• Core Values
• History
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• Staff

History

The St. Paul's Story

        St. Paul's UMC began as a new church start with a gift of 11 acres in the growing Southeast section of Ocala.  Worship began in the Ward-Highlands Elementary School cafeteria on September 22, 1974.  The congregation was chartered on December 15, 1974, with about 65 members.  Ground was broken for the first sanctuary on May 18, 1975 and services began there on Christmas Eve of that year.  An educational wing was added and Sunday school classes began there on June 18, 1978.  The congregation became self-supporting in 1980 with a membership of about 300.  The church continued to grow, and a new sanctuary was opened in August 1985 to accommodate two services for the growing church. The occasion was marked a complete reading of the New Testament by church members. A second wing was added to the education building in 1998. Today, St. Paul’s is a growing, dynamic congregation of more than 600 persons of all ages, dedicated to growing in the Spirit of God and reaching the community with the Good News of Jesus Christ.