Palms Presbyterian Church stands on Third Street in Jacksonville Beach, a few blocks from the Atlantic coast, where it has served the community since 1956. As a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) within the St. Augustine Presbytery, Palms describes itself as a community of Christian disciples called together to grow in faith and to be equipped for service, striving to worship faithfully, serve compassionately, and offer hospitality and welcome to all. The church's life is organized around four interlocking ministries - Worship, Connect, Nurture, and Serve - and around an extensive calendar of programs that touch every age from infants through older adults.
Traditional Worship with a Choral Heart
Sunday worship at Palms follows a traditional pattern. Two services are offered each week in the sanctuary, at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and both feature scripture, sermon, and choral music under the direction of Dr. Ronn Cummings, the Director of Music and Fine Arts. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the summer schedule collapses into a single worship service at 10 a.m. The 11:00 a.m. service is also streamed live every Sunday so that members and friends who are traveling or homebound can join in.
The sanctuary order is printed in a worship bulletin handed out by ushers as worshipers enter, and the parts spoken in unison are included so newcomers can follow along. Large print bulletins are available on request. Worshipers are invited to come as they are - on any given Sunday, some arrive in jackets and ties, others in shorts - and visitors are welcomed but never put on the spot. An offering is received at every service, but first-time guests are gently reminded that there is no expectation to give. After worship, many people linger in Patten Hall for coffee and conversation.
On the first Sunday of each month, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is celebrated at both morning services. All are welcome at the table. As a Presbyterian congregation, Palms speaks of the Lord's table rather than an altar: the bread and wine are a memorial of Christ's self-offering, an act of thanksgiving, and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Baptism - of infants, children, and adults - is offered as a visible sign of God's grace and entrance into the covenant community, and baptisms take place during regular worship services.
Wednesday Evening Prayer in Hess Chapel
A second weekly gathering meets at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in Hess Chapel. The thirty-minute Evening Prayer service is a quieter, more contemplative complement to the Sunday morning format. Scripture, prayer, and a brief reflection take the place of the full choral liturgy, and the Lord's Supper is celebrated at this service every week. The chapel itself is a smaller worship space within the church building, and newcomers are encouraged to follow the signs or to ask any staff member to point the way.
Music and Fine Arts
Music is woven through nearly everything Palms does. Dr. Ronn Cummings holds degrees in piano performance and conducting from the University of Wisconsin, Southern Methodist University, and the University of North Texas, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts. Before joining Palms in 2004, he taught at North Texas and at the University of Akron. Under his leadership the church supports a choral program with full anthem choirs at the Sunday services, occasional orchestral forces, and a partnership with choral interns from the University of North Florida. A staff organist, Cathy Fortson, rounds out the music ministry. Hymns and bulletins from recent Sundays are archived, and sermons are released as audio on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
KidWorship, Nursery, and Children of All Ages
Children are welcomed in Sunday worship at Palms. Worship bags with age-appropriate activities sit in the back of the sanctuary, and a time during the service invites children in kindergarten through fifth grade to step out for KidWorship, an age-appropriate version of what is happening in the sanctuary - music, Bible study, games, prayer, and crafts - led by the Children's Ministry Director or trained volunteers. Parents pick up their children after the service concludes, except on Communion Sundays, when children return to the sanctuary in time for the sacrament.
The youngest children are cared for in the nursery during both morning services and during Wednesday Evening Prayer. A nursery caregiver position is staffed year-round, and the nursery is supervised by a Nursery Coordinator. Beyond Sunday mornings, the children's ministry organizes Wednesday Evening Fellowship, family events throughout the year such as Trunk or Treat and a Christmas Eve service for children and families, and seasonal Vacation Bible School.
Youth Ministry, Grades Six Through Twelve
Palms' youth ministry is described as Christ-centered, service-oriented, and safe. Middle School youth (grades 6 to 8) typically meet on Sunday evenings in the gym and youth room from 5:15 to 7:00 p.m. for hangout time, dinner, devotion, and games. High School youth (grades 9 to 12) gather every Sunday for fellowship, service opportunities, food, and Bible study. Retreats, mission trips, and summer conferences - including trips to work with CROSS Missions in Charlotte and to attend the Montreat Youth Conference - round out the program. The church is currently hiring both an Associate Pastor for Youth and a Student Ministry Director to lead this work.
Adult Education and Spiritual Enrichment
The Adult Ministry is built around the conviction that people grow in faith across a lifetime, and the church provides study, prayer, and conversation groups for nearly every schedule. A Sunday Study hour at 9:40 a.m. between the morning services meets in the Palms Room and has recently walked through Adam Hamilton's Christianity and World Religions. Two long-running men's Bible studies meet on Monday afternoons and Wednesday mornings. A Centering Prayer group meets Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. in person and on Zoom. A weekly Lectio Divina group meets Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The Ladies Small Group gathers Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. The Sack Lunch Theology group meets the first and third Thursday at noon over brown-bag meals. Bible studies also meet at Vicar's Landing on the fourth Monday and at Cypress Village on the second and fourth Wednesday.
Seasoned Saints, the older-adult ministry for members and guests aged 65 and over, sponsors workshops, luncheons, and outings on topics ranging from brain and body health to the Cummer Museum's Van Gogh collection. Palms Fronds is a fellowship group for adults ages 25 to 55 who want to meet new friends through casual gatherings and adventures.
Presbyterian Women and Presbyterian Men
Presbyterian Women at Palms supports women of all ages through study, conversation, and service. PW Crafters meet every Thursday afternoon from 1 to 3 p.m. to knit, crochet, and sew; their handmade shawls are blessed and given to members in need of comfort, and other craft items are sold to support the Haiti Outreach Ministry. PW Circle meets the second Thursday at 2 p.m., Tuesday Horizons Bible Study meets the second Tuesday at 11 a.m., and Small Bytes Bible Study and Social Hour gathers the third Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The men's ministry has hosted two Bible study groups for fifteen to twenty years, supports a community men's basketball group, and offers an Easter photo opportunity beside a flower-adorned cross in the Oasis Garden.
The Palms Preschool and Childcare Center
Palms Preschool has been a ministry of Palms Presbyterian Church since September 1985. The school serves more than one hundred children ages one through five and operates from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, year-round. An extended-day program also serves school-age children in kindergarten through fifth grade before and after school, following the Duval County Public Schools calendar. The preschool is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the highest national mark of quality in early childhood education. Although housed in the church's education building, the preschool is self-supporting through tuition and fundraising. The church and preschool collaborate through a bi-weekly preschool chapel that incorporates Bible stories, music, and movement. Jessica Kirby directs the school, and the office manager is Pamela Titlow.
Serve: Local Outreach from Mayport to Mission House
The Serve Ministry at Palms is less about programs than about identity - the church sees itself as servant leaders responding to the needs of the wider Jacksonville Beaches community. Mission House, the only day facility serving homeless adults in the Beaches area, was founded with Palms as a partner and continues to receive financial and volunteer support. Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry (BEAM), an ecumenical service center that prevents homelessness through emergency financial assistance and food pantries, was co-founded in 1985 by representatives of local churches including Palms; the congregation still staffs the Mayport Road food pantry every Wednesday and serves on BEAM's board.
Mayport Market is a food distribution ministry organized by Palms in partnership with BEAM, Hope Baptist Church, and other community volunteers; it distributes food on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Kid's Kitchen, a Palms-founded summer food program, packages six weekend meals per child and delivers them to the Gail Baker Center, the Jordan Center, and the Carver Center for children in summer programs. Palms has built many homes alongside Beaches Habitat for Humanity, supports Sanctuary on 8th Street (an after-school and summer program serving children in marginalized Jacksonville neighborhoods), and helps deliver meals for Beaches Community Kitchen several times a year. The Angel Tree project, set up each Advent in Patten Hall, distributes nearly 300 paper-angel gift requests to children served by Palms' community partners. Dial-A-Ride has received Palms' support since 2005, providing rides for home-bound seniors.
Global Outreach from Haiti to Egypt
Across the ocean, the same conviction to serve takes shape through long-term partnerships. The Haiti Outreach Ministry (HOM) supports the ministry of Leon and Jacky Dorleans in Blanchard and Cité Soleil, including education at the Blanchard Schools through individual member sponsorships. Disciples lead regular trips for medical, construction, educational, and clean-water work. CODEP, the Comprehensive Development Project of the Haiti Fund, is the church's reforestation partner in rural Haiti, working in covenant with the PC(USA) and the Episcopal Church of Haiti. In South Africa, Affordable Medicines for Africa (AMFA) builds networks of pharmaceutical providers and housing for children affected by AIDS. Beginning in 2021, Palms entered a new relationship with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Egypt and its seminary in Cairo, through a mission liaison who teaches mission and evangelism. Palms also gives annually to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
A Matthew 25 Congregation
Palms has accepted the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s invitation to become a Matthew 25 church, committing the congregation to three overlapping callings: building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism, and eradicating systemic poverty. The Session has issued a formal Statement on Racial Inequality, and a Matthew 25 Collaborative guides the congregation's work in each focus area. The church's own vision statement names the goal of being bridge builders for a divided world, ambassadors for compassion and reconciliation, and servant leaders for God's work in a rapidly changing world.
Pastoral Leadership and Governance
The Rev. Bryant Anderson serves as Pastor and Head of Staff. He came to Palms from Milford Presbyterian Church in southeast Michigan and previously served at Doylestown Presbyterian in suburban Philadelphia; he studied religion and philosophy at the University of Florida and earned his M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary, and is currently pursuing a doctorate at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. The Rev. Cassie Todd, Associate Pastor, is a graduate of Michigan State University and Columbia Theological Seminary and previously served congregations in South Carolina, Florida, and Michigan. Craig Davies, a retired PC(USA) pastor ordained for more than fifty years, serves as Parish Associate, and Tom Walker is Pastor Emeritus.
Like every Presbyterian congregation, Palms is governed by a Session of ruling elders elected by the people in three rotating classes, together with a Board of Deacons who exercise the ministry of compassion, witness, and service. Ruling elders in the Classes of 2027, 2028, and 2029, and Deacons in the same three classes, share the work of governance and care. The Music and Fine Arts program is directed by Dr. Ronn Cummings, and the Children's Ministry is led by Taylor Brown, who joined the Palms staff in January 2024. Adult Ministry is led by Bill Wildey, and Sallie Gipson serves as Congregational Care Coordinator. The Business Director, Lori Vaughn, holds a Certified Church Administrator credential; Lesley Hunter directs communications; Sylvia Hammond supports membership and connection; and Annette Ritter serves as Receptionist and Volunteer Coordinator.
Becoming a Member
Visitors who want to make Palms their church home are invited to attend a New Member class, where they meet others exploring the same call, share their faith journeys, and discern how they might serve. After the class, the Session confirms the new members' intention, the group professes faith in Jesus Christ and covenants together, and the new members are introduced to the congregation at a Sunday worship service. Palms expects its members to keep a daily time of devotion, attend weekly communal worship, participate in education or a small group and in service, give a percentage of income annually, and continually engage others in affirmation and accountability. Anyone interested may speak to a pastor, contact the church office, or complete the New Member Form available online.
Visiting Palms
Palms Presbyterian Church gathers at 3410 South Third Street in Jacksonville Beach. Sunday worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. (10:00 a.m. only during the summer), and the Wednesday Evening Prayer service is at 6:30 p.m. in Hess Chapel. The 11:00 a.m. service is streamed live and recorded for later viewing. Sunday school, adult study groups, and fellowship gatherings fill the space between services and throughout the week. The Palms Preschool and Childcare Center serves children from one year old through fifth grade on the same campus. Giving and the church directory are managed through Realm, and the building is also used during the week by Parkinson's and Alzheimer's caregiver support groups, a breast cancer support group, a health ministry, Girl Scout troops, men's and youth basketball teams, and a variety of recovery groups - a long-standing expression of the congregation's commitment to be a good neighbor on the Beaches.