Bell Shoals Baptist Church

Bell Shoals Church is a Baptist megachurch located in Brandon, Florida. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.[1]

History

Bell Shoals started in February 1961 when a group of 17 men met at Stowers Funeral Home.[2] Shortly after, in March 1961, they acquired two acres (0.81 ha) of land to build their sanctuary, and 80 additional members joined.[3][2]

Today, there are now 8,000 members and four other campuses.[4] One of their campuses, Bell Shoals Baptist Apollo Beach, first started with 12 members, now has over 400 members.[5]

In their community, Bell Shoals has partnered with Give 'em Heaven Ministries, Good Samaritan Mission, Manna on Wheels, Metropolitan Ministries, the Community Issues Council, Friends of Internationals, LifeCare Network, Tampa Port Ministries, Inc. and Workplace Paracletes.

The church also hosts concerts and large Christmas productions. In 2013, Bell Shoals hosted a concert featuring Natalie Grant and Sandi Patty.[6] In December 2017, Bell Shoals hosted its annual Christmas production, which featured a 175-person choir and a 35-piece orchestra.[7] In February 2018, Bell Shoals held a concert featuring American Idol finalists Scott MacIntyre and Jeremy Rosado to raise money to benefit victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.[8]

Politics

In 2007, protests gathered around Bell Shoals Baptist Church and accused the church of discriminating against gay men and women. Forrest Pollock, then pastor of the church, denied these claims and invited the people to attend church.[9][10]

References
  1. "Our Senior Pastor | Bell Shoals Church". bellshoals.com. Archived from the original on 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  2. Reeder, Adam (March 2, 2002). "Bell Shoals Baptist Church". St. Petersburg Times.
  3. Drew, Connie (April 12, 2003). "Bell Shoals Baptist Church". St. Petersburg Times.
  4. "I'm New | Bell Shoals Baptist Church". bellshoals.com. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  5. "Larger churches find success starting smaller campuses". TBO.com. 2014-03-30. Archived from the original on 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  6. "Tampa Bay's Night of Inspiration: Natalie Grant and Grammy Winner Sandi Patty LIVE in Concert, August 3 at Bell Shoals Baptist Church". PR Newswire. July 18, 2018.
  7. "Bell Shoals Baptist Church Presents Wonder: A Christmas Experience - Osprey Observer". Osprey Observer. 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  8. "American Idol Finalists Perform At Benefit Concert For Hurricane Victims - Osprey Observer". Osprey Observer. 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  9. "From You Your Voices". The Tampa Tribune.
  10. "Gay rights? Abortion? Bell Shoals church asks politicians for one-word stance". 2014-09-12. Retrieved 2018-04-17.

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