Church History

The earliest record of Primitive Baptists in the greater Tampa Bay region goes back to 1844 when a group of Old Baptists settled in eastern Hillsborough County near Plant City. These first generation settlers constituted Mount Enon Primitive Baptist Church which continues to this present day.

As the 19th century was ending, a group of Primitive Baptists in Tampa began to meet for services and continued as a fellowship until five baptized believers asked Mount Enon and Salem Churches to send elders for the purpose of constituting a church in Tampa.

From the first recorded minutes of El Bethel: “March 16, 1901: In compliance with the request of the following named brethren and sisters, To wit, Brother H L Meeks and his wife, Martha D Meeks, Bro John S Roberts and his mother, Sis E J Roberts and Sis Susan Jackson: Having called on the church at Mt Enon, Fellowship and Salem for ministerial help to constitute them into a church; and the said churches having complied with said request, Elders J W Futch, C J Simmons, T J McMullen, M L Gilbert, J H Kirkland, Mathew Walker and Lucius Register were present and formed a Presbytery by appointing Elder J W Futch, Moderator and Elder L Register, Clerk. Then Letters of Dismission were presented by brethren and sisters above named and being found orthodox and orderly, were then constituted into a Primitive Baptist Church of Christ called El Bethel, by the Presbytery giving them the right hand of fellowship, prayer by Elder T J McMullen. Bible and charge delivered by Elder T J McMullen. Then, on motion, the minutes were read and the Presbytery adjourned.”

The first pastor of El Bethel Church was Elder Mozelle (M L) Gilbert. Elder Gilbert, originally from Mayfield, Kentucky, served the church faithfully until his death in 1951; marking fifty years as pastor. The minute books describe him throughout the years as “our beloved pastor Brother Gilbert.” He was apparently held in high regard by people in the community, in all walks of life.

The ”Primitive Baptist Church at Elbethel” held worship services at a meeting house on the corner of 34th Street and 3rd Avenue in Tampa until 1921, when the church built a modern, attractive red brick meeting house on the northside of town at 509 East Columbus Avenue in Tampa. This facility served the church until the early 1970’s when the church moved to its present location on 51st Street North in the University area.