New church looks to make mark on Pondella Square
By day, it’s a thrift store that sells old and new clothing for those in need.
But on Thursday nights, it’s where members of the community meet for fellowship and Bible study, led by a man who wants to welcome in people whose lifestyles may not be accepted at other churches.
The Destiny Center of Southwest Florida, an interdenominational church, opened two months ago at Pondella Square on 80 Pondella Road, and is trying to make ends meet by making it into a thrift store by day.
The Rev. Courtney Williams, pastor at the Destiny Center, said he started having Bible study at his home in Dunbar and they were looking to start a new group in North Fort Myers.
“We found a space in North Fort Myers and decided to raise some money to have a space and host our meetings whenever,” Williams said. “We looked at focusing our ministry toward North Fort Myers.”
The Destiny Center opened in August as a thrift store, with Bible study every Thursday night at 7. In that time, it has grown from five members to nearly 20.
Donna Eaton, one of the parishioners, runs the thrift shop, which is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. People can either shop or drop off donations. Williams said they have received a lot of clothing donations from area businesses and they sell a lot of brand-name clothing.
The thrift store/church combination is a unique take, but not that unusual on the surface, Williams said.
“A lot of churches have thrift stores, but not all of them are on site. For us, we decided to start this way so we have a financial base,” he said.
Williams also said his mission accepts those some churches don’t allow or see. It has a focus on being a safe place for the LGBTQ community to worship, serve and become involved.
Williams is working with Visuality Youth Community Center in South Fort Myers, which works with teens in the LGBTQ community, with the goal of having them come to his mission.
He is also working with the homeless and childhood hunger.
“We have a strong passion for the homeless. We’re working on the One Program, where we work with a homeless person from homelessness to permanent residence,” Williams said. “We’re looking at starting a backpack program that will send nutritious snacks home to their child after school.”
Williams said he would like to expand into a worship center next to the thrift shop within the next six months. The goal is to have the thrift store sustain the ministry.
For more information on the church, call 734-741-3701 or go to www.revcdwilliams.com.