Our History

West Gate Baptist Church is a pillar in the Town ‘n’ Country area of Tampa. West Gate was established in October of 1959, when Rev. Gerald Cheney had a dream to see a church started in the community that could eventually reach the world.

 

Since 1959, West Gate Baptist Church has been through many changes, but the dream of Rev. Cheney has been unchanging and undimmed.

 

In 1988, West Gate Baptist Church called Dr. Bruce Turner from Holbrook, Massachusetts, to be pastor. Pastor Turner was the longest serving pastor in West Gate history, faithfully serving for twenty-two years. During that time, West Gate experienced rapid expansion, including the founding of Florida Baptist College in 2005. In 2007, West Gate completed construction on an additional 10-acre campus which included a new 1,456-seat auditorium, college classrooms, administrative offices, nursery facilities, and much-needed parking.

 

In 2010, Pastor Turner announced his retirement from the pastorate of West Gate Baptist Church. Upon this announcement, West Gate called George Pirt to become its new pastor.

 

Pastor Pirt now continues West Gate’s sixty-year legacy of strong Bible preaching, soul-winning, and church planting.