Our History

From the Founder to the First Successor and Second Successor

The history of Saints Center Ministries is a testimony of unwavering faith, sacrificial leadership, and the faithfulness of God across generations. From a small gathering of faithful believers in July 1937 to a thriving ministry impacting lives across the Lowcountry and beyond, Saints Center Ministries has remained committed to preaching Jesus Christ, serving the community, and building God’s Kingdom.

The foundation laid by Founder Elder Lewis Paul Taylor and the extraordinary expansion led by Bishop Lewis Nathaniel Taylor prepared the way for a third generation of leadership. In July 2017, Pastor Phillip Martin Taylor Sr. became pastor, continuing the vision established by his father and grandfather while leading Saints Center Ministries into a new season of ministry, service, and kingdom advancement.

“To God be the glory for eighty-nine years of faithfulness, vision, and generational leadership.”

The Founder: Elder Lewis Paul Taylor (1937-1975)

In July 1937, Elder Lewis Paul Taylor, together with his devoted wife, Mother Ethel Hicks Taylor, established St. James Church of God in Christ…the ministry that would become Saints Center Ministries. The church was first organized on Old Air Base Road in Walterboro, South Carolina. The original congregation consisted of Mother Ethel Taylor, their infant son Lewis Nathaniel Taylor, Sister Effie Hoats, Sister Bertha Allen, Sister Addie Hicks, and Brother John Taylor, who faithfully served as the church’s first deacon.

In 1938, Mother Robina Stewart joined the growing congregation. Soon afterward, property was purchased on Francis Street within the Walterboro city limits, where a larger frame sanctuary was constructed by Richard Myers. During these early years, the church faithfully conducted Sunday School, YPWW (Young People’s Willing Workers), Prayer Meeting, and Bible Band, laying a strong spiritual foundation for future generations.

As the membership steadily increased, Elder Taylor and the congregation organized numerous auxiliaries, including the Missionary Department, Young Women’s Christian Council, Home and Foreign Mission, Sewing Circle, Sunshine Band, Crusaders, Junior and Senior Choirs, and the Usher Board. Mother Edna Jamison and later Mother Etta Koger faithfully served as church mothers, while many families became pillars of the ministry, helping establish a thriving congregation.

In 1960, a new brick sanctuary was constructed while the original frame building was relocated to serve as a fellowship hall. As a skilled building contractor, Elder Taylor continually improved the church campus, leading it from kerosene lamps to electricity, from potbellied stoves to central heating, and from hand fans to electric fans and air conditioning. Under his leadership, the church was officially chartered and received its seal in Washington, D.C.

Beyond Walterboro, Elder Lewis Paul Taylor became one of the most respected leaders in the Church of God in Christ. He served as State Chairman of the Elders Council, District Superintendent, State Treasurer of the Finance Board, and a member of the Executive Board. During his ministry, he also pastored churches in Charleston, Conway, Govan, and Lincolnville, faithfully expanding the Kingdom of God throughout South Carolina.

After faithfully serving as pastor for thirty-eight years, Elder Lewis Paul Taylor entered into eternal rest in 1975, leaving behind a ministry firmly established on biblical truth, holiness, and community service.

The First Successor: Bishop Lewis Nathaniel Taylor (1975-July2017)

The Second Successor: Bishop Phillip Martin Taylor, Sr. (July 2017-Present)

For nearly nine decades, Saints Center Ministries has stood as a beacon of hope, holiness, and the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. Today, under the faithful leadership of Bishop Phillip M. Taylor Sr., the church continues to fulfill its divine mission while embracing new opportunities to serve both the local community and the nations.

Bishop Phillip M. Taylor Sr. is one of six children of the late Bishop Lewis N. Taylor and First Lady Leviticus Taylor. He accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior in 1990 while living in New York City. In obedience to the will of God, he returned to South Carolina in 1992, where he began a lifetime of faithful ministry under the mentorship of his father, Bishop Lewis N. Taylor.

Over the years, Bishop Taylor faithfully served in virtually every area of church ministry. He ministered as a musician, Sunday School teacher, instructor for New Convert and New Member classes, church administrator, choir director, and praise and worship leader. His willingness to serve wherever needed reflected a heart committed to God’s Kingdom rather than personal recognition.

In 1994, Bishop Taylor was ordained as an Elder and installed as Assistant Pastor. For more than two decades, he faithfully labored alongside his father, helping shepherd the congregation and preparing for the assignment God had ordained. In July 2017, Bishop Lewis N. Taylor officially installed Bishop Phillip M. Taylor Sr. as Senior Pastor of Saints Center Ministries, passing the mantle of leadership to the next generation.

As God continued to elevate his ministry, Bishop Taylor was recognized for his spiritual leadership within the broader Body of Christ. On April 9, 2022, the Most Reverend B. Anthony Myers, Presiding Bishop of Judah Temple of Deliverance and Judah Fellowship Assemblies, Inc., formally presented Bishop Phillip M. Taylor Sr. with a Certificate of Episcopal Consecration, consecrating him to the sacred Office of Bishop. During the same historic service, the Most Reverend B. Anthony Myers, a duly consecrated bishop, together with the members of the Sacred Ecumenical Board of Bishops and Apostles, acting by the commission of the governing body and general membership of Judah Temple of Deliverance and Judah Fellowship Assemblies, officially installed and enthroned the Most Reverend Phillip M. Taylor Sr. as the Presiding Prelate of Saints Center Ministries. This sacred act affirmed both his apostolic leadership and his responsibility to shepherd the ministry according to the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Since assuming the pastorate, Bishop Taylor has focused on strengthening every aspect of the ministry while preserving the church’s rich spiritual heritage. Working hand in hand with his wife, Lady Wanda Taylor, and the faithful members of Saints Center Ministries, he has led numerous improvements to the church campus and ministry operations, ensuring that the work of God is carried out with excellence.

Throughout these years, the congregation has witnessed the miraculous hand of God. Lives have been transformed through salvation, families have been restored, and countless testimonies of healing, deliverance, and divine provision continue to strengthen the faith of believers. The ministry remains firmly committed to the preaching of the Gospel, the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and compassionate outreach to those in need.

Under Bishop Taylor’s leadership, Saints Center Ministries has expanded its influence beyond the walls of the local church. The ministry now extends spiritual oversight, encouragement, and support to ministries in Uganda and Karachi, Pakistan, reflecting the biblical mandate to “go into all the world and preach the gospel.” Through these international relationships, the message of Jesus Christ continues to reach lives across continents.

The ministry’s voice has also expanded through Christian media. Bishop Taylor has proclaimed the Gospel through Christian Warrior Radio in the United States and Bible In-Depth Radio in Uganda. For several years, the ministry’s Morning Exaltation broadcast reached audiences around the world through social media, providing daily biblical teaching, prayer, encouragement, and inspiration to believers across multiple nations.

While honoring its rich heritage, Saints Center Ministries continues to embrace fresh vision. New internal ministries have been established to strengthen discipleship, leadership development, youth engagement, family ministry, and community outreach. Every ministry operates with the purpose of equipping believers to become mature disciples of Jesus Christ while serving others with compassion and excellence.

One of the ministry’s most significant endeavors is the vision to construct a Multi-Purpose Family and Community Life Center. This transformational project will expand the church’s capacity to serve families, youth, senior adults, and the surrounding community by providing space for education, health initiatives, workforce development, recreation, emergency response, and faith-based community programming. The vision reflects Saints Center Ministries’ commitment to ministering not only to spiritual needs but also to the practical needs of the community.

Bishop Taylor has consistently emphasized that every accomplishment is the result of God’s grace working through a unified congregation. Alongside Lady Wanda Taylor, the church leadership, ministry workers, and faithful members, Saints Center Ministries has cultivated an atmosphere where worship is authentic, discipleship is intentional, and service is a lifestyle. The dedication of the congregation has made it possible to expand ministries, strengthen outreach efforts, and impact lives both locally and internationally.

Today, Saints Center Ministries stands as a thriving, Christ-centered congregation where souls are being saved, believers are growing in faith, lives are being transformed, and the power of God continues to manifest through miracles, signs, and wonders. As the ministry moves toward its 90th anniversary, it remains committed to its founding mission while embracing God’s vision for the future.

Under the episcopal leadership of the Most Reverend Bishop Phillip M. Taylor Sr., together with Lady Wanda Taylor and the faithful members of Saints Center Ministries, the church continues to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness, extend compassion to the community, disciple believers, develop future leaders, and advance the Kingdom of God—remaining a shining light for generations to come.