In the summer of 1973, two small Methodist congregations were struggling for survival. Its building was condemned, St. James was searching for a new home. Across the city, Gregory Boulevard was suffering from urban flight to the suburbs and membership was declining drastically. Through a special charge conference action, a merger of the two congregations was created. On August 12, 1974, the first worship celebration of St. James-Gregory United Methodist Church was held. That first Sunday was not all successful, as a few White congregants walked out. Nonetheless, it was a new beginning.