Church History
Good Samaritan Life Changing Ministries Inc.
In 1984 the late Bishop C.D. Kinsey felt the need for a church to be organized in the Beaches areas. After discussing this with Minister Gregory Austin, he asked to pray about it and see if he was ready to take on this task. After prayerful consideration, Minister Gregory Austin accepted the challenge of starting a church in the Beaches area.
Minister Austin begins having prayer meetings on Wednesday nights at the house of Mother Estelle Mizell (deceased) in the Atlantic Arms Apartment. After 3 Meetings in the apartments, the prayer meeting moved on Alley Road in Atlantic Beach. There were no restroom facilities. It was just a small building that had holes in the floor that you could look right through and see the ground. Minister Austin continued to believe God for a better building.
In 1988 the Lord blessed Pastor Austin, and he moved his congregation to Jacksonville Beach. On what is known as "The Hill", where some people use to say, "Nothing Good can come from the" The Hill". When the church moved to "The Hill" there was a crack house on one side of the building and a night club on the other side. The building that the church moved in to was a shell of a building. Some of the members were concerned about the area that was heavily infested with drug dealers, addicts, prostitution, and drive by shootings.
Pastor Austin had a vision...
We began to renovate the building; and Now... Praise God, we had a restroom facilities!
An Example of how bad the area was:
One night we had to call 3 locksmiths to unlock the church van because the keys were left in it. All 3 locksmiths said No! They would not come out in that area after dark. When they called a 4th locksmith, He said he would ONLY come if a police escorte he from Beach Blvd 2 blocks down to the church.
The small congregation began to pray, fast and believe GOD for this area. One day the city of Jacksonville Beach demolished the crack house. On Sunday, the house was there and on Tuesday it was gone.This left only the night club to deal with. A few members laid hands on the night club and claimed the building for Christ.
Today the church owns the land where the crack house & night club was!!!
A couple of officers that patrolled the area came to a program at the church and said, "That crime had been down significantly since the church has been in the area. Apostle Austin, Pastor Austin, and The Good Samaritan Family have been the light that set upon "THE HILL"
When odds was aginst the church..... Apostle Austin encouraged the flock to hold on.
When friends said you should move to another location to attract people who could be more of help financially. Apostle held fast to the fact that THIS was where the Lord had sent him. He knew that the people in the area also had souls that needed to be ministered to. and it was not all about the finance.
Since 1992 the church has gone through tremendous changes both in the congregation and as well structurally. The membership continues to grow and a complete renovation of the building has taking place.
We are looking to the future with expectations and with the help of God. We feel our work has just begun.
Today we can appreciate holding to the promises of God. He has blessed us and given us a place on "THE HILL", that we can call our own. God is continuing to prove himself more and more.
In 2005 the church was named Good Samaritan Life Changing Ministries Inc.
Pastor Austin answered the call to be an APOSTLE.
Apostle Gregory Austin has become overseer of Good Samaritan LCM & Gideon Circle Fellowship as he covers other churches with his lovely wife by his side Pastor Dorothy Austin.
Apostle and Pastor Austin welcome all Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, Pastors, and Teachers so that the church is edified.
A couple of officers that patrolled the area came to a program at the church and said, "That crime had been down significantly since the church has been in the area. Apostle Austin, Pastor Austin, and The Good Samaritan Family have been the light that set upon "THE HILL"
When odds was aginst the church..... Apostle Austin encouraged the flock to hold on.
When friends said you should move to another location to attract people who could be more of help financially. Apostle held fast to the fact that THIS was where the Lord had sent him. He knew that the people in the area also had souls that needed to be ministered to. and it was not all about the finance.
Since 1992 the church has gone through tremendous changes both in the congregation and as well structurally. The membership continues to grow and a complete renovation of the building has taking place.
We are looking to the future with expectations and with the help of God. We feel our work has just begun.
Today we can appreciate holding to the promises of God. He has blessed us and given us a place on "THE HILL", that we can call our own. God is continuing to prove himself more and more.
In 2005 the church was named Good Samaritan Life Changing Ministries Inc.
Pastor Austin answered the call to be an APOSTLE.
Apostle Gregory Austin has become overseer of Good Samaritan LCM & Gideon Circle Fellowship as he covers other churches with his lovely wife by his side Pastor Dorothy Austin.
Apostle and Pastor Austin welcome all Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, Pastors, and Teachers so that the church is edified.