Fort Myers Beach Baptist Church goers resume service in tents

A place of worship stands with a tall task ahead. Beach Baptist Church on Fort Myers beach was just demolished.

Church goers are working to get back to what they enjoy doing the most, serving their community.

The tall white cross that once stood high above Fort Myers beach is no longer on its steeple. Beach Baptist Church shows that a building with four walls is not needed to hold Sunday service.

“This will be our first Sunday that we do our services inside our tent,” associate pastor for Beach Baptist Church Mallie Critser remarked.

Hurricane Ian heavily damaged the church, and crews demolished what remained.
However, volunteers like Debby Sams never stopped their mission of service.

“I’ve given out a lot of hugs, and just met a lot of people and helped people get through a very tough time,” Sams said.

Howie Hoffman needed one of those hugs. Hoffman lost everything in the storm and now depends on the church’s pantry, which is set up in the old Church’s parking lot.

“The people here at the Beach Baptist Churches are saviors, they provided us with everything we need. We’ve seen all sorts of friendly faces which is very important when you’ve lost everything,” Hoffman mentioned.

Beach Baptist Church plans to rebuild. The Church hopes for a developer to do the work for free, in exchange for a piece of church property. The builder would use that land for an eight-story condo.

“I’m excited that a church is going to be on this property and whatever means it takes to get a church back on this property that served this island I’m okay with,” Critser said.