“The Lord has brought us a mighty long way.”

That was the testimony of members and friends of Patmos Chapel Seventh-day Adventist Church in Apopka, Florida, as they celebrated the church’s platinum (70th) anniversary on September 22, 2023. More than 650 members and friends crammed into the church’s edifice to worship and praise God for His guidance over seven decades and to ponder what God has in store for the Patmos’ future. 

In this welcome, Pastor James R. Doggette reminded the congregation that “God has spared the church for 70 years and given it the ability to thrive. The Bible says, ‘The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years . . .’ (Ps. 90:10, NKVJ). Now Patmos is going into its season of strength, 70 years.”

“Pastor McClean and I are committed, along with the church leadership, to making sure that as we move into the next 70 years, we continue to reach out to our community,” he said. “We’re not just a group that comes together, worships and disperses without making a difference.”

Doggette thanked those responsible for organizing the day, including Chaplain Christian Taylor, who chaired the steering committee; Tiffany McIntyre, who organized the Sabbath dinner; and  Crystal Syrracos, worship leader and praise team director. Later in the program, Taylor and Crystal honored praise team members for their contribution to the church’s worship experience. “They do an amazing job. Not only do they sing,” Taylor said. “But they [also] deepen our walk with Christ.”

Orange County (Florida) Mayor Jerry L. Demings offered his congratulations in a letter to the church. He also commended the church for its dedication to the community. “I commend Patmos Chapel for building a community center that provides youth and families with numerous recreational activities and educational opportunities that nourish and mind the body,” Demings wrote. “As one of the largest food distribution sites in the county, thank you for your continual food giveaways that have helped thousands of people who struggle to make ends meet. The food drives are a stabilizing force in the community and lift the quality of life for our residents.”

As you celebrate this momentous occasion, I hope you reflect on the many accomplishments achieved and the years of dedicated service to the community. I pray that you and your ministry continue to grow and evolve as you enter the next chapter of faithful service. ”

The morning speaker was Pastor David Franklin from Oakland, California. Franklin also affirmed the church’s achievements and praised Doggette as an innovator willing to take risks to see the kingdom of God built.

An Anointed Word

In his sermon titled “Don’t Get Stuck,” Franklin told the story of Cori Dionne “Coco” Gauff, the 19-year-old tennis star who recently won the U.S. Open. Gauff, an African American, became the first American teenager to win the title since Serena Williams in 1999. She is ranked number 3 in the world. Franklin explained that Gauff’s road to success wasn’t easy. She fell short in five major tournaments before winning the U.S. Open. And she was thankful for the losses because it made getting the title more precious.

Franklin explained that Gauff’s experience offers valuable lessons for Christians. God often takes us through tough times before we can achieve our goals and desires. “There’s no testimony without a test,” he said. “Don’t get stuck in fear. Don’t get stuck in comfort zones. Don’t get stuck in past mistakes. Don’t get stuck in bitterness.”

Too often, Christians settle into their comfort zones and don’t push forward to achieve the full measure of what God wants to give them. Whether a new job, growing your business, writing a book, obtaining more education, or starting a ministry, these goals will come with trials and setbacks. We must keep trying, fighting, and moving until we receive God’s blessing, he said.

Franklin offered five principles that will help people maintain continuous growth in life. 1) Embrace new beginnings — take a risk and explore new opportunities. 2) Maintain a clear vision — avoid distractions. 3) Seek inner fulfillment over external validation — avoid seeking approval from others. 4) Practice persistent faith — keep your focus on God. 5) Embrace life with open hands — keep an open mind. To receive the full potential of God’s blessings on your life, simply let go and let God.

New Beginnings

Patmos Chapel’s 70-year history is truly one of embracing new beginnings. The inspiration for an Adventist presence in Winter Park was born from a tent meeting Elder L. S. Follette held in 1937. The newly baptized members met in members’ homes for 13 years. The group dispersed for a short time but restarted around 1950. These members helped Elder Horace M. Barker conduct a 15-week tent meeting that brought new baptisms in 1953. Other members from Orlando also joined the established company.*

Construction on the first church building started shortly after the evangelist meetings. Elder Barker recommended the name “Patmos Chapel,” a reference to the Greek island of Patmos, where the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation. The church was completed and dedicated in 1955 under the leadership of Pastor Calvin B. Rock.

Over the next 20 years, the church experienced robust growth, so when fire destroyed the building on July 21, 1978, Pastor Oscar Paul and church members decided to search for a larger property on which to build a 6,000-square-foot structure. Grand opening services for the Swoope Street facility were held on April 11, 1981. The building served the congregation for 18 years. As church growth accelerated in the 1990s, the need for a bigger facility again became a burning issue. This time, the church built an expansion to the edifice, enlarging its structure to 24,000 square feet.

Construction began in October 1999, and in February 2000, the congregation vacated the property for nearly a year. After many setbacks, including a power outage, the newly renovated facility opened on September 28, 2000. During the early 2000s, the church continued growing, and in 2011, the Patmos received its first associate pastor, Byron S. Crockett. In 2015, Yvette Parham, the first female associate for the Southeastern Conference, was installed. Unfortunately, by 2017, mold was discovered in the Swoope Street parish, and it was deemed unusable.

Several members chose to stay in Winter Park, but the church moved to Apopka in 2019. Under the leadership of Pastor James Doggette, the congregation purchased the Cooper Palms Sports Complex. This 107,000-square-foot facility offers basketball courts, volleyball courts, baseball training facilities, a kids’ gymnasium, a restaurant, and mentoring classes.

The center was renamed Well Activity Center, a reference to the biblical story of the woman at the well in John 4. After worshiping in temporary venues, in 2020, the assembly started drive-in worship services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That same year, the church began a drive-in food giveaway that served hundreds of people. As the pandemic subsided, the church moved indoors, worshiping in the gymnasium, and in March 2023, the church completed the renovation of a 9,200-square-foot sanctuary called “The Hub.”

Today, Patmos Chapel is one of the most unique Adventist churches in North America. “Positioned in Well Activity Center, Patmos Chapel serves [the] hundreds of people that flow through our doors every day,” said Doggette. “This is not just a church building where people come for church events. It’s a place where people come for life events. This building is a magnet that brings people of various ethnicities and socioeconomic groups together. And our mission is to mingle with them and meet needs: their physical needs, their temporal needs, their spiritual needs. It’s evangelism 352 days a year.” 

 * Much of the history mentioned above was gleaned from a historical account by Robert Mike II for Patmos Chapel’s Emerald (55th) Anniversary Celebration in 2008 and from patmoschapel.org. 

— Carlos Medley is a retired online editor for the Adventist Review and serves as a community service liaison for Patmos Chapel Church in Orlando, Florida. Rebecca Smith, who coordinated the Emerald Anniversary Celebration, also contributed to this article. This article also appears on the Southern Tidings website.