It was the fall of 1991 when Pastor William Kirlew of the Maranatha Seventh-day Adventists Church commissioned fourteen members to go north to evangelize the cities of Pembroke Pines and Miramar in Broward County. Under the leadership of the late Pastor Carlton Anderson, the group given the name Pem-Mar Seventh-day Adventists Assembly held its first structured Sabbath service at the Sea Castle Elementary School auditorium in Miramar. One month later Pastor Anderson was called to service at Maranatha.
Dr. Cornelius Gray graciously accepted the leadership role and immediately relocated the the group of more than fourteen to two classrooms at the Walter C. Young Middle School in Pembroke Pines. The group increased in numbers and soon relocated to the school’s mimi gymnasium that had a capacity of one hundred and fifty. In January of 1993 Dr. Gray was called to service at St Petersburg Florida.
Pastor Michael Reid willingly accepted the leadership assignment and became the first paid employee of the Pem-Mar Seventh-day Adventists Assembly. The group was organized into a church on July 31, 1993 under the leadership of Pastor Reid. The church was inspired to acquire its own property and after a Sabbath of fasting and prayer the Lord led Pem-Mar to approximately nine acres of land in Davie Florida. The purchase required a $30,000.00 deposit to be paid in thirty days. God’s people again went to Him in fasting and prayer and raised the $30,000.00 in less than thirty days.
Claiming God’s promise the church completed the land purchase for a nominal fee of $160,000.00. Once the land purchase was complete the church made plans to relocate and evangelize the communities surrounding the property. Pem-Mar relocated to the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Hollywood in May 1994. For the next thirteen years and ten months Prince of Peace would be home to Pem-Mar church.
During the years at Prince of Peace the leadership torch was passed five more times to: Dr. Cornelius Gray and his associate the late Pastor Carlton Anderson a second time, Dr. Richard James, Pastor Leroy Liburd and Pastor Grigorie Leordean. The membership increased to one hundred and eighty nine, including one hundred and twenty two by baptism. Thirteen saints were called home, mountain top and valley experiences were encountered, crucibles were numerous and what was envisioned to be a promised property was viewed.
To finance the building project, multiple fund-raising projects were undertaken and approximately three and one half acres of the land in Davie was sold for $530,000.00. With rising construction cost and escalating land price, the church under the leadership of Pastor Cornelius Gray, was inspired to go in search of an existing building to be used as the house of worship in lieu of construction. As customary, the church fasted, prayed and sought God’s guidance. Soon a church was located just half a mile from Prince of Peace.
God in His wisdom had other plans for Pem-Mar. The saints waited patiently for God’s direction and they continued to pray. The first Sabbath of each month was designated for a day of fasting and prayer. Subsequently, the remaining portion of the Davie property was sold for more than one million dollars and the funds deposited with the Florida Conference. In October 2007 under the leadership of Pastor Leordean, the Lord directed his people to a property located at 6455 Taft Street. On February 21, 2008 God answered the cry of His people as Pem-Mar took possession of all 75,000 square feet of land and approximately 15,000 square feet of building.
On March 29, 2008 Pem-Mar met for the final Sabbath at Prince of Peace. For the next six days current and former members and well-wishers gave unselfishly of their time, money and commodity to accomplish a unified task of transforming unit 3 into a temporary chapel. Sabbath April 5, 2008 the saints met at 6455 Taft Street for a day of Sabbath celebration, as we gave God the glory and gave thanks to Him for bringing us ‘This Far By Faith’
Since Pem-Mar was no longer serving the communities of Pembroke Pines and Miramar, on March 1, 2009 the church officially changed its name to Saving Grace Hollywood Seventh-day Adventists Church. On June 27, 2009, the congregation moved from unit 3 to unit 4 to accommodate the growing congregation. Unit 5, a 6,000 square foot section is designated to be the main sanctuary. Saving Grace continues to pray for the resources to not only start but to complete the work on the main sanctuary.It is our desire to keep Jesus’ mission in the forefront of all our endeavors and through God’s strength, share the “Saving Grace” of Jesus with everyone whom we come in contact.