Amelia Plantation Chapel History

In 1974, when Amelia Island Plantation was being developed, a small group of Amelia Island Company employees and early property owners felt the need to have a church established on the south end of the Island. These residents represented a variety of Christian traditions as well as personal and career backgrounds. They were, however, joined in their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, a desire to worship Him, and to serve Him in their community.

The group began to hold Sunday worship meetings wherever space was available on the Plantation, using such diverse locations as the former Orvis shop, the Amelia Inn, or the Beach Club. Ministers from churches in the surrounding area came to lead the service each week. The few Bibles, hymnals, and other supplies owned by the group were transported in a rolling wooden chest, which was named “The Ark.”

In 1977 the congregation, numbering 84, adopted a constitution naming Amelia Plantation Chapel as an interdenominational church with governance vested in a Governing Board. On March 15, 1977, the State of Florida issued a Certificate of Incorporation which recognized Amelia Plantation Chapel, Inc. as a non-profit, tax-exempt entity.

As the congregation grew, it became apparent that a permanent place of worship was needed. A building fund was established and an outreach program to attract new members was initiated.

In 1986 the first full-time pastor, Rev. Don McGarity, was hired.

In 1988 an architectural firm, Beer and Associates, was hired to submit plans for a church building. With careful and prayerful intent, a site was purchased, located outside of the entry gates to the residential areas of the Plantation to make the Chapel welcoming to the entire surrounding community.

On September 3, 1989, members and guests held a unique groundbreaking ceremony in which participants co-mingled soils from their home churches into the foundation of the planned building. This ceremony symbolized both their diverse backgrounds and their unity in Christ.

The new church would be a 6,633 square-foot structure with a sanctuary seating 350, a choir loft with space for 30, a sacristy, two offices, a narthex, a fellowship room, and an unfinished balcony. A parking lot and an adjacent memorial garden were also elements of the Chapel site. Construction was begun on December 8, 1989.

The almost-completed building was filled to over-flowing for the first service on July 29, 1990. The formal dedication of the Chapel was held on October 28, 1989. The final cost of the project was $1.3 million. The construction loan was fully satisfied in March of 1992. The new building had many striking features. The hand-carved entry doors created by artist George Pandolph welcome arriving worshippers. The large beveled glass cross in the Chancel, designed and installed by monks from the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia, was the focal point upon entering. This cross, combined with its clear glass side panels and the clear windows down each side of the sanctuary welcomed the outside beauty of nature into the inside beauty of the Chapel.

During the ensuing years, additional features have been added to meet the worship needs of an ever-growing congregation. On March 27, 1994, a columbarium was dedicated in the location adjacent to the Memorial Garden. This structure held spaces for 79 double and 22 single niches. Recent improvements and expansions have been made to both the garden and the columbarium.

A membership of over 400 had made the need for new space acute by early in the twenty-first century. A “Realizing the Vision” campaign was launched and over $2 million dollars was raised to remodel the Sanctuary, add a music suite, and complete the balcony. The old fellowship room was converted into a nursery. In addition, new offices, a library, a room for classes and Bible studies, a Fellowship Hall with a large kitchen facility, and an uncompleted second floor were constructed. During the period of construction, worship services were held in meeting rooms or a large tent located at the Racquet Park Conference Center. The dedication of the expanded campus was held on October 16, 2005. All debt for this project was paid by early 2008.

Continued growth soon made the completion of the second floor of the Fellowship Hall building a reality. This area provided additional classroom and office space as well as a much-needed storage area. Necessary funding was quickly raised and the space was completed in October 2013.

Additional gifts and bequests have continued to enhance the worship experience at the Chapel. In 2006 a group of donors purchased a bronze sculpture of The Sower, located in the small courtyard between the buildings. This beautiful art piece has come to symbolize the mission of the Chapel. A generous donor gifted the Chapel with a Diane Bish organ in 2007. This organ has greatly enhanced the outstanding music ministry. A bequest of a new carillon was made in 2016. The chimes sound across the Plantation three times daily

A striking feature of the Chapel is the needlepoint used throughout. Five large banners are displayed showing the seasons of the church year. The four chairs in the Chancel represent elements of The Trinity. A kneeling bench is used for special prayers and at wedding ceremonies. Paraments for the pulpit and lectern were gifts from the designer, Susan Witt of Columbus, Georgia. Fourteen members of the Chapel completed this project within eighteen months. The needlepoint was dedicated in January 2004.

The Chapel annually supports 37 missions locally and around the world. Thirty percent of the yearly budget is earmarked for these outreach programs.
In January of 2010, the Chapel initiated a second worship service at 11:15. This more informal service offers the Sacrament of Communion each week.

The Chapel hosts Sunday Coffee fellowship, a Sunday School class, multiple weekly Bible studies, multiple weekly Bible studies, as well as numerous special events. Vacation Bible School is held for children each summer. Small groups meet socially in Tables of Eight luncheons or dinners. The entire membership comes together for Fall Festival in October and an oyster roast in the spring.

We celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the dedication of the church building in October 2020.

The symbolism of the Chapel was carefully designed to reflect and represent the theme of light. It is repeatedly represented in the art forms and design of the building.

So often when we come to the Chapel, the doors are open and one does not see the beauty of the carving and the significance of the representation.

The emphasis in the Chapel has always been “light,” as it has been throughout the Bible itself. “I am the light of the world”, declared our Savior. The Psalmist states, ‘’The Lord is my light and my salvation.”

The copper cross symbolizes that only through the darkness of the Cross of Christ can we partake of the light of the resurrection.

The doors, beautifully hand carved by master craftsman and artist, George Randolph of Mount Dora, Florida, depict the light of the first resurrection morning. It is through the light of this dawning that we find salvation through Christ’s sacrifice, and only through our faith and belief are we to gain the light of everlasting life. The sea oats symbolize that through death we attain new and eternal life.