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A BRIEF HISTORY Fellowship Baptist Church was started in December of 1983 with about 30 people in a Temple Terrace apartment complex social hall under the leading of God upon Brother Scotty Drake. The church was founded upon five biblical principles: evangelizing the lost, teaching the Bible, practicing prayer, promoting the family and supporting worldwide missions. After meeting in the home of Cliff and Kay Frink for several weeks, an abandoned store front on 56th Street near Fowler Avenue was secured for $100.00 a month. The church was permitted to tear down walls and enlarge its worship space as it grew. In April of 1984, the Fellowship Baptist Church was officially organized with 111 charter members, voting Bro. Scotty as its Pastor. When the church outgrew the rented storefront, a search for a permanent home for Fellowship began. In 1985, the facilities of the former North East Baptist Church on 109th Avenue were purchased. Fellowship experienced fantastic growth at this location. The church called Bro. Cliff Frink as its Associate Pastor in 1986 and constructed and dedicated a new auditorium in 1988. In June of 1995, Brother Scotty resigned the pastorate of Fellowship to work full-time with H.E.L.P. Ministries in worldwide mission work. The church called Brother Cliff as its Pastor, effective October, 1995. God gave us a vision to expand the ministries of Fellowship Baptist through Isaiah 54:2 where we find the phrase, “enlarge the place of thy tent...” This new vision included a church campus that would allow expansion, a Family Life Retreat Center, featuring cabins and recreation where all ages can come to experience wholesome entertainment and spiritual growth, The Scotty and Barbara Drake Missions Center, featuring suites and dormitories for visiting missionaries and a senior citizen’s apartment community, featuring housing and amenities for our senior saints. In order to expand, the church would need to obtain a larger piece of property. Standing in the way of this was an indebtedness of $140,000.00. A four-year debt-retirement plan was launched and the church began praying for wisdom to find the right property. In 1998, God led us to the 30 acre property on North Highway 301. The church put a contract on this property for $200,000.00, pending a rezoning which would allow the development necessary to accomplish the vision God had given us. In the 8 months it took to rezone the property, the remaining $52,200.00 indebtedness on the 109th Avenue facility was paid off. In September of 2000, the facilities on 109th Avenue were sold and Fellowship held services in Greco Middle School on Fowler Avenue while the first buildings were being built on the new property. In June of 2002, Fellowship Baptist Church held the first service on the new property. It was a great beginning to the exciting journey God has charted for us in this new location. Fellowship has just (September 2004) developed "Phase 2: The Next Step of Faith". This phase involved the construction of the 18,000 square foot building pictured on the top of these webpages next to our Fellowship logo. This building features an auditorium that seats around 500 for worship, a nursery, additional children's educational classrooms, a lobby with a welcome center, a bridal room and a bookstore, restroom facilities, a baptistry, a drive-under and the capacity for a future balcony. The former auditorium has been converted to a Fellowship Hall which is used for both fellowships and educational purposes. |