A New Beginning

After the new facility was finished, the church continued to grow. Brother Peter Lord preached at both churches for a year until First Baptist could find a full time pastor. He preached an early Sunday morning service at Park Avenue, then the 11:00 a.m. service at First Baptist. Brother B.M. “Danny” Daniels had been called to be the Recreation/Education director in 1967 at First Baptist Church and moved to the new church. Both Danny Daniels and Bill Flanders served both churches for a year.

The churches were separated in March 1970, and Park Avenue Baptist Church was officially incorporated on September 11, 1970.

Brother Bill Flanders had an outstanding youth choir that traveled to various churches in the summer to minister. At one of those meetings in the Northeast, the area Missionary for the Baptist Association asked if Park Avenue Baptist Church could minister to some of the pastors in that pioneer area of ministry for Southern Baptists in the Northeast. He suggested that if it were at all possible, we should try to get them to come to Florida. Of course, money was a problem for them since the churches were small and many of the pastors were bi-vocational. From that suggestion the church leaders held a “Prayer Retreat” at Camp Ithiel, where the Lord led the church to establish a “Retreat Ministry.” Pastors and wives were brought to Park Avenue Baptist Church from several locations in the Northeast for a week of spiritual renewal. Park Avenue Baptist Church paid for everything as a part of our Missions effort. In the beginning, the Pastors and wives stayed in the homes of our church members. Then in the early 1970’s the Retreat Building was built to house retreats. One of the steps of faith was the decision to build the Retreat Building for cash.

 

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