Payne Chapel Celebrates 117th Church Anniversary

BY C.S. HOWARD

Rev. Herbert Hollingsworth (center) with Rev. Ronald Williams and Rev. Paul Ronald Wiggins, sons of Payne Chapel.

Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church celebrated their 117th Church Anniversary on Saturday, June 22nd. The theme was “Celebrating God’s Faithfulness”. Rev. Ronald Williams, pastor of New Bethel AME Church in Orlando served as worship leader with the call to worship by Rev. Herbert L. Hollingsworth, pastor of Payne Chapel. Rev. Paul Ronald Wiggins, pastor of Greater Mt. Zion in Dania, gave the Litany. The Word Proclaimed was delivered by Rev. Jon Ingraham, pastor of Allen Chapel AME Church in High Springs, Florida. Rev. Ingraham is a native of Miami and is the son of Sonja Wilson Ingraham, formerly of Sarasota. Payne Chapel’s history goes back to the 1800s. Back then, a group of Methodists got together and decided it was time to organize an AME church in Sarasota. Among those founders were Campbell Mitchell, C.H. Murphy and Leonard Reid. In 1926, the church was named Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal church in honor of the Right Rev. Bishop Daniel Payne. The great hurricane of 1926 destroyed the early church that had served the congregation for over 20 years. A new larger masonry church was built on the site of the original church which served the congregation for over 40 years. In the early 19070s, a new home was planned and in 1975, a new house of worship was completed at its current location, 1910 Central Avenue, where it continues to serve its members. Rev. Herbert L. Hollingsworth is pastor at Payne Chapel and Rev. Shermena Walker is Associate Minister. Program chairpersons were Jacquelyn Swain and Carl M. Stephens.