Church Stories

When Karmen became a follower of Jesus at 20 years old, she knew that her love for other cultures was a gift that God would use for ministry.
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What began as a discipleship process to help coach and develop the next generation of pastors in Central Florida has become a framework that is now being used to equip future…
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In a town known for its hardworking agricultural community, rodeos, airboat rides and other adventures, a pastor in DeSoto County has become known as the “disaster pastor,” with…
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Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier each year. With Christmas day less than two weeks away, two Florida Baptist churches got a jump on the gift-giving and celebrated an…
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PANAMA CITY–Political tensions were on the rise more than a decade ago in Venezuela where Hugh Redmon and his wife, Betsy, had served as International Mission Board missionaries…
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William M. Carmichael Jr., 84, who served on the staff of the Florida Baptist Convention from 1970 to 2008, died Dec. 4 in Jacksonville.
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Madison Chase loves caring for people; that’s why she became a nurse. Her journey to nursing and love of science began in a high school anatomy course.
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Editor’s note: Join your fellow Florida Baptists in prayer for missionaries serving around the globe during the Week of Prayer for International Missions, Dec. 1-8, as well as in…
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It’s just several hours past midnight when volunteers gather to begin preparing about 9,000 meals for the day as part of one Florida Baptist Disaster Relief feeding team. 
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Carlos Lollett, pastor of Reality Church Miami, addressed the 2024 annual gathering of Florida Baptists, calling on attendees to pursue a life of consecration and to look to the…
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PUNTA GORDA–Like many churches in the path of Hurricane Milton, Tri-City Baptist Church in Punta Gorda was hit hard. On Friday morning after the storm, volunteers from the church…
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Hundreds of Florida Baptists at the 2024 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting honored Tommy Green and his wife, Karen, for their years of faithful leadership in the…
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PANAMA CITY–Political tensions were on the rise more than a decade ago in Venezuela where Hugh Redmon and his wife, Betsy, had served as International Mission Board missionaries…
Read More...

PUNTA GORDA–Like many churches in the path of Hurricane Milton, Tri-City Baptist Church in Punta Gorda was hit hard. On Friday morning after the storm, volunteers from the church…
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Longtime Florida Baptist Brian Nall has been tapped to serve as newly elected West region catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention.
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Building relationships with pastors and the churches they serve has been one of the greatest blessings for Lewis Miller, West region catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention.
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In every county, some students struggle in some way with schoolwork, leading not only to low test scores, but also to minimal self-esteem, fear of failure, conflict within families…
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By Tim Ellsworth CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (BP) – An annual youth evangelism event at First Baptist Church had been slowly dwindling when Tyler Pearce started as student pastor four…
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Editor’s Note: As many churches throughout Florida are dealing with damage and even destruction to their facilities following the fury of recent hurricanes, church leaders can be…
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It was day two of hurricane cleanup at Keaton Beach’s Blue Creek Baptist Church for Pastor Justin Goins and fellow church members when God sent in a cavalry of college men to help…
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Known for its laid-back, friendly fishing village vibe, the quaint community of Horseshoe Beach found itself directly in the recent path of Hurricane Helene’s 140 mph winds and…
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Debris piled high along community roads, broken and splintered fragments of homes floating in waterways, shattered windows … and shattered lives.
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Florida Baptist Disaster Relief launched its mass feeding operations at First Baptist Church in Perry on Saturday, Sept. 28, following Category 4 Hurricane Helene’s destructive…
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As Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall just after 11 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 26, in Taylor County, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are now on “active…
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Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier each year. With Christmas day less than two weeks away, two Florida Baptist churches got a jump on the gift-giving and celebrated an…
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Like many congregations in Florida, First Baptist Church of Hudson is no stranger to the aftermath of natural disasters.
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Although Lake City, located about 60 miles west of Jacksonville, may have been spared the brunt of Hurricane Helene’s record-setting storm surge and fierce winds, the storm still…
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In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Madison community in north Florida has found itself in yet another season of recovery.
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Category 4 Hurricane Helene lashed out with high winds and storm surge in Otter Creek, a small community located about 20 miles east of Cedar Key, leaving widespread damage and…
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Some of the women seeking help at the Family Hope Resource and Pregnancy Center in Dunnellon may come expecting judgment, but Marcy Maste wants them to instead feel safe,…
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Florida Baptist Disaster Relief launched its mass feeding operations at First Baptist Church in Perry on Saturday, Sept. 28, following Category 4 Hurricane Helene’s destructive…
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LOGO Church is not your typical church name, but then this church plant in Northeast Florida is not your typical church.
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Pastor Jim Kinnebrew sometimes feels like God parachuted him right down in the middle of a new church plant.
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Just over 24 hours after Hurricane Debby made landfall on Aug. 5 in Florida’s Big Bend, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers set up their command center at First Baptist…
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When Jeff and Melody Scott got the call about helping with Florida Baptist Disaster Relief feeding efforts at their church in Live Oak, they felt like it was a great opportunity to…
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As Hurricane Debby, a Category 1 storm, made landfall early Monday morning, Aug. 5, along the Big Bend coast of Florida, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are now on…
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Southern Baptists are better together. That’s not just a slogan for the churches in the St. John’s River Baptist Association (SJRBA) in the St. Augustine and Palatka area of…
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It’s not rare for people to come home from the fair with all sorts of prizes and gifts—stuffed animals, handmade trinkets, funnel cakes—but at the Putnam County Fair, there’s one…
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Pastor Herb Reavis and his son Josh have been working together for about 18 years at North Jacksonville Baptist Church, but now they are serving as co-pastors of the church.
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Josh and Beth Glymph are different, but not in the way people might expect.
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Hispanic church leaders and their wives from Daytona, DeLand, Deltona, Oviedo and Sanford gathered Jan. 18-20 at Park Avenue Baptist Church in Titusville for the inaugural East…
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Líderes de iglesias hispanas y sus esposas de Daytona, DeLand, Deltona, Oviedo y Sanford se reunieron del 18 al 20 de enero en la Iglesia Bautista Park Avenue en Titusville para el…
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As Florida Baptists’ partnership with Ohio Baptists begins to take shape, leaders from both state conventions are realizing the opportunities for God to do “something bigger” in…
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According to prison chaplain Paul Davis, the concepts that led to more than 85 decisions to follow Christ are not overly complex.   Listen to people. Help them understand they…
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The seven-man mission team from Hillcrest Baptist Church faced some challenges in Quito, Ecuador.
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One lightning strike that claimed the life of a beloved teen girl has sparked a spiritual revival throughout an entire community in northeast Florida.
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To help penetrate the spiritual darkness and impact the Northeast with the gospel, Florida Baptist churches are partnering with the Baptist Convention of New England,  which serves…
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A volunteer fiesta created an opportunity for a youth group to get on the road, traveling almost two hours from their home church, to serve another church.
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What began as a discipleship process to help coach and develop the next generation of pastors in Central Florida has become a framework that is now being used to equip future…
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Madison Chase loves caring for people; that’s why she became a nurse. Her journey to nursing and love of science began in a high school anatomy course.
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In mid-September, members from across all five locations of Bell Shoals Church gathered in a combined campus celebration to reflect on the past year of ministry and celebrate…
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More than 80 volunteers and 200 children converged on the campus of Bell Shoals Church in Brandon for the sixth annual Kids Worship Camp, July 15-19.  
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Más de 3.000 hombres, mujeres y niños asistieron a un servicio de oración especial el sábado 27 de julio en First Orlando. Miles de personas se reunieron para orar por Venezuela…
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More than 3,000 men, women and children attended a special prayer service on Saturday, July 27, at First Orlando. The thousands came together to pray for Venezuela ahead of the…
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WINTER GARDEN—What is the secret to a spiritual awakening taking place among students in central Florida? It’s really no secret at all. First Baptist Church in Winter Garden…
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When Pastor Chris Butler took the helm at North Naples Baptist Church in 2016, he inherited a congregation on the brink of closure, dwindled to just 40 members. Just two weeks into…
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U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS— After being forced to close its doors following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, both in 2017, Bluewater Bible College in the U.S. Virgin Islands is poised for a…
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Liberty Southern Baptist Church has become a light and staple for the workers of Florida’s biggest event you’ve never heard of.
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In May 1998 Lito and Lilybeth Lucas moved to Lakeland with the firm belief that they were following God’s direction to plant a church in Central Florida.
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As Florida Baptists’ partnership with Ohio Baptists begins to take shape, leaders from both state conventions are realizing the opportunities for God to do “something bigger” in…
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In a town known for its hardworking agricultural community, rodeos, airboat rides and other adventures, a pastor in DeSoto County has become known as the “disaster pastor,” with…
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“Everything utterly destroyed–furniture, seats, resources.” That’s how Pastor Rafael Sanchez described the newly renovated church building of Tampa’s Iglesia Bautista Bethel,…
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“Everything utterly destroyed–furniture, seats, resources.” That’s how Pastor Rafael Sanchez described the newly renovated church building of Tampa’s Iglesia Bautista Bethel,…
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Diane Traynor is not really a fan of hurricanes, but after their arrival she springs into action­–ready to offer soothing words, a listening ear and the hope of Christ.
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Deemed as one of the “10 Best Places to Retire” in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Port Charlotte is not just a growing community for retirees—but also for young…
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The night Frank Brand and his wife, Jennifer, were to fly to southwest Florida in view of a call, Brand received a call from a church in Georgia.
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When it comes to fulfilling the Great Commission, Crossroads Baptist Church in Fort Myers has discovered that less is more.
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More than 200 people—from every generation and across two campuses—converged on Fellowship Church in southwest Florida for the fifth annual Church Family Conference, July 28-31.
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The simple, coastal town of Englewood, located about 35 miles south of Sarasota, is mostly known for its Fishermen’s Village and being a family-friendly escape.
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As shovels of soft dirt were turned in the soil, members of Calvary Baptist Church in Arcadia are envisioning hearts being softened to the gospel as community residents turn to…
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Recognizing that the tide is shifting in Naples, with more and more Spanish-speaking families moving to Florida’s Southwest region, Herminio Pagan—better known as JR—and his wife,…
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Reconociendo que la marea está cambiando en Naples, con cada vez más familias de habla hispana mudándose a la región suroeste de Florida, Herminio Pagán—mejor conocido como JR—y su…
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When Karmen became a follower of Jesus at 20 years old, she knew that her love for other cultures was a gift that God would use for ministry.
Read More...

What began as a discipleship process to help coach and develop the next generation of pastors in Central Florida has become a framework that is now being used to equip future…
Read More...

In a town known for its hardworking agricultural community, rodeos, airboat rides and other adventures, a pastor in DeSoto County has become known as the “disaster pastor,” with…
Read More...

Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier each year. With Christmas day less than two weeks away, two Florida Baptist churches got a jump on the gift-giving and celebrated an…
Read More...

PANAMA CITY–Political tensions were on the rise more than a decade ago in Venezuela where Hugh Redmon and his wife, Betsy, had served as International Mission Board missionaries…
Read More...

William M. Carmichael Jr., 84, who served on the staff of the Florida Baptist Convention from 1970 to 2008, died Dec. 4 in Jacksonville.
Read More...

Madison Chase loves caring for people; that’s why she became a nurse. Her journey to nursing and love of science began in a high school anatomy course.
Read More...

Editor’s note: Join your fellow Florida Baptists in prayer for missionaries serving around the globe during the Week of Prayer for International Missions, Dec. 1-8, as well as in…
Read More...

It’s just several hours past midnight when volunteers gather to begin preparing about 9,000 meals for the day as part of one Florida Baptist Disaster Relief feeding team. 
Read More...

Carlos Lollett, pastor of Reality Church Miami, addressed the 2024 annual gathering of Florida Baptists, calling on attendees to pursue a life of consecration and to look to the…
Read More...

PUNTA GORDA–Like many churches in the path of Hurricane Milton, Tri-City Baptist Church in Punta Gorda was hit hard. On Friday morning after the storm, volunteers from the church…
Read More...

Hundreds of Florida Baptists at the 2024 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting honored Tommy Green and his wife, Karen, for their years of faithful leadership in the…
Read More...