My Church
Every church has a history. To some people history may be written facts that happened. To others it is the people that make up that history. So what is different about my church and its history? Anastasia Baptist Church was founded in 1967 in St. Augustine, Florida. We have a very diverse church with many different services. ABC is not just made up of a building; it is made up of the community of believers there. Even though our church has over 1600 in worship on Sunday, it is still like a small church. With small groups, it helps community within the church.

In 1967, Ancient City Baptist Church saw a need for a church over on Anastasia Island. They bought land but held services down in a store front on Anastasia Boulevard until there was money to build. They built the first building in 1969 and added on in 1974 for more space for children, youth and the congregation. Our Pastor, Ron Moore came in 1981 and they completed the U-shape with buildings for class rooms and a fellowship hall in 1982. My family came to Anastasia in 1990 when I was eighteen months old. Mr. Keith came in 1993 as minister of music and senior adults. In 1994 we started a campaign for a new sanctuary. Bobby Crum came in 1995 as the youth minister. The worship center was not completed until 1998. In 1998 Walter West came as minister of education and administration. Bobby switched to contemporary music and young adults in 2000. Mason Reigger came in 2000 as the Youth Minister and Dan Ott came as the minister to adults in 2004. Keith Pate left January 2005 to go to Eastern Hills Baptist Church in Montgomery. Dr. David Elder came in August 2005 as the minister of music. We just finished a new building that is for a fellowship hall, class rooms, and a temporary worship facility. This facility will hold around 1100 in worship. This is some of the basic history of my church in facts.

My church has a mission. "Our mission is to reach St. Augustine and St. Johns County for Christ through Spirit-filled worship, compassionate evangelism, transformational teaching, gift-oriented ministry and meaningful relationships." ABC is like a small church because the way people treat you. All of the years I have been there, the more I have realized how much they mean to me. I arrived when there were only 200 members in 1990. As a child, the members of the church were like a family to me. As I have gotten older, I have learned many things from each of them. Many of the members took care of me when I was little. There have always been many places to serve at the church.

It is not just a church that offers just one type of service but three types of services. We have a contemporary, traditional, and blended. The church has thrived since I have gotten there and it grows at a rapid rate. Now, it has about 1600 on a weekend. This has all taken place in sixteen years. It is not just a bunch of buildings; it is the community of Christ. It is a group of believers. It is a place that a whole family can worship, no matter what differences in worship preferences. The church still seems small because you know many people. If you are not there someone is always wondering what is wrong. If you wanted to change services every week and attend a different bible study, we have them for different ages, you will fit in somewhere. We offer many activities for different ages. If we do not have it they are willing to help you start that group if you know of one that will minister to other peoples needs.

It is like a home. I have spent all day at church and still did not get all I needed to get done. If God was not with the church it would not have grown this much in these years. I have learned how to meet new people and learned to let people go. Many examples I have had in the church have died through the years and some have moved away. I have been there through two constructions. The first building I was there to see them build was the sanctuary that held 650 people. The second is the newest one that I did not even get to see the first service in because they were still working on it when I left. I have watched the church grow all these years but have remained to know many of the people that go there. All churches have some kind of history and that varies from church to church.