provided to The Santiva Chronicle
The only church on Captiva Island will open for its 75th “season” at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, at Chapel by the Sea, 11580 Chapin Lane. All faiths are welcome to attend.
The new pastor, serving for the next three seasons, is the Reverend Doctor Doug Dortch. He and his wife, Judy, will live in the parsonage on the grounds of the Chapel on the Gulf beach where the church is located.
Dr. Dortch has three degrees from the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and his doctorate is in Christian Preaching and Philosophy. Reverend Dortch has served congregations most recently in Birmingham, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla., for 17 and 11 years. He retired in 2022.
He says, “I have a deep call to ministry and, though I retired from the pastorate, I still sense that God has something for me to do. The Chapel’s three-year call has much that appeals to me. I am enthusiastic about how I might work with Chapel attendees to help them to serve God’s mission here.”
The Chapel by the Sea is listed on the US register of historic places and has been operating as an interdenominational church since the 1940’s. It was built as a one-room school house for Lee County about 120 years ago. The adjoining cemetery is also listed historically and dates back that far as well.
The Chapel will conduct services weekly at 11 a.m. on Sundays until April 28, 2024. You can appear in-person or join us online at the Chapel’s website – www.captivachapel.com or on the Facebook page for the Captiva Chapel by the Sea.
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