Central turned to Hal Marchman, a young pastor in Kentucky.  Hal had come to know Lee Nichols as a member at First Baptist in the late 1940’s.  Working with Nichols and First Baptist during his student years at Stetson, Hal had started a mission in Halifax Park, a Federal Housing project on what was then Volusia Avenue.

Hal was also well-known at Central because he had preached a two week revival at Central on its first anniversary in 1956.

When Hal came as pastor in the summer of 1959, the formation of Central as a different kind of Baptist church began to take shape.   Hal was a different kind of pastor.  He had been a submariner in World War II, and, was a recovering alcoholic.

Hal developed compassion for those who were suffering in similar ways. He often brought home folks who needed an opportunity to get sober, or he would appear before the judge and argue on their behalf for a second chance.

Hal would ask the courts to allow the church to take problem teenagers out to the 116 acre camp which Central had purchased in 1961.  It is not an overstatement to say  “at the camp, many lives were transformed.”

People who had been helped by Hal’s ministry and those who had witnessed his love, soon began to come to church at Central.

As the church grew, the education building was added early in 1965 along with a second Sunday morning service to ease crowding.

When Norman Iauch health declined, Betty Edwards was called to be choir director but Norman continued to lead the congregational singing for years.

Myra Bobbitt Wooden later succeeded Betty.

In the 1970’s, the formation of many of Central’s ministry initiatives came from Hal’s sense of compassion for those society had left behind.

Hal Marchman, Judge Leon Stewart and other recovering alcoholics from the community, launched the Halifax Area Center for Alcohol Prevention.  Now known as SMA Healthcare, it has become a multi-county resource offering mental health and addiction treatment, as well as crisis services.

To give Hal a hand with Central’s expanding ministries, in 1972, Doug Harrell, a recent graduate of Southern Seminary, became associate pastor for youth, hospital ministry, the Camp, and occasional preaching.

Before the end of the decade of the 1970’s, the church created Central Manor, a HUD project with 154 apartments for seniors.  Dip Parker was added to the staff as Central’s first full-time counselor  and Central sponsored,  A Child’s Place, an innovative daycare center eventually reaching 225 children with a staff of 30.

Central was just getting started!

Decades: 1980s, 90s

In the growth decade of the 1980’s, John Nichol became associate pastor alongside Hal and Doug.

As the membership aged, 1984 saw the beginning of Senior Adult ministries known as  “CBS’ers” (Central Baptist Seniors Ever Ready to Serve) led by Nadine Smith and later Winnie Sapp.  Their seniors singing group, the “Jubilees,” lifted spirits everywhere.

After serving Central for more than 13 years, Doug Harrell answered a call to a pastorate in Sarasota. (October 6, 1985 Doug’s last Sunday,  Returned August 12, 1990))

Central Baptist Church continued to grow, made up of recovering alcoholics, divorcees, and seniors who lived at the Manor.  There were also youth who had come to know Jesus at the Camp, and families who brought their children to  A Child’s Place, along with people who wanted to be in a church with a vision of God’s love as broad as Central’s.  Together they helped to make Central a different kind of church.

The motto of Central, repeated frequently by Hal’ and many others, was God loves us, warts and all.

Christian counseling was in the fabric of Central’s expression of God’s love.  Lou Leone joined the counseling ministry alongside Dip Parker. (late 80’s into mid 90’s according to Linda) Lou Lee-O-knee’

Bursting at the seams with folks in need of God’s love, ground was broken for a new sanctuary in 1986.  Mary Marchman and Jim Self were pictured in the newspaper at the controls of a bulldozer clearing the site.

After 28 years as pastor, Hal Marchman retired in the spring of 1987.

John Nichol, who had worked alongside Hal for four years, became Central’s third pastor. (1987-1989)  He led the celebration service for the new sanctuary in the fall of 1987.

Two years later, John resigned to start Indigo Lakes Baptist Church on Williamson where Central had discussed planting a mission church.

In the summer of 1990, Doug Harrell returned from Sarasota to become Central’s fourth pastor.  (1990-1997) Now, with almost 20 years in ministry, Doug confidently faced the turmoil among Southern Baptists nationwide and led the church to align with the emerging Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  (1991).

The year Doug came, 1990, Hurricane Andrew devastated south Florida.  Central with other CBF churches, launched the Open House Ministries Center to help rebuild lives in Homestead. Central’s team helped to erect the original structures and then followed up with mission teams through the years to serve at-risk children and youth, sharing the love of Christ through bible stories, crafts and recreation.

Linda Pigott, who became part of the Homestead mission teams, began her 26 years of service at Central in 1992 as part-time Children’s Sunday School Coordinator.  Ordained in 2002 by the church, she became Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Outreach, enlarging the ministries of spiritual formation and pastoral care.

Doug Harrell moved to a hospital chaplaincy across the state at the end of the decade, and Chris Caldwell became Central’s fifth pastor, serving the community for four years.

After Chris was called to Broadway Baptist in Louisville, David and Sonja Philipps came as co-pastors in 2003.  Sonja brought ten years of social work experience in a hospital and hospice setting as well as pastoral counseling skills.  The local Halifax Baptist Association failed to see the wisdom of a woman in the pulpit and withdrew fellowship from the church in October, 2003.  Central had lived up to its reputation as a different kind of Baptist church.

Three years later, David and Sonja resigned to start a new church in the area.

Although it has not been said, during the tenures of all the pastors, Central was very busy giving faithful attention to the everyday needs which sustain a church: preaching the gospel, visiting the sick, teaching children, and bringing peace to desperate lives.

Through the years, Central has relied upon the wisdom and patience of interim pastors including, Lafayette Walker, Earl Joiner, Don Musser, Richard Philipps, and others.

Central has also been blessed by many extraordinary full-time office staff members, beginning with Lorene Clontz, Nadine Smith, and others.  Central is indebted to them for their commitment, and skill.

Sonny Gallman, Central’s seventh pastor, began his ministry in June 2008.  Sonny has brought enthusiasm and vision for ministry to our community, still in need of Jesus’ gospel of hope, and care.

There would be more hope and care to come, in Central’s next decades.

Auxiliary ministries, and community involvement, have flourished at Central in the last two decades.  We have continued to host AA groups for men and women, and have provided space for Head Start, and recently the Atlas Academy and Preschool. For more than a generation, Scout Troup 65 has found a home at Central, and now the all-girls Scout Troop 1 is here. On weeknights, our buildings resonate with the sounds of the Daytona Beach Concert Band, and the rhythms of the Sugarfoot Family Cloggers.

The last two decades have brought changes to the church staff.  Phil Ransbottom, and Matt Layton, served our youth part-time. Matt Nelson enriched our youth and music ministries. (2015-2018). In 2018, Laurie Moran became Central’s music leader enhancing our contemporary music, and strengthening connections to our larger Christian community. (combined choirs)

B.J. Meyer, returned to Central in 2021, after previous service as organist and music minister a decade earlier. Following ordination in 2023, BJ now serves as associate pastor strengthening our work with seniors and engaging the digital world. [B.J. Meyer joined the staff as organist in the spring of 2006 (Easter Sunday 2006) serving first with music minister Melissa Cargile and then Curtis Alston]

Our world slowed down in 2020 with a six month shut-down of in-person gatherings because of COVID-19.  Out of it came livestreaming worship services which now reach our homebound, and scores of others weekly.

Despite occasional setbacks, Central’s ministries and community outreach, have continued to blossom in the last decades.

2010, brought the first annual Performing Arts Camp, creating weeklong opportunities for school age children to explore the good news through art, and drama.

Vacation Bible School, continued to create a robust engagement for Bible teaching, and activities through out much of the period.

Central has continued to provide summer camp experiences for our children and youth in the last decade.

The church pioneered Grief Share, and DivorceCare ministries with volunteers, and reshaped its long-established counseling program with the coming of Joan Rademacher in 2011.

Life-Tree Café, created a new gateway at Central for those who were either exploring faith for the first time or returning to church after a hiatus. The invitation was to, “Come as you are. Your thoughts are welcome, your doubts are welcome.”

(2016) Since 2016, moms have found respite and community at MomCO, which is building an inclusive, faith-based community for mothers of preschoolers, and now school age children.

To support struggling families and individuals in the immediate community, Central launched a food distribution program in 2021 which now serves more than one-hundred fifty families monthly.

(2022) “Connections,” our innovative midweek gathering, came out of an increasing community awareness of those in recovery nearby. Connections provides hope and a place for those hurt by religion, or with no religion. It features sharing around a meal, story-telling. and meditation. It is a ministry long championed by Steve Lauxman, who encouraged so many in recovery.

For more than a decade Central has engaged the community in the annual Trunk or Treat at Halloween. It’s always safe place to be spooky.  “Pay it Forward,” a community picnic, was added last year to connect with the neighborhood, through fun,   food,  and entertainment.   (October 2024)

As Pastor Sonny departed in 2026, a new chapter is set to begin.

Our current community ministries, point to our rich heritage of compassion for teens and children and reveal a church of second chances for the divorced, those in recovery, and plain old sinners. Central still believes, God loves us, “warts and all.”

Pastors and Dates of Service

1955-07-20 Lee Nichols formally called to be the first pastor of Central (1955-1959)

1959-07-13 Hal Marchman called as pastor (1959-1987)

1987 John Nichol becomes 3rd pastor (1987-1989)

1990-07-08 Doug Harrell elected 4th pastor. (1990-1997)

1998-05-10 Chris Caldwell elected 5th pastor. (1998-2002)

2003-05-11 David & Sonja Phillips elected 6th pastors. (2003-2006).

2008-06-15 Sonny Gallman elected 7th pastor. (2008-2026)