2226 St Johns Bluff Road, S   Jacksonville, FL 32246

James Hammond and his brother helped to build the present church building along with the founding Pastor J.D. Childress, Bros James Winkler and Jesse Boyd. The bounding growth this present congregation has seen in the Jacksonville area has not forced a move or rebuilding in another area.  A lot was sacrificed by a few people that didn’t have much to sacrifice, but they gave all that they could and were very happy to have a place where God's Word was ministered.

The church assembly was not originally founded within the United Pentecostal Church International Articles of Faith and was organized as an independent body. The congregation first held meetings in J.D. Childress’ home and shortly thereafter moved to a rented office space on Atlantic Boulevard in the same building that housed the Teamsters Local Union. This was the case for about 5 or 6 years when James Hammond was just a small child. The congregation then met at several intermediary locations while securing the property that is now the present home of the Christ Church Pentecostal congregation on St. Johns Bluff Road.

The first hurdle was zoning rules regarding the property, and that was no easy task to overcome. The church had been before the Zoning Committee more than once to repeat their petition. Friends of the founding ministers and church assembly were on the Zoning Committee and finally listened to their hearts. Permission was granted to allow the small congregation to have a permanent home.

The rear of the building was erected first (probably about 1977) and services were held there. The small rooms, perhaps our present side vestibule and hospitality room, were the Sunday School Classrooms adjacent to what was the Sanctuary then. The landscape was completely different.

Construction was continual. James Hammond recalls the foundation to be the most stable foundation for any single story building likely to be found in the Southeastern United States, and it was dug and poured soon after the small church was opened.

The main Sanctuary construction was the hardest. The outside block work was performed by the raising of all the trusses in much the same manner as the Egyptians built and very like the method in which Amish build today. It was a very manual back breaking exercise.

The blocks used throughout much of the building were reclaimed from the Old Baymeadows horsetrack site. The stalls were demolished and blocks were salvaged. Pick up trucks were loaded full of cinderblocks, and the blocks were then hauled the site. But the work was not finished at delivery. The assembly would have to knock off all the old mortar, and hopefully, do so in a manner that did not destroy the block. A definitely hot, sweaty and tiresome work in the middle of the Florida summer. Yet, according to James, "My fondest childhood memories are there."

According to James, his mother, Sister Mary Frances Hammond, would most definitely be considered a founding member of the congregation. While he was still a lad, only fourteen, James and his family moved away from the Jacksonville, Florida area. He sends his greetings and wishes God's blessing on our ongoing work in His Kingdom. Thank you James! We appreciate your labor and thoughtful remembrance.