dedicated it to God. The church continued to grow under Reverend Edcar’s administration.
After Reverend Edcar’s 44 years of dedicated service and his innovative ideas, he retired on August 5, 1992. His legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of those who knew and loved him.
After the retirement of Pastor Edcar, Deacon Jean Spencer, chairman of the Deacon Board, along with the deacons, took over the leadership of the church.
On August 11, 1993, the church family called the Rev. Randall Wayne Barr as pastor of Saint Ruth Missionary Baptist Church.
The Saint Ruth Church family mourned the loss of their beloved former pastor, Rev. W. C. Edcar, who was called home to be with the Lord in July 1998.
On July 1, 1999, Reverend Randall W. Barr resigned as pastor. December of 1999 Reverend Barr was reelected as pastor of Saint Ruth.
In October 2001, Rev. Randall Barr resigned once again. Rev. Randall W. Barr served as pastor of Saint Ruth missionary Baptist Church for eight years.
2001 – Present Day
In October 2001, the church voted for Reverend Marlon G. Ritter, Sr. to be the interim pastor of Saint Ruth. On July 19, 2003, Saint Ruth elected Reverend Timothy T. Shellman, Sr. as the 10th pastor of Saint Ruth. Reverend Shellman served until December 2008.
On December 14, 2008, during the church business meeting, the deacon’s ministry chair, Tom Grace, announced that Bishop Victor T. Curry was willing to assist Saint Ruth in their time of need during this meeting. Bishop Curry became the interim pastor of Saint Ruth MBC. On February 5, 2009, at a church business meeting, the church voted to elect Bishop Victor T. Curry as the permanent pastor of Saint Ruth MBC, thus becoming Saint Ruth’s Eleventh pastor.
On April 1 and April 2, Bishop Curry was officially installed as pastor of Saint Ruth, and from that day forth Saint Ruth has been on the rise with Vision Day, multiple conferences/workshops, our Wednesday community feeding program, renovations, and system upgrades. Bishop Curry resigned as senior pastor on Sunday, January 5, 2015.
Our 12th pastor, Reverend J.C. Howard was called on Saturday, February 13, 2016. He preached his first sermon, “A Season of Discovery “ as pastor of Saint Ruth on Sunday, March 6, .2016. Pastor Howard is an energetic, anointed, powerful preacher who is committed to our church as well as promoting and ministering to the social and spiritual needs of our community.
Our 13th pastor, Bishop G. Emerson Scott, was called on Saturday, August 24, 2019. He preached his first sermon, “ The Grace to Begin Again “ as pastor of Saint Ruth on Sunday, September 1, 2019. Bishop Scott was anointed, a teacher of the word, a powerful speaker, and a tremendous organizer of houses of worship. He is committed to our church as well as promoting and ministering to the social and spiritual needs of our community.
Saint Ruth is listed in the state’s historical registry. It is quite evident that Saint Ruth’s rich history is an undeniable testament of 113 years of service to the community.
