History

1885    A small group of Seventh-day Adventists were worshipping in Sorrento, Florida.  This was the first group of Seventh-day Adventist believers in Central Florida.
 

1890    March 30, a group of 14 members was organized in Orlando, population 2,500.  The congregation soon increased to 25 and met in the home of one of the members before renting the Armory building on Court Street.
 

1908    A lot was purchased for $250, and a white frame sanctuary, 24 x 36 feet, was constructed at the corner of West Central and Terry Streets.  The church cost about $800.  The church was called “Central Church” and also had a church school.
           

            The Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists* was looking at a piece of property located in the Formosa Avenue area of Orlando.  The conference purchased an existing sanitarium for $9,000.  It sat on two beautiful lakes and included 72 acres.  On the first of October the sanitarium was opened as the Florida Sanitarium and Hospital.
 

1922    A small group of hospital employees began to hold weekly services on Saturday afternoons at the hospital, conducted by the pastor of the Central Church.
 

1926    September 24, the Florida Conference organized those attending the hospital services into a new church with services held in Winyah Chapel.
 

1948    The membership had grown to 146, and a new sanctuary was built at 800 Lake Estelle Drive, Orlando.  Today, this is the building housing the library for Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences.
 

1960    A transept for additional seating and the education wing for children’s classes and community service activities were built as an addition to the Lake Estelle facility.
 

1971    The church sanctuary was completely redecorated.
 

1981    The church name was changed from Florida Sanitarium Church to The Seventh-day Adventist Church at Florida Hospital.
 

1984    The membership voted to merge with Kress Memorial Church.  Although both churches had participated in developing the proposal to merge, in the end, the Kress membership voted not to merge.
 

1987    The congregation voted to expand and renovate the church facility.
 

1989    The architect’s plans for additions and renovations were double the original estimates.  The project was abandoned, and the church began to rent from John Knox Presbyterian Church.
 

1990    In a business session, the church voted a property exchange with Florida Hospital.  The property on the peninsula at 800 Lake Estelle Drive was traded for the 2800 block of Orange Avenue bordered by Orange and Dade Avenues and King and Evans Streets.
 

1991    September 29 was Ground Breaking Day for the new church.
 

1992    Construction began in March.
 

1993    We moved into the new church May 22!  The church name was changed from The Seventh-day Adventist Church at Florida Hospital to Florida Hospital Seventh-day Adventist Church.
 

1993    Downtown Community, a seekers service, began in July.
 

2000    Completed third floor.
 

2001    Burned the mortgage on the last Sabbath in December.
 

2002    Downtown Community ended a nine-year run.
 

2002    Voted to develop Loch Haven Children’s Academy, a 247-capacity early childhood education and care center, located behind the church on land leased from Florida Hospital.

2006   Added full-time Childrens/Family Pastor position onto staff.
 

*              The Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was organized in September 1893.  The new conference began with three ordained ministers, two licentiates, and 139 members.  At first, the conference covered the entire state, but between 1908 and 1932, 10 counties were assigned over to what is today the Gulf States Conference.