In Miami, Black churches remain vital pillars of spiritual and cultural life, but many are now navigating 21st-century challenges. Years after the COVID-19 pandemic, religious institutions continue to struggle with financial strain, aging memberships and declining attendance, particularly among younger generations. Yet some churches are adapting — launching new initiatives, embracing youth leadership and redefining their roles in a changing world.
Post-pandemic and financial struggles
Majority-Black churches were hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, with 34% reporting worsened financial health from 2018 to 2023, compared to 29% and 28% of white and multiracial congregations, respectively.
As one of Miami’s oldest Black churches, Saint John Institutional Missionary Baptist Church has long been a cornerstone of Overtown. During the pandemic, the church adapted quickly, moving Bible study and prayer meetings to a phone line and online streaming services. It even launched a virtual youth Sunday school, "Pajamas, Pancakes, and Prayers."
But although many churches reopened by mid-2021, Saint John remained closed into 2022 due to leadership changes and shifting membership.
“We were closed longer than most congregations,” explained Cecily Robinson-Duffie, board member and deaconess. “Many parishioners moved during that time. The food bank that we participated in — we have not been able to reestablish that relationship and provide those services.”
In 2023, Saint John nearly lost key properties to foreclosure after former Pastor James D. Adams took out nearly $2.5 million in mortgages, including for a luxury condo.
“We went from being without any debt and with cash in the bank to owing a significant amount of money,” said Dr. Nelson L. Adams, a longtime member and minister.
Although the congregation raised only a fraction of the funds needed, the Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA (SEOPW CRA) stepped in, purchasing the properties and allowing the church to lease them for $1 per year.
Minister Cecil A. Duffie calls the SEOPW CRA's support “instrumental,” but emphasizes that the church’s mission never faltered.
“Our day-to-day operations, our worship, our outreach — they never stopped,” he said. “We don’t exist just to come together on Sundays. We exist to be a starburst in the community.”
Duffie also said that trust in the church remained steady in the aftermath.
“People understood that unfavorable situations happen, but they knew that wasn’t the sum total of who we are,” he said. “We’re not a church that’s had 20 or 30 pastors. In nearly 120 years, we’ve had just a handful. That says something about our stability.”
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The church has not worshiped in its original sanctuary for over a decade, but Adams remains hopeful that renovations will be completed this year. The church also plans to reopen its seven-decade-old daycare, which closed during the pandemic and never reopened. Since then, it has been allocated to the St. John Plaza building across the street.
Most recently, New Providence Missionary Baptist Church is also facing foreclosure after Pastor Steven Caldwell sold off church-owned properties without informing the congregation, as first reported by Channel 10.Caldwell did not respond to multiple interview requests.
Embracing technology
Attendance at U.S. congregations has steadily declined across all racial groups since before the pandemic. However, majority-Black congregations have experienced the smallest drop, maintaining stability with a combination of in-person and virtual attendance.
Saint John has embraced platforms like Zoom for worship.
“Thank God for technology,” Adams said. “That was good and bad. Some people, I jokingly call it, decided to attend ‘Bedside Baptist’ instead of coming to church.”
Robinson-Duffie said motivating people to return to in-person services has been a challenge, as the pandemic disrupted routines. Bible studies and prayer meetings continue via teleconference as a result.
Exacerbating the situation is Overtown’s demographic shift as original residents continue to be priced out, explains Adams. At one point in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, St. John’s membership was about 1,500.
“Many of the original residents are no longer there and have been displaced and really can’t afford Overtown anymore,” Adams said.
However, some churches are seeing growth.
“During COVID, we had tremendous growth, especially online,” said Rev. Dr. R. Joaquin Willis, associate pastor at Koinonia Worship Center and Village in Pembroke Park. “Our attendance and membership grew.”
The church embraced livestreaming services and digital tithing, reaching new members across cities and countries.
“The churches doing better [are the ones who] have adjusted to the technological shifts,” Willis said.
The generational gap
Nationwide, Black church membership has dropped by nearly 20 percentage points over the past two decades. While older generations continue to attend church, only about half of Black millennials and Gen Zers are involved, according to Pew Research Center.
In Miami, it varies by church.
“Many young people are coming back,” Willis said. “However, the majority of the young ones are kind of standing back, and they may be online and watch church while they're in their car going somewhere else.”
Despite this, Saint John has a thriving youth membership. Robinson-Duffie said 30-40% of the church’s staff and ministers are millennials or Gen Zers.
“We have 95-year-olds and 5-month-olds in the sanctuary,” Duffie said. “Check out our YouTube page during Easter or Christmas. You’ll see 25 to 30 young people participating in those services.”
Saint John embraces contemporary formats alongside traditional services to connect with younger audiences.
“If you want to attract and retain young people, you can’t just do church as it was 50 years ago,” Robinson-Duffie said.
New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist Church in West Little River, now led by Dr. Kelon Duke, is an example of a church relevant to all generations. Pastor Dr. Kenneth Duke led it for nearly 40 years before passing the baton to his son earlier this month.
Kelon Duke views stepping into his father’s role as a natural transition, comparing it to the evolution of sports legends.
“I grew up watching Michael Jordan, and I have had the opportunity to watch Dwyane Wade, LeBron James. Every person has to serve their era,” he said.
Pastor Dr. Kenneth Duke and his son Dr. Kelon Duke sit in their offices to discuss and find initiatives to keep the church current.
Engaging the youth
Navigating tradition and innovation is essential, Kenneth Duke and Kelon Duke say, and they embrace both.
“We sit in this room and we talk,” said Kenneth Duke. “What I’ve had to do is receive more. As an older person, I’m learning to listen.”
Focused on creating a sustainable, team-based leadership model that includes all age groups, the Dukes say 50% of their congregation now comes from younger generations.
“And not just them — people my age too. Families are coming. It has a lot to do with how he preaches and communicates,” Kenneth Duke said of his son.
“I wouldn’t say they’re not coming to church. I’d say they come to church differently,” Kelon Duke added, noting varying attendance patterns, with some Gen Zers attending weekly and others biweekly.
“They are there,” he said. “It’s a Gen Z revival, with young people showing up early and hungry for meaningful engagement.”
To connect with this energy, New Jerusalem has a young adult ministry focused on Gen Z’s values: community, visibility and authenticity. Kelon Duke’s preaching style reflects these values.
Whether it’s cracking a joke mid-sermon or crying during worship, Kelon Duke said he embraces realness and creativity as essential tools for connection.
“They want authenticity. That’s what my preaching style aims for. I want them to know I’m living where they’re living.”
The church also uses culturally resonant programming like the “Let’s Go to the Movies” sermon series, which ties biblical messages to iconic films such as Soul Food and Love Jones. The congregation dresses the part, and the result is joyful, engaging worship that bridges the generational gap.
“Culture doesn’t have to be the enemy of Christ,” Kelon Duke said. “Christ was always using cultural influences to reach people. The gospel was a secular word that Jesus was able to use to spread good news.”
This story was produced by The Miami Times, one of the oldest Black-owned newspapers in the country, as part of a content sharing partnership with the WLRN newsroom. Read more at miamitimesonline.com.
