Faith Archive

Over the past couple of years, the United Methodist Church has been fracturing. Split over the direction of the denomination and the question of gay people being allowed to be ordained, thousands of churches have severed ties with the United Methodists.

With the good times and festivities of Mardi Gras over, Christians, particularly those in the Catholic tradition, turn their attention and focus on Christ for a six-week period known as Lent. Ash Wednesday, observed Feb. 14 this year, is the first day of Lent, a season of prayer and fasting. Notable as a day when believers have ashes in the shape of a cross placed upon their foreheads, Ash Wednesday has a long history.

If you think 50 years in any career field is a milestone, try 65.

That’s how long Bob Archer, who turns 91 in 2024, has been preaching the Lord’s Word. Archer has been pastor of Navarre Chapel, an independent Baptist congregation located next door to Navarre’s Walmart Supercenter.

It has been a little over a year since Destiny Worship Center broke ground on a Navarre campus. Since then, the lot has been cleared, the framework of a building has been erected and work on the site has steadily progressed.

When Pastor Randy Pitman planted Calvary Chapel – Navarre, he never intended or thought it would grow the way it has. According to Pitman, unlike many churches around the nation, churches around northwest Florida, especially his, have to deal with the constant ebb and flow of growth and decline in their numbers.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” – Psalm 46:1-3.

With all the uncertainty in the world today, from war in Israel and Palestine to political divisions in the United States, many people are looking at 2024 as an opportunity to begin anew and help find answers for the questions in their lives. Churches, and the people who lead them, provide that opportunity.

Each year, we often look back at our successes, our failures and what we would like to see change in the new year. Navarre area churches are no different.

The world was in shock after the attack on Israel that took place in October. Now, uniting to demonstrate their support for the nation of Israel and its peoples, local faith leaders are joining together to present “A Night to Honor Israel” that will provide the community with a unique opportunity to stand together against antisemitism.

There’s a new store on New Hope Road in Midway. St. Paul United Methodist Church recently opened the New Hope Thrift Store, which is just southwest of the main church building and the preschool building. The thrift store is set to have an official grand opening in January but had a soft opening Tuesday, Dec. 5.