Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:15, “on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it”. It was in 1865 when D.S. Warner stood before a group of worshipers and declared the beginning of the Church of God movement.

As God would have it, many accepted the call and began to administer the Gospel of Jesus Christ all across the State of Florida in homes, under trees, on back porches, whenever or wherever they got an opportunity. History tells us, as early as 1901, Robert E Lee started the church in St Petersburg, Florida. In 1905 the Beverly Hills Church of God (formerly Griffin Avenue Church of God ) was established.

The Saints occasionally would also meet in gathering affection ally called camp meetings, where they would conduct soul steering revivals, served pot luck dinners and fellowship with one another. From the camp meetings in Lakeland, the Florida State Association of the Church of God was organized in 1947. The first officers were; Floyd Burton, Chairman, Alice Miller Vice-chairman, Mary Miller, Secretary and Rosa Davis, Treasurer. In 1956 they purchased property in Lakeland on Modest Street to house their annual gatherings. Then on September 22, 1972, the group meeting in the northern part of the state under the leadership of Doyle L. Sherman merged with the Lakeland group and new officers were elected. This was the beginning of the Florida State Association, which includes churches in Miami, Ft Lauderdale, South Bay, Fernandina Beach, St. Augustine, Tallahassee, Plant City, Brooksville, Live Oak, Tampa, Lake Wales, Orlando, Jacksonville, St Petersburg and Lakeland. Listed below are the Florida State Association Church of God Chairpersons over the years.

1947-1949 Floyd Burton
1950-1961 Luther Wright, Sr.
1961-1972 Cornelius H Wynn, Sr.
1961-1973 Thomas Butler
1975 John Collins
1976-1988 Richard Cleveland
1988-1992 Thomas Scott
1993-1997 Leona Marshall-Spann
1998-2001 Curtis Eubanks
2002-2005 Rene Evans
2006-present Thomas Scott