Rooted in Scripture. Planted in Seminole.
“Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense (apologia) to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with gentleness and reverence.”1 Peter 3:15
Apologetic, in this sense, means “to give a defense”—from the Greek word apologia used in this verse.
A congregation formed through prayer and providence.
For more than twenty-five years, Christ the King has gathered in Seminole for biblical worship, Christian fellowship, and faithful witness.
Prayer for a church in Seminole
Our congregation has its genesis in the prayers of a small group dedicated to God and a pastor’s desire to begin a church in which biblical worship would reign supreme. For several years, a faithful band of believers prayed for a Presbyterian Church in America congregation to be established in the Seminole area. At the same time, Peter La Pointe, then pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in North Tampa, was praying about how God would best use his gifts in ministry. Sensing a call toward church planting and seeing the needs of Pinellas County, Peter approached Mission to North America about planting a new church.
A congregation takes root
God brought the two parties together, and it was determined that a new church should be organized in Seminole. Support was raised from the presbytery, the denomination, interested churches, and individuals. Peter was approved by the presbytery and invited by the core group to begin the work. The group first met in a home, then in an office complex on Sunday evenings during the summer of 1999. After God provided a meeting place at a gymnastics and dance academy, morning worship began on September 19. The congregation later moved to the chapel at Keswick Christian School and eventually to the historic chapel at the corner of 54th Avenue and Seminole Boulevard—our present church home.
A new chapter of ministry
After almost twenty-five years of faithful ministry at Christ the King, Pastor Pete La Pointe retired in June 2024. Our longtime assistant pastor, Steve Sinclair, assumed the pastoral duties while a pulpit committee searched for the church’s next pastor. In August 2024, the committee presented Samuel Lee Brewer Sr., and the congregation voted to call him as lead pastor. Samuel was ordained and installed on October 6, 2024.
Confessional, Presbyterian, and Reformed.
Christ the King is a confessional congregation that embraces the historic Christian faith expressed in the creeds of the early, universal church, including the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. We are a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America, practice a presbyterian form of church government, and adhere to Reformation theology as summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith.