Nearly three months after the May 16 tornado, the Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church congregation has found an unexpected new home in Ferguson, where Sunday services continue in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church — a move that was supposed to be temporary, but is now permanent.
“The church has moved out of necessity and availability,” said interim pastor Rev. Douglass Petty of the historical church.
Cote Brilliante Presbyterian — a historic Black church that has stood as a spiritual and community anchor in north St. Louis since 1956 — lost its original building, an 80-year-old structure already showing its age, after it was declared a total loss.
Within hours of the tornado, the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy, which oversees the church, offered space at First Presbyterian of Ferguson. By that Sunday, just two days later, the congregation had resumed worship, even as they mourned their historic sanctuary. What began as a stopgap has since become a symbol of resilience and rebirth. Petty says parishioners have mixed emotions about the move, but as a whole, they are excited about the journey.
“Considering the cost associated with things, such as asbestos and lead remediation, excavation, engineering and architectural costs, just to name a few, makes it cost-prohibitive to consider rebuilding,” Rev. Petty said. “The insurance proceeds are insufficient to accommodate the previously described needs and build a new edifice.”
In the days following after the storm, help began to arrive — not just in supplies, but in solidarity. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance issued a small grant to Cote Brilliante to help meet the immediate needs of both its congregation and the surrounding community, as church elders continue to discern the path forward.
A damage assessment team was also deployed to the region, offering guidance and support. The organization has extended aid across multiple states impacted by the same powerful weather system, reaching at least three presbyteries: Giddings-Lovejoy in St. Louis, Transylvania in Kentucky and one covering Middle Tennessee.
The interim pastor has been serving at the Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church since October 2024. He said leading his congregation, especially during these times, has been an honor.
“Personally, I don’t view this experience as difficult — I see it as an opportunity for growth,” Rev. Petty said.
As Cote Brilliante remains in transition, Petty’s focus has been guiding his congregation through uncertainty while continuing to support the church’s existing ministries. “The proudest moment is still unfolding,” he said, “and that’s being able to consistently model Christ-like behavior in the face of adversity.”
The physical building is gone, but the mission and spirit of Christ remain in the community. The empty lot on Labadie Avenue still serves a purpose — in partnership with North Star Community Partners, the church has turned its former parking lot into a relief hub, distributing food, water, diapers and other essentials to neighbors still recovering from the storm.
The church’s legacy extends far beyond its Sunday services. For decades, Cote Brilliante served as a hub for community empowerment, giving rise to several nonprofit organizations that worked to expand affordable housing on nearby properties the church acquired over the years.
It also helped beautify the neighborhood by creating a community garden on Labadie Avenue — a symbol of growth and care that mirrored the church’s mission. The impact of the church endures through the ongoing efforts of its congregation and neighbors.
“Under the leadership of Dr. William Gillespie for 50 plus years, Cote Brilliante became a symbol of hope and inspiration for people in the region and beyond,” the interim pastor said. “Those who have followed in the pastorate have sought to uphold his legacy. I am honored because he was a mentor to me personally.”
The Church’s Roots in St. Louis
Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church has deep roots in north St. Louis. Organized by the St. Louis Presbytery in 1885, the congregation built its first church nine years later. Originally a fast-growing, all-white church, its membership began to decline in the late 1940s as legal segregation ended and Black families began moving into the neighborhood.
A pivotal moment came in 1945, just one block from the church, when J.D. and Ethel Shelley, a Black couple, purchased a home that was under a racially restrictive covenant. The seller, a white man named Louis Kraemer, sued to keep the Shelleys out, and won. The case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which, in 1948, ruled that racially restrictive covenants were unenforceable. The landmark civil rights decision not only reshaped housing rights nationwide but also deeply impacted the racial makeup of the neighborhood — and the future of Cote Brilliante.
As white flight accelerated, the once-thriving church was left with few members. Rather than adapting to minister to the changing community, the church leadership allowed the congregation to dwindle. Eventually, the building stood empty. That changed in 1957, when the Presbytery appointed the Rev. William Gillespie to lead a new chapter — one built by and for the Black families who now called the neighborhood home.