Two local churches merge congregations

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two races and two churches are now under the same roof in an Orange Park sanctuary, but the pastors told Action News that there is no different preaching in this pulpit.

Their goal is to bring people together.

The overwhelming vote to move to Orange Park sparked the beginning of a new chapter.

“We just decided upfront this is going to be something that brings us together, not something that breaks apart,” said Michael Clifford, minister at Shiloh Christian.

What used to be Minister Clifford's Ridgewood Baptist Church is now the Shiloh Church of Orange Park.

Ridgewood has struggled financially over the years.

But Shiloh, who has thousands of members at its downtown location, wanted a new campus.

So the two pastors met in May 2014 and started the process to merge by the end of the summer.

“It's been sacrifices changes, humility required on both parties,” said Pastor H.B. Charles.

Charles said one of those changes was bringing together one church, which is nearly 90 percent white, and the other, which is more than 80 percent black.

These pages began to unfold just as protesting and riots surrounding race broke out around the country.

“God just gave perfect timing where we were able to be a witness for Jesus Christ and encouragement to so many people who were looking for hope in matters of racial reconciliation,” Charles said.

On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, both of these churches, more than 100 years old, are now one of the first to merge in Florida.

“This is something that couldn't have happened 50 years ago, but it something that doesn't happen really right now,” Clifford said.

The pastors said so far everyone has been on board with the change.  They hope to see the congregations grow.

WJAX