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Storefront Doesn't Mean Temporary - Blessed Hope Celebrates 3rd Year

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 20, 2008

Blessed Hope Church of God By Faith, one of the area's newest black Pentecostal churches, celebrated its third anniversary in August.
Storefront churches operate out of shuttered stores. The name gained popularity during the Great Migration in the nation's urban centers.

But this 25-member church, which has set up shop in the Dade City Business Center on Sixth Street, isn't your typical storefront.

The church originally opened in part of an old Burger King building on U.S. 301, across the street from Pizza Hut. After the owner sold the building, which is a liquor store today, Blessed Hope had to scramble to find a location.

There is a favorite saying: "God doesn't close one door without opening another door of opportunity." The timing could not have been better for Elder Carl Norton and co-pastor Lorraine Norton.

In the vicinity, an old auto parts store was being renovated and converted into a small mall. Tenants were needed. After moving less than three-tenths of a mile, Blessed Hope became one of the most modern storefront churches around and expanded from 1,400 to 2,500 square feet.

The building had to meet building codes, which proved to be a bonanza for the Nortons. The parking lot is paved, and new plumbing, drywall and electrical installments came with the deal. Plus, Carl has been in the remodeling business for 30 years and made contributions with the hammer and saw.

Decor Is Striking

But it was Lorraine's interior-decorating skills that gave the sanctuary a contemporary appearance. If it were not for the Christian symbols, such as portraits of the Last Supper and praying hands, the sanctuary easily would look like a five-star hotel lobby. There are no stained glass windows here or a steeple pointing to the sky.

The purple accent gives the sanctuary an air of royalty. The walls are canary yellow, and the carpet and stacking chairs that are used for pews are purple. The chairs in the pulpit have legs and arms trimmed in gold, with vertical green, beige, and purple striped fabric.

When most people visit flea markets, they see junk. Lorraine gets ideas. There are two 5-foot copper soldiers on guard at Blessed Hope, and she constructed a lectern out of two white pillars trimmed in gold with a glass top.

There is more to the church than bricks and mortar, though. Carl teaches as hard as he works. During the Wednesday night Bible study, he works as hard at teaching Bible study as he does preaching his sermons. And, of course, Lorraine offers "amens" to his points about faith from the book of Mark.

The Church of God By Faith is one of the country's oldest black Pentecostal churches. It was started in Jacksonville in 1914. Today, there are churches across the country. Blessed Hope is the only member in Pasco County.

But when Blessed Hope opened, it became the sixth church near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and U.S. 301, just north of downtown Dade City.

Location, Location, Location

Blacks are not known for conducting studies and surveys to decide where to establish churches. Once people receive their callings, they place priority on availability of space.

"People have different needs," Carl said. "The main thing is that people find a place to worship."

Think about it this way: No one complains when one fast-food restaurant after another opens in the same area.

Blessed Hope has services on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. If you are in the area, you are invited to visit. I am sure you will be as surprised as were members of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church and the Greater New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, who recently attended as anniversary guests.

Storefront, contemporary or just a plain ol' regular church, Blessed Hope is good for Dade City. It has taken an out-of-the-box approach to what a church should look like. We can all take a page out of its book.
Blessed Hope Church of God By Faith is at 14537 Sixth St. For service times, call (352) 585-4259.

Imani Asukile is a longtime Dade City resident and a founder of the African American Heritage Society of East Pasco County. To suggest a future column, e-mail idasukile@yahoo.com.

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