How it all began
When Mariner Sands Country Club was developed in the early 1980s, members joined together to form a congregation. They gathered for worship and fellowship in the Clubhouse and sometimes around the pool. They also began to serve Stuart and Martin County – providing volunteer and financial support to help start or expand organizations including Martin Memorial Medical System hospitals (now Cleveland Clinic), House of Hope, Treasure Coast Hospice, Samaritan Center for Boys and Hibiscus.
The congregation began planning and raising money from individual donations in 1983. The site was dedicated in April 1986, and the Chapel opened its doors on March 1, 1987, with 161 charter Chapel members. In October 1987, the Chapel’s charitable endeavors began with the idea of an Operation Outreach with funds going to two local charities. Operation Outreach has grown into Mariner Sands Chairty Week and has raised more than $4 million to support local nonprofit organizations.
The Chapel’s growth and increase in community usage led to a major expansion in 1992, which nearly doubled the size of our facility. A boardroom, office area, library, storage and a permanent place for choir practice and garment storage was added in a 2,400 square foot expansion.
In April 1999, the members of Mariner Sands Chapel approved and broke ground on a second expansion project. The original sanctuary was legally limited by the Martin County Fire Marshal to 187 seats, and outdoor temporary seating for overflow was not ideal due to weather and ability to hear. Attendance had necessitated adding a second nondenominational homily service to serve residents. Adding an 80-seat “mini-chapel” not only solved this problem but also provided additional space as a large meeting room on the lower level of the Chapel.
Since 1987, the congregation has been led by a series of superb pastors including Dr. Bern Burnstein, Dr. Jack McCombe, Dr. Bob Bedingfield, Dr. Bill Weimer, Dr. David Walls and now Dr. Gary Carr.
With Jesus Christ as Head of this congregation in His Church, the work of the Lord continues because of the commitment, generosity and hard work of all our members.
