The church is the oldest uninterrupted church in Plant City.
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church opens its doors to the congregation every Sunday, welcoming all who wish to come as they are to gather in worship.
Stepping through the entryway and into the chapel this past weekend it may have seemed like any other Sunday with members making their way in, welcoming each other and talking in the pews as they waited for the service to begin. One noticeable difference this past Sunday however, was the massive blue banner that hung behind the podium and the choir to celebrate the church’s 136th anniversary.
Now 136 years old is the oldest uninterrupted church in Plant City since its beginning in 1886, with many of the other active baptist churches in the area tracing their history back to Bethel Missionary Baptist.
“Now as we celebrate Father God, help us to commemorate all of those that went ahead of us, making the way possible for us to sit in such a plush atmosphere,” minister Don Roberts said. “We thank you for all that you have done, we thank you for all of the years that you have brought this church through. We thank you for the patrons, the ancestors that made it possible. Strengthen us now as we celebrate you by way of our praise and worship as we give you glory for all that you’ve done… We thank you for this 136 years. We celebrate you because it was you that made it possible.”
For many in the congregation, their connection to Bethel Baptist Church runs through their parents, their grandparents and sometimes even their great-grandparents. The church is about more than just the building that allows them to worship together each week, but it’s also about all of the years and history and generations that have made it a staple in the community. It’s about the church’s senior missionary and youth groups, along with their visits to nursing homes and food pantries to help provide for those in need.
Church member Essie Lewis understands that as well as anyone. Lewis is a Plant City native who began attending the church as a child with her grandfather and her mother before becoming the first black member of the Florida Strawberry Queen’s Court as a First Maid in 1973. Since then, Lewis graduated from Florida A&M University, served 20 years as an educator in both Tallahassee and Hillsborough County and has been endlessly involved in positive causes that are close to her heart throughout Plant City, including Bethel.
During the service, Lewis stepped to the front to present an official recognition and congratulations on behalf of Mayor Rick Lott and the rest of the Plant City Commissioners.
“I still remember going with my granddad, that’s why I’m there…” Lewis said. “It was a little wooden church across the street. My granddad went there, and I want to say his dad did too. It’s just like a hereditary thing. My mom went to Bethel, I went to Bethel, it’s a family tradition.”
