A Beacon on Devon Road
Set on eleven leafy acres in the heart of Coconut Grove, Plymouth Congregational Church has been part of Miami's oldest neighborhood since 1897. The congregation traces its beginnings to a small chapel erected with funds secured by local women on McFarlane Road, on land donated by Commodore Ralph Munroe. Today Plymouth is an open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ with a thriving membership of more than five hundred people, two associate pastors, and an Interim Senior Pastor guiding the search for its next settled spiritual leader. Visitors arriving on a Sunday morning find a campus where coral rock walls, hand-carved Spanish walnut doors, and ancient wooden beams sit beside modern nurseries, classrooms, and a fellowship hall that is about to be reimagined.
A Stone Sanctuary with a Door from the Pyrenees
The church's signature building is a Sanctuary in the Spanish mission style designed by New York architect Clinton McKenzie. Stonemason Felix Rebom cut each stone by hand with only a hatchet, trowel, T-square, and plumb line. The first worship service in the completed building was held on December 2, 1917, under the Rev. George B. Spalding. The Miami Metropolis described the new sanctuary at the time as "modern in every respect" and "yet a perfect model of the old Spanish architectural style." The building was formally dedicated on February 10, 1918.
The sanctuary grew again in 1954, when a $90,000 expansion under the Rev. Dr. David J. Davis doubled its seating capacity. That same year church leaders imported a hand-carved Spanish walnut and oak door studded with wrought iron, found among the ruins of an old monastery in the Pyrenees Mountains around 1929. That sixteenth-century door still welcomes people to Plymouth every Sunday morning and quietly anchors the congregation's identity as a community shaped by continuity and craft.
Around the Sanctuary sit several named spaces: Plymouth Hall (a flexible meeting space and the church office, across from the Sanctuary on Devon Road), Edson Chapel (used for baptisms and small gatherings), McNaughton Hall (home to the preschool wing, children's choirs, nursery, and several weekly programs), Davis Hall (the fellowship hall currently being remodeled), Longshore House (slated to become a Youth Center through the current capital campaign), and Pilgrim House (being restored as ministerial housing).
Sunday Mornings: A 10 a.m. Anchor
The week at Plymouth turns on its Sunday rhythm. Most adult members begin with Bible & Bagels at 8:30 a.m., an hour-long discussion of the morning's texts held in Plymouth Hall and on Zoom. Coffee flows, bread is broken, and the day's reading is opened up before the service begins.
At 10:00 a.m., Sunday worship convenes in the Sanctuary. The service is open to all ages, all backgrounds, and people of every point on the journey of faith. Children's Church, called Nurturing Faith, is available for Pre-K 4 through 5th grade after the Children's Moment, while children who stay enjoy worship alongside their families. Childcare for infants through age three is offered throughout the morning in McNaughton Hall.
Plymouth worships in a blended style. The Chancel Choir, supported by the professional ensemble called the Plymouth Soloists, leads congregational singing drawn from both classical and contemporary traditions, and the church's Angell Pipe Organ frames the liturgy. A major choral work is presented each December. Each Sunday's service is also livestreamed on YouTube, allowing members who are traveling or homebound to participate. After worship, the Coffee in the Garden hour in the churchyard is a long-standing tradition, featuring a signature Plymouth coffee with ice cream. When the parking lot fills, visitors are invited to park on the grass around Pilgrim House.
Three Pastors, One Interim Season
Plymouth is currently shepherded through a season of pastoral transition by Rev. Daniel M. Harrell, PhD, who serves as Interim Senior Pastor. Ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1988, Daniel has served churches for more than forty years in New Hampshire, Boston, Minneapolis, Stillwater, Minnesota, and most recently San Miguel de Allende. A former editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, he holds a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a PhD in Psychology from Boston College. He is partially retired and lives with his partner, Shelley Meadows.
Rev. Moira McGuinn serves as Associate Pastor. A Miami native, she grew up attending Sunset Elementary, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, and Coral Gables High School before earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Miami and her Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary. Her ministry centers on worship, teaching, and pastoral care, and she frequently preaches across the program year.
Rev. Hollie K. Schmidt joined the Plymouth staff in August 2023 as the second Associate Pastor, with particular responsibility for mission, outreach, and youth ministry. Before moving to Miami she served for seventeen years in Lincoln, Nebraska, including at First-Plymouth UCC. Ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with full standing in the United Church of Christ, Hollie is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Phillips Theological Seminary, focused on mission and service as expressions of lived faith. She and her wife, Jody, are the parents of five grown children.
Music as Ministry
Plymouth describes music as central to its life. The music ministry is led by Dr. Vindhya Khare, Director of Music, who directs both the Chancel Choir and Plymouth Soloists and oversees the use of the Angell Pipe Organ. Rehearsals run September through May on Thursday evenings, and all who love to sing are welcome.
Children have a musical home of their own in Joyful Noise, the church's children's choir directed by Marie Ferguson. The choir is open to all children ages four and up, with rehearsals following worship each Sunday morning in McNaughton Hall. The children sing in services throughout the program year and bring forward several pieces of their own.
During Advent and Christmas the chancel choir typically presents a major choral work, joining the orchestra, soloists, and organ in a concert setting. Easter brings brass and full choir into the Sanctuary, while simple, contemplative services often feature organ, voice, and quiet reflection. Good Friday is observed jointly with Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, gathering in Davis Hall for a brunch, then in the Sanctuary for a shared service of worship.
Children and the Preschool Next Door
Plymouth takes seriously its role as a church where children of every age are welcomed. The nursery and toddler rooms, in McNaughton Hall, are staffed by an experienced childcare team that serves infants through three-year-olds during Sunday worship and at many church events.
Nurturing Faith, the Sunday learning program for children in Pre-K 4 through fifth grade, meets in McNaughton Hall after the Children's Moment and offers a bright, age-appropriate mix of Bible story, hands-on project, music, and play. Children are signed up in advance, and the program runs concurrently with Sunday worship.
One week each summer, the campus is transformed for Vacation Bible School, with a different theme each year. Children ages three through fifth grade join in games, music, and creative activities, while middle and high school youth serve as Crew Leaders or Activity Helpers, often earning community service hours.
Sharing the 11-acre campus is Martha Clinton Plymouth Preschool, an independent early-learning program with its own building, director, and admissions. Lynn D'Agostino leads the preschool, which has long been intertwined with the life of the church. Families find that morning drop-off at Plymouth Preschool, Sunday worship at Plymouth, and parenting small groups often flow naturally from one into the other.
Middle School, High School, and Confirmation
Youth ministry at Plymouth walks alongside teens in grades six through twelve. The Middle School Youth Group meets for games, big questions, and conversation about how faith meets the challenges of early adolescence. The High School Youth Group gathers for deeper discussion of the decisions, relationships, and questions that come with the older teen years. Both groups are open to friends, and the church keeps a running list of upcoming meetings, service outings, and social events.
Confirmation is offered for eighth graders and above. The class begins in January and concludes in May, when the confirmands are welcomed into full membership. Confirmation meetings combine dinner, games, fellowship, and learning, with weekend service outings and parent participation throughout the year. The ministry is led by Pastor Hollie and supported by Pastor Moira, with attention to building trust and lasting friendships among the confirmands.
Service is woven into the youth program throughout the year. Plymouth teens help assemble food donations for the Coconut Grove Crisis Food Pantry, read with elementary school children in summer reading camps at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, and join in mission trips; the church typically offers at least one youth mission trip per summer, and teens can also earn community service hours by serving as Vacation Bible School leaders each summer.
Bible Studies Around Tables and Coffee Shops
Adult Christian Education at Plymouth centers on three weekly gatherings. Sunday mornings bring Bible & Bagels, an informal hour around the table in Plymouth Hall (and online) before worship. Thursday mornings bring Bible & Breakfast, hosted by Pastor Hollie at Berries in the Grove on 27th Avenue and offered simultaneously on Zoom. Together they cover the coming Sunday's readings in conversation rather than lecture.
The Men's Bible Group meets Tuesday mornings at Greenstreet Cafe on Main Highway in Coconut Grove. Plymouth Book Club gathers on the third Saturday of each month in Lower Plymouth Hall (and over Zoom) for member-led discussions of a chosen book. Across the year, the Adult Christian Education Committee also offers occasional speaker events, short-term small groups, and an All Church Reads initiative.
Fellowship and food are paired as often as possible. Mahjong players meet every Tuesday afternoon in Plymouth Hall. Barnes Circle, the women's fellowship, gathers once a month for potluck suppers at members' homes. Other recurring gatherings include Men's BBQ, Trivia Night, Pickleball, Summer Music Nights, and seasonal potlucks. Yoga in Faith, a weekly Saturday morning practice led by certified instructor Kristen Llorca and Director of Children's Ministries Andrea Burt, pairs gentle movement with scripture as a spiritual practice. Moms & Babies, hosted on the first Friday of each month in McNaughton Hall, offers new mothers a space to meet and connect.
Serving Coconut Grove and Beyond
Plymouth takes seriously its vocation as a neighbor in Coconut Grove and across Miami. The Board of Outreach and Mission (BOOM) organizes the congregation's ongoing partnerships, and newcomers are welcome to join.
Each month a Plymouth team serves dinner at the Chapman Partnership Homeless Assistance Center downtown, with adult volunteers meeting at the church parking lot before traveling together to serve the meal. Plymouth also partners with Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade to paint and refurbish homes in the Grove itself.
Twice a month and through generous holidays, Plymouth supports the Coconut Grove Crisis Food Pantry, which serves about two hundred families each month. Members are invited to pick up a blue Plymouth grocery bag on the third Sunday of the month, fill it, and return it. Members of the church also tutor elementary school children during the annual summer reading camp at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, and several times each year travel to the Caring Place/Miami Rescue Mission center in Overtown to help residents with resumé writing and mock interviews. At Christmas, Plymouth fills more than 170 gift boxes for children served by the Family Resource Center of South Florida, which supports families working to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.
This 'N That Shop, the church's thrift ministry, collects gently used household goods, clothing, and small treasures on selected Sundays in front of McNaughton Hall. Volunteers assist donors with drive-up drop-off, and proceeds from sales support Plymouth's mission partners and outreach work.
Adult mission trips have included extended stays in Guatemala with Hug It Forward, helping to build bottle schools alongside local families and becoming part of the community for the duration of the trip.
Weddings in the Sanctuary
The Sanctuary, with its coral rock walls, exposed wooden beams, the renovated Angell pipe organ, and the imported Spanish door, is among Miami's most storied wedding venues. Plymouth welcomes both members and non-members for wedding ceremonies, and weddings are coordinated by Director of Weddings Melanie Phillips. A non-refundable deposit reserves a date, with the remaining fees due at least sixty days before the ceremony.
Weddings at Plymouth are Christian ceremonies. An officiating minister meets with the couple for premarital counseling and to plan the service, with ceremonies available in English, Spanish, or bilingual formats. The Director of Music consults with each couple on musical choices, arranging for soloists and instrumentalists as needed. The wedding day is supported by an experienced wedding coordinator who assists with the rehearsal and ceremony, and with the florist on site. The Sanctuary offers aisle candles, standing candelabras, and a unity candle; nails, tape, and tacks are not permitted on the pews, furniture, or walls, and scattering of flower petals, rice, or similar items is not allowed. Outside clergy may participate only at the discretion of the officiating minister and in a limited role.
Baptisms at Plymouth
Baptisms are celebrated for both members and non-members at Plymouth. Member baptisms are typically scheduled during Sunday morning worship in the Sanctuary, and the church works with families to find an appropriate service. Non-member baptisms are scheduled on specific Saturday mornings throughout the year in Edson Chapel. Inquiries can be directed to baptism@plymouthmiami.org.
A Capital Campaign for the Next Century
As it approaches its 130th year, Plymouth has launched "For Such a Time as This," its first-ever capital campaign, with a $5 million goal. The campaign funds a renewed campus: the renovation of Davis Fellowship Hall, the Sanctuary restrooms, and the preschool; the restoration of Pilgrim House to serve as ministerial housing; and the conversion of Longshore House into a Youth Center. Pledges and gifts to the campaign can be made online or by contacting the church office.
Becoming Part of Plymouth
Plymouth is an open and affirming congregation within the United Church of Christ, drawing members from across theological, cultural, and political backgrounds. Membership reflects Miami itself: families whose Plymouth roots run back generations sit alongside newer arrivals, and a spirit of curiosity and innovation shapes the common life. Becoming a Member is an easy process that welcomes those who wish to make Plymouth their spiritual home.
Sunday worship is the central gathering, joined each week by Bible studies, fellowship meals, choirs, youth groups, service opportunities, and the chance to share a cup of Plymouth's signature coffee with ice cream in the garden after the service. Visitors are warmly invited to step inside.