A 166-year-old Fernandina Beach church is serving as a heat-relief station for unsheltered residents and people without air conditioning at home.

The Nassau County Extreme Weather Coalition, a group of churches, nonprofits and concerned citizens, operates a cooling center inside Fellowship Hall at First Missionary Baptist Church, near the corner of Ninth Street and Ash Avenue. The center opens from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on any day the heat index reaches 103 degrees or higher, according to the Fernandina Observer.

Coalition Launched to Fill a Local Gap

The coalition formed around 2024 to address heat-related suffering in Nassau County. It launched the center at the church, where volunteers and congregants staff it together.

Columnist Highlights Volunteers' Dedication

Peggie Weeks, a community volunteer who wrote about her experience at the center in the Observer's "Kindness Matters" column on Sunday, Sept. 13, named four church members she served alongside: Ella, Aldo, Stephanie and Brian. Weeks described the four as dedicated congregants who help make life more comfortable for neighbors in need.

Church Traces Roots to 1860 Founding

The church carries deep local roots. A Florida Heritage Site marker out front identifies First Missionary Baptist Church as having been founded by enslaved people in 1860 under Elder William Rose of Savannah, Georgia. The congregation moved through several buildings before settling at its current location in 1873. The wood-frame structure, completed in 1874, blends classical and medieval architectural elements, according to the Historical Marker Database.

The marker calls it "the oldest known black Missionary Baptist Church with uninterrupted service in Florida."

Church Vision Statement Takes on New Meaning

A plaque inside Fellowship Hall displays the church's vision statement, which describes members' desire to become the thermostat that sets the temperature for the church, city and community. Given the building's current role sheltering residents from dangerous heat, the language carries a literal weight.

Upcoming community dates: Bestselling author Kristin Harmel visits Fernandina Beach on Sunday, Sept. 27.