PALM SPRINGS CHURCH DEDICATES NEW SANCTUARY
A capacity attendance of members and guests participated in the November 7 Palm Springs grand opening celebration and dedication service.
Founding members Dahlia and Rendel Forbes were given the honor of cutting the ribbon at the special Sabbath afternoon program.
by Dahlia Forbes
A dedication and opening ceremony held recently for Palm Springs Church in Lake Worth, Fla., commemorated a date 14½ years ago as 19 believers met to plan and develop a branch Sabbath School. When growing numbers of attendees stretched this original house church to capacity in 2000, the homeowner opened up his office for worship.
This community of faith began looking for a larger place to worship and was able to secure a 3.8-acre parcel of land in September 2000. After renovations, an old building on the property became a place of worship.
Two years later on September 21, 2002, the church was officially granted company status and accepted into Florida Conference’s sisterhood of churches. Lester Elliot became the first pastor.
Church growth continued until the company was organized into a congregation of more than 100 members in March 2003. Not only did the church continue to increase its numbers through evangelism and other means, the members also sponsored Victory Church in Port St. Lucie.
Even though ground was broken for a new sanctuary, it was not to be. At one point, the structure used for services on the property was destroyed by fire. Challenges abounded, so the group rented a facility from Faith Presbyterian Church.
Members started to build at the fire site, but it became evident that a better plan would be to purchase a finished church edifice than try to build a new structure. A large donation from two members was the catalyst for other members to give sacrificially, and a new property was selected.
“Patience is certainly a virtue that pays off — everything happens in God’s own time,” says Theo Roberts, a founding member and later pastor of the growing congregation.
Transformation began again as a building on the new campus was turned into a church home. On November 7, 2015, the fruits of the labor for 172 faithful members paid off, and Palm Springs Church was dedicated.
Our greatest appreciation and thanks is given to God for providing for us. We are grateful to Him for using Pastor Raulford Baptiste and the church building committee to navigate us through the difficult times we experienced with acquiring this sanctuary.
A dedication and opening ceremony held recently for Palm Springs Church in Lake Worth, Fla., commemorated a date 14½ years ago as 19 believers met to plan and develop a branch Sabbath School. When growing numbers of attendees stretched this original house church to capacity in 2000, the homeowner opened up his office for worship.
This community of faith began looking for a larger place to worship and was able to secure a 3.8-acre parcel of land in September 2000. After renovations, an old building on the property became a place of worship.
Two years later on September 21, 2002, the church was officially granted company status and accepted into Florida Conference’s sisterhood of churches. Lester Elliot became the first pastor.
Church growth continued until the company was organized into a congregation of more than 100 members in March 2003. Not only did the church continue to increase its numbers through evangelism and other means, the members also sponsored Victory Church in Port St. Lucie.
Even though ground was broken for a new sanctuary, it was not to be. At one point, the structure used for services on the property was destroyed by fire. Challenges abounded, so the group rented a facility from Faith Presbyterian Church.
Members started to build at the fire site, but it became evident that a better plan would be to purchase a finished church edifice than try to build a new structure. A large donation from two members was the catalyst for other members to give sacrificially, and a new property was selected.
“Patience is certainly a virtue that pays off — everything happens in God’s own time,” says Theo Roberts, a founding member and later pastor of the growing congregation.
Transformation began again as a building on the new campus was turned into a church home. On November 7, 2015, the fruits of the labor for 172 faithful members paid off, and Palm Springs Church was dedicated.
Our greatest appreciation and thanks is given to God for providing for us. We are grateful to Him for using Pastor Raulford Baptiste and the church building committee to navigate us through the difficult times we experienced with acquiring this sanctuary.
Founding members Dahlia and Rendel Forbes were given the honor of cutting the ribbon at the special Sabbath afternoon program.
Palm Springs Church’s original name was Emmanuel Church. Its founding members were:
- Dahlia Forbes
- Rendel Forbes
- Linet Hall
- Thelma Henry
- Cassie James
- Herman Martin
- Fredricka McCarthy
- Charles Nairne
- Inez Nairne
- Hurbert Picart
- Hyacinth Picart
- Julia Powell
- Theophilus Roberts
- Elton Shakes
- Joyce Sibble
- Isabel Taylor
- Julie Taylor
- Wentworth Taylor
- Yolande Taylor