Our History

The Ministry Center was founded in 2001. The church sprang forth from a Monday Night bible study that gathered and rented the local Women’s Club facility in downtown Lake Placid from September 1998 to May of 2001. It consisted of a small group of faithful believers who met each and every week.

In early 2001, doors opened for a facility to be purchased in the outskirts of Lake Placid.  The Corporation was created and our 501c3 (tax exemption) was approved. The Church’s first service was held on May 21, 2001 at 770 CR 29 in Lake Placid, FL. under the pastoral leadership of Lonnie Wells and Melinda Brown. (Co-Pastors)

God had called both Lonnie and Melinda to the ministry and they knew it was God’s will for them to jointly lead the church. They were anything but strangers as Lonnie and Melinda are Uncle and Niece. Prior to opening the church Melinda had already been working for Lonnie in the insurance industry for 17 years. It was a master plan that God already put in place, one that would allow Lonnie and Melinda to work together in unity and understand how to respond to difficult and trying situations.

In 2006, Melinda left Lonnie’s employment and went full time with the day to day operations of the church.

October of 2014, God opened up yet another opportunity for The Ministry Center to move approximately 12 miles North to Sebring, FL. This move would be big, since most of the church body lived in Lake Placid and the facility was much larger than our current one. After prayer and the majority of the church in total agreement, under the direction of God the 32,000 square foot facility with a little over 43 acres was purchased.

It was a step of faith, but we knew God was most definitely leading the way.

On January 4, 2015 we held our first service at our new facility located at 8475 Sparta Road in Sebring, Florida.

We have learned with God, nothing is boring and all things are possible!