Florida Church Scripture Genesis 1:14 - And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: Genesis 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

Several years ago, Mother Aplis Dixon became concerned about her soul. She began searching for that missing something. Her journey led her striaght to Christ, with the help of a prayer band, and other saints, and a determined mind.

After inviting several pastors to come to the St. John Community and preach Holiness, Elder E. L. Sheppard accepted the challenge in February, 1961. Plans were made for a place to hold service. Mrs. Aggie Cook, then in the hospital, gave permission to use her abandoned Inn, known as "Rocket 88".

The Service began with the aid of members from the Bethlehem and Midway Churches. After about three nights, the community became stirred and concerned. From then until the close of the meeting, there were capacity crowds. Elder Sheppard preached for three weeks on "Holiness as a Way of LIFE" and not a religion. Community friends brought bibles each night and read scriptures with the text of the sermons. Many were touched and convinced and some began seeking the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. At the close of the meeting, those who begain seeking the Baptism of the Holy Ghost were placed under the auspices of Missionary Florence Bradwell, who worked with them until they were baptized with the Holy Ghost.

Those who were baptized with the Holy Ghost asked that a permanent mission be set up in the community. Elder Sheppard set up the mission in the abandoned Inn. In a few weeks the attendance outgrew the size of the building. It was obvious that a church edifice was needed. The pastor set forth a plan for the building of a new church in what he called the "Faith Four Year Plan." A parcel of land was given to the church for the new building by Mr. Mack Ray and Mother Aplis Dixon. Deeds were made for the poperty, to the Church of God In Christ, and the ground was broken October 15, 1961 at 3:00 P.M. The new church was dedicated October 30, 1964.

The growth of the church has been tremendous since its organization in 1961. In 1972, a new annex was added. The new annex includes a dining area to accommodate extra activities and housing during various occasions, a prayer room, Sunday School room and pastor's quarters. The annex was completed and dedicated on March 16, 1975.

With growth in membership, the pastor and trustees began searching for property for expansion. In April, 1994, a piece of prime property was found in the community. On March 4, 1995, the church closed on 8 acres of land in the St. John Community located between the Intersection of Highway 267 and Old Philadelphia Road. The property was dedicated on March 19, 1995 at 3:00 P.M.

Due to Bishop Sheppard's illness in December 1998, he appointed Elder Ronald McCloud as Pastor. After Bishop Sheppard's demise, Elder McCloud was confirmed by Bishop Chandler David Owens on December 18th and officially installed as Pastor of the St. John Church of God In Christ by Interim Bishop H. Jenkins Bell on Feburary 14, 1999. Elder McCloud has been a member of this church since its inception, and worked actively in the ministry as an Assistant to the Pastor for the last ten years.