Gulfport Church Celebrates 150 Years of Worship

On Sunday, Handsboro Baptist Church celebrated 150 years of worship in Gulfport. The special day was one of spiritual awakening for its members and a historical milestone as the oldest continuous Baptist church on the Coast.

The church was founded in 1874. Mayor Billy Hewes declared July 28th as Handsboro Baptist Church Day for its work in the community. The church honored its former members and pastors throughout its history. Current members reflected on this rich history and shared their testimony on what the church has done for them. “Some of my fondest memories are doing those things where we outreach to the community. So currently, we do a food bank. We do some other ministries, mission trips, and I even have fond memories of those types of activities when I was a child,” said Jane Varmer, member of Handsboro Church.

“We’re also proud of our heritage, of where we were a part of starting, the some of the other churches on the Gulf Coast. And those churches have turned around and started other churches. So we feel like we’re a mother and a grandmother to the gospel ministry here on the Gulf Coast,” said Dionne Williams, Interim Pastor of Handsboro Church.

“It’s always been a very important part about our church, to love our community, to share Christ with others and to help them come to know Him,” said Jane Varmer.