First Baptist Church, Port St. Joe

The First Baptist Church, Port St. Joe, was founded in 1923 by a group of twelve people with a shared vision: “to glorify God by seeking to make all people disciples of Jesus Christ.” L. E. Goodgame served as the church’s first pastor as well as the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Sopcoppy and the Auburn Baptist Church. Over the years, church membership has grown to over 700 members. In 1959, a new sanctuary and educational center were constructed at the corner of Monument Avenue and Third Street.

When Hurricane Michael tore through Port St. Joe on October 10, 2018, the First Baptist Church, Port St. Joe, bore the full brunt of the storm. An eight-foot storm surge gutted the interior while relentless winds shredded the roof and snapped the steeple in half. Demonstrating the resilience of the congregation, the first post-storm service was held just four days later in a nearby parking garage. Former Mayor Mel Magidson, a member of the First Baptist Church, Port. St. Joe, whose great-grandfather was one of the twelve people who founded the church, said, “As our pastor always reminds us, this building is not the church, we’re the church—we just go to church there.”

The building was initially spared from demolition, but it languished in neglect during the church’s transition. Rainwater fueled a massive black mold infestation within the carpets, ruining stockpiles of new art supplies and children’s toys. The site eventually became a biohazard, overtaken by a feral cat colony whose remains were found scattered throughout the debris.

In 2020, the building was demolished with plans to turn the space into a pavilion for the community to enjoy. The stained glass windows, which were donated to the church by Cecil G. Costin Sr., a former attorney and Democratic House Representative, were salvaged and are to be reused in the construction of a new building located three miles away.

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