Our Story --
In the mid1960’s, the unincorporated community of Indian River City had begun to bulge with new homes for space engineers and their families. John’s of the Presbyterian Church in the United States saw a need for outreach for Christ in this neighborhood. The Reverend Hugh Hamilton accepted a call from the Church Extension Committee and a congregation of 34 persons met with Reverend H
amilton on October 31, 1965 at the Indian River Civic Center. A congregation of 87 received its charter of organization from Presbytery and chose the name of St. Gifts of money came from individuals and the Presbytery who, in God’s mysterious providence, received a donation of stock valued at just over $100,000 from an unknown gentleman, Mr. Lee of New York City, to be used for evangelism in Titusville. In January 1967 Church Plan One began, which included a fellowship hall-kitchen, six Sunday school rooms, and a church office. On Father’s Day, the 125 member congregation worshiped in the new building for the first time. Plans for a sanctuary were begun and it was completed in 1974. Reverend Hamilton moved on from St. Luke's to continue his church planting work in our Presbytery and in December 1970 The Reverend William R. Barron became our second pastor. Throughout the years, the ministry of St. Luke’s has been led by The Reverend Dr. James B. Reaves from 1978-1984, The Reverend Keith Curran from 1985-1993, The Reverend Jay Seabrook from 1995-2012, and by The Reverend Jody Noble from 2014-2022. Luke’s is active in supporting our ten area public schools with supplies for students/teachers and providing boxed lunches for teachers/staff, provides an after-school homework club two days a week during the school year, packs food bags for The Children's Hunger Project, packs and gives out food at the Hummingbird Pantry, offers food to the community through our own Food Pantry, covers one Meals on Wheels route, provides 100 full Christmas meals delivered to people's homes, does once a year trash clean ups at three community parks, provides a Trunk or Treat each October for our community children, rings bells for one week each December for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign, provides support to three PC/USA missionary couples, gives to special offerings of the PC/USA, and supports overseas mission work through the Brevard & Indian River Presbyterians. We also have provided financial support to the National Veterans Homeless Support (Brevard Chapter), The Women's Center, The Children's Hunger Project, Hummingbird Pantry, and the Disabled American Veterans local chapter.
