In 1952, the East Sligh Ave Baptist Church was founded in the Seminole Heights Community. There were many years of successful ministry at the East Sligh Ave Baptist Church which sadly came to a close in 2010. Thankfully, the desire of the few remaining members was to somehow keep a church in Seminole Heights. During the process of closing, the members decided to reach out to Pastor Kerry Nance and the Southside Baptist Church to see if they would be willing to take the property of the East Sligh Ave Baptist Church with the intent of planting another church someday. After much prayer, Pastor Nance and the Southside Baptist Church accepted the offer and obtained all buildings and properties at that time.

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Over the course of the next couple of years, Southside invested a lot of time and money into the buildings and property. Southside also decided to change the name of the church to the Lighthouse Baptist Church. They spent a long time looking and praying for a family to come and partner with them in planting this new church. In July of 2018, the Butler family answered the call and moved from Ohio to Tampa to help plant the Lighthouse Baptist Church. With the blessing and help of Southside and Pastor Kerry Nance, Lighthouse Baptist Church opened its doors on August 18th, 2019 under the leadership of Pastor Corban Butler. In early 2024, the Lord led Pastor Corban and his family back to Ohio to take over the Massillon Baptist Temple.

 

Pastor Chris Ferguson and his family made a significant transition from serving on staff at Sauk Trail Baptist Temple in Richton Park, IL, to taking on the role of pastor at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Tampa, FL. This move reflects their commitment to following God’s calling and reaching new communities with the gospel. As they settle into Central Florida, Pastor Ferguson and his family earnestly pray that God will use their ministry to see souls saved and lives transformed. They look forward to being a light in Tampa, trusting that God’s work through them will have a lasting impact on the lives they touch.