Islands Community Church

What if a church wasn’t just a building, but a journey? Islands Community Church, right here in Savannah, embodies that idea. Its story spans over 50 years, a testament to a community’s enduring faith. Islands Community Church began not in a grand edifice, but in a humble home in 1968. It was a high school program initially, run by Florida Bible College. Floyd and Melissa Russell opened their doors, transforming their residence into a place of worship. As the congregation grew, so did the need for space. In 1969, the former Islamorada Post Office became the new home of Islands Community Church. Pastor Bruce Porter, a teacher at Florida Bible College in Hollywood, Florida, would make the long journey every weekend to lead the services. Space was still tight. Services were held inside the former post office, while Sunday school for the children took place outside. The church continued to thrive. By 1974, they had outgrown the post office. After a period of renting space from the Cinemorada Theater across the street, the church purchased the theater outright. A unique piece of Islands Community Church’s history involves its bus ministry. In the early days, buses transported children from the surrounding community to Sunday services. These buses were purchased with treasure recovered from shipwrecks, a donation from a generous congregant. In another expansion of its mission, Islands Community Church opened Island Christian School (ICS) in 1974. Starting with 54 students, ICS rapidly grew to 154 by the end of the year and 305 the following year, eventually offering classes from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Leadership transitioned in 1989 when Pastor Bruce Porter stepped down. Tony Hammon, the first principal of ICS, became the new pastor. In 2018, Pastor Tony retired, passing the torch to Trevor Mann, a former ICS graduate. A significant change occurred in 2019 when ICS closed its doors after a fruitful period of providing Christian education. The church felt a call to move in a new direction. In 2023, that new direction took shape. Islands Community Church bid farewell to its theater-turned-church building and converted the former ICS gym into its current sanctuary. This transition marked another chapter in the church’s ongoing journey of faith and service.