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Gibsonton Church Building Has New Mission

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By LOIS KINDLE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 22, 2008

GIBSONTON - In a gesture of brotherly love, United Methodist churches in the South Shore area have begun a project to help an ailing sister church and the community surrounding it.

About 70 members of South Shore and Sun City Center United Methodist churches recently wielded axes, paint brushes and other tools for their first work day of a project aimed at refurbishing property owned by Gibsonton United Methodist.

At the end of May, the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church and its South Central District office determined that the Gibsonton congregation was too small to support its growing overhead and no longer could operate as a standalone church.

"It's getting harder and harder for smaller congregations to survive," said the Rev. Warren Langer, pastor of the Sun City Center church.

Langer said closed church properties usually are sold, but his church and South Shore UMC, its satellite, asked whether they could have the Gibsonton property and address the human needs of the area by starting a mission.

Under this arrangement, members of the Gibsonton congregation could continue meeting at the sanctuary on Murillo Avenue in Gibsonton, even though it is no longer officially considered a church.

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