By: Editor Holly Wagner
On Oct. 23, the Rev. Malcolm “Mac” Clements celebrated his 50th year at First Baptist Church of Gibsonton.
Located at 9912 Indiana Street, Gibsonton, Florida, the First Baptist Church of Gibsonton (FBC Gibsonton) has been a spiritual anchor in the South Hillsborough County community for nearly a century. Founded in September 1930, it began as a tent-meeting church on donated land, then moved into a modest open-air structure with a tin roof and shell floor. Over the decades, it has grown, remodeled and rebuilt to become a worship center with a sanctuary that seats more than 500 people.
Lois Kindle File Photo
Brother Mac is right at home behind the pulpit.
In the early 1930s, the church thrived in humble circumstances, meeting under a tent and then in a basic structure on the current property. Over the years, FBC Gibsonton remained committed to being a “King James Bible believing” church and to the mission of seeing lives changed through the gospel.
The church offers Sunday School, morning and evening services, and mid-week prayer or Bible services. In recent years, it launched a broadcasting ministry.
Malcolm “Mac” Clements is a native of Gibsonton: born and raised in the area, he graduated from East Bay High School in 1961. Before entering full-time ministry, he was involved in a tropical-fish farm business and served the church in interim capacities. In 1975 he accepted the invitation to shepherd FBC Gibsonton full-time, the first and only church he has ever pastored. By the time Brother Mac began his full-time pastorship in 1975, the church had around 120 members. Under his leadership the congregation has grown to more than 500 members.
Courtesy Photo
This photo of Brother Mac and Ms. Pat was taken in 1984. This Dec. 7th they will celebrate their 63rd wedding anniversary.
In 1983 he and his wife, Pat, founded a Christian school at the church, which ran for 25 years, particularly serving children of families involved in the carnival and circus industry, which is significant to Gibsonton’s local culture. In 1991, Brother Mac, along with other Tampa-area Baptist ministers, helped to start the Help Evangelize Lost People (H.E.L.P.) ministries to provide spiritual education to foreign-nationals. That program today supports over 1,000 missionaries in more than 60 countries. In 2022 the church launched its streaming and broadcast ministry, Christian World TV, envisioned by Brother Mac during the pandemic, using 4K cameras, a studio and livestreaming to reach audiences beyond the immediate church walls. He has been lauded for his personal/community ministry: performing funerals and memorials, providing outreach to show-people (circus/carnival industry) families in Gibsonton and advocating for neighborhood infrastructure improvements (roads, lighting, sewer) through his “Vision 2020” plan. Brother Mac publicly addressed Hillsborough County officials about neglected infrastructure in the Gibsonton area (lack of sewer systems, poor lighting, children walking to school in darkness).
The Christian school they founded contributed to education for children of traveling carnival/circus families that integrated ministry with a unique regional culture.
FBC Gibsonton and Brother Mac specifically have made significant community contributions beyond Sunday worship. The Christian World TV ministry expands the church’s reach nationally and internationally. As of late 2023, the streaming had been viewed in 119 cities in the U.S. and other countries. The church has also started a thrift store and food-pantry to serve locals in need.
Lois Kindle File Photo
Rev. Malcolm “Mac” Clements is honored to have been the pastor at First Baptist Church of Gibsonton for 50 years.
As the church moves further into the 21st century, FBC Gibsonton is positioned for continued ministry and outreach. The broadcast studio and online presence help the church extend its influence beyond local geography. Brother Mac has often articulated the vision that this ministry should not be confined just to South Hillsborough County but be global in scope via technology. At the same time, the church remains grounded in its core beliefs, which include local service and maintaining worship and ministry to families, youth and the underserved in the community.
The story of First Baptist Church of Gibsonton is a vibrant example of how a church can evolve over many decades, starting from a tent meeting, growing into a full-size congregation, launching new ministries and staying engaged with the local community while reaching out globally. Brother Mac’s long tenure is emblematic of committed pastoral leadership, community engagement and ministry innovation.