Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

by Jeffrey Thompson
Oretha Lloyd, 94, oldest member of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Church, turned the first shovel of earth during the ground breaking ceremony for a sanctuary. The new edifice will become part of the present facility that houses a fellowship hall and Sabbath School rooms.
Mike Cauley, Florida Conference President, commended the congregation for its vision. “The church has one foundation, and it’s Jesus Christ the Lord,” he said.
David Baptiste, 12, representing the younger generation of church members, buried a Bible on the exact spot where the new pulpit will be located. This was done to show others that the Adventist Church is built upon the Word of God.
Jeffrey Thompson, senior pastor, reminded those in attendance of Winston Churchill’s words from one of his greatest speeches after Great Britain was bombed by Hitler, “Never, never, never give up.” Thompson went on to say, “How true are those words for us here at Fort Lauderdale. This project has been in the making for 25 years.”
Owen Flynn, Building Committee Chairman, and Kathy Fairchild, Florida Conference Vice President for Property Development, brought greetings. Infinite Praise and the sanctuary choir provided inspirational messages in song. Dan Williams, former pastor, and Rawle Gooding, architect for the project, were also in attendance.
The new sanctuary will cost approximately one million dollars and seat more than 430 people. The Fort Lauderdale Church was planted in 1920 and is the oldest Adventist church in Broward County.