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Longtime Plant City Pastor Retiring Easter Sunday

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By GEORGE WILKENS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 4, 2009

The Rev. Ron Churchill

PLANT CITY - The longtime pastor of the city's largest church has announced his retirement.

The Rev. Ron Churchill will deliver his last sermon at First Baptist Church of Plant City on Easter.

Churchill has been First Baptist's pastor since 1988, when he moved from First Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga.

Under his leadership, the church in 1993 moved from downtown to a larger campus at 503 N. Palmer St. and in recent years purchased acreage at 3309 S. James L. Redman Parkway for another possible move.

Churchill, who turns 66 next month, will not be idle after delivering his last Easter sermon as pastor April 12 and will not be far from the church he has served for more than two decades.

"I'm planning on teaching," he said.

He will teach at Evangelical University and Seminary, an interdenominational, Bible-based educator training school which opened in 2007 and is headquartered on First Baptist's campus.

"And I'll probably be doing interim pastor work around the area," Churchill added.

Additionally, Churchill is a longtime volunteer at Steppin' Stone Farm, where his wife, Cindy, is the director. Founded in 1973, the 85-acre facility along the Alafia River helps troubled girls turn their lives around in a Christian atmosphere.

"I've volunteered out there since we were married," he said. "I try to help out any way I can."

With more than 3,000 members, First Baptist is by far Plant City's largest church.

To ensure a smooth transition, a committee of 12 church members conducted a search for his successor.

"They've already found a fellow; we're not telling who it is yet," Churchill said.

A party to celebrate Churchill's retirement is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 19 at the Trinkle center on the Plant City campus of Hillsborough Community College, 1206 N. Park Road. The celebration will be open to the public.

Reporter George Wilkens can be reached at (813) 865-4433.

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